This is my family's favorite Christmas cookie! It's always a huge hit in my house and these cookies fly off the counter. You can use any cookie cutter shape you like. I go with the Christmas tree and gingerbread man shapes but whatever you choose will work fine. Here's the recipe (I always double it so I can have lots of cookies to hand out to neighbors/friends):

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp fruit preserves (I like raspberry or apricot)
2 tsp powdered sugar

METHOD:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter with a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract, beating until just combined, about 30 seconds. Don't overbeat!

Gradually add flour. mixture, beating on low speed just until a dough forms, about 1 minute. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it in half. Flatten halves into 1-inch-thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove 1 disk from the fridge and unwrap. Roll to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly foured work surface. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out as many cookies as you can. Use a straw to poke holes in half of them; poke the hole all the way to the bottom. How many holes you poke will depend on the shape and size of your cookies.

Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets and bake until the cookie edges are lightly browned. This might take around 7-10 minutes depending on how thin you were able to roll out the dough and the size of your cookies. Bake the cookies in as many batches are you need, transfer them to a wire rack, and cool about 20 minutes.

Spread center of each whole cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon preserves, leaving a small edge around cookie without preserves. Sprinkle cookies with holes evenly with powdered sugar. Place 1 cookie with holes on top of each whole cookie.

ENJOY!