28 Recipes for Easter Cookies

My mother started baking these cookies with me and my eight brothers and sisters when I was a child, and I carried on the tradition with our four youngsters when they were little. Now, my children are grown and can make these cookies with their own tots. —Barbara Neuweg, West Point, Iowa

Full of lemony flavor, these cookies are great for any time of year and always popular with family and friends.—Patricia C. Quinn, Omaha, Nebraska

I enjoy experimenting with cake mixes to make new cookie recipes. I love apricot, but feel free to fill the thumbprint in the center of these goodies with any fruit preserve you like. —Nancy Johnson, Laverne, Oklahoma

It's a family tradition for my grandmother and me to make these colorful cookies every year for the holidays. —Cheyenne Fink, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania

My mother made these treats flavored with cinnamon and anise for neighbors, teachers and anyone who stopped by. Make sure the honey doesn’t boil longer than a minute or it could burn.—Sarah Knoblock, Hyde Park, Indiana

With cream cheese, cherries and a sweet topping, this recipe turns chocolate chip cookies into something special. Enthuses LeeAnn McCue of West Springfield, Massachusetts, "These are pretty to look at and taste like a combination of cookie and candy. They're a family favorite we enjoy at Christmas—and year-round!"

In Mexico, these rich cookies are called "Little Wedding Cakes" and usually are served with hot chocolate. Since moving here close to Mexico from the Midwest, I've enjoyed trying authentic recipes—they're a sharp departure from the Iowa favorites I grew up with! I love introducing these to relatives and friends! —Terri Lins, San Diego, California

A chef at a local culinary school gave me this recipe, and I've been using it for years. Italian cornmeal cookies are from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. They're not too sweet, and the glazed cherries add just the right touch. — Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

These traditional Italian cookies are moist and tender. —Weda Mosellie, Phillipsburg, New Jersey

These wonderfully chewy cookies have a light lemon flavor from both the juice and zest. The sanding sugar on top adds sparkle and a bit of crunch. —Michael Vyskocil, Glen Rock, Pennsylvania

Rolled in colorful sprinkles, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are pretty enough for a party. I make a lot of them for holiday cookie trays. (Complete your cookie tray with Chocolate Pretzel Rings.) —Delores Edgecomb, Atlanta, New York

Macaroons studded with M&M's are easy to mix up in a hurry. That's good, because believe me, they never last long. —Janice Lass, Dorr, Michigan

Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite desserts. I thought it would be great to capture all that wonderful flavor in a cookie. The pastry-like cookie is topped with pink strawberry frosting. —Allison Anderson, Avondale, Arizona

You'll be remembered for these cookies when you serve them for a morning coffee or at a gathering. Melted chips drizzled on top make them look fancy, but they're so easy to make. —Dixie Terry, Goreville, Illinois

These glazed sugar cookies are perfect for nibbling between sips at a tea party, graduation or shower. —Lori Henry, Elkhart, Indiana

Fresh juice and zest pair up to give my buttery cookies a lemony pop. Sprinkle sugar on top for extra sparkle. —Marcia Whitney, Gainesville, Florida

I found this recipe for a chewy raisin cookie in one of the many Amish cookbooks I own. I haven't seen it duplicated anywhere else. —Marcia Wagner, Berrien Springs, Michigan

It's a good thing this recipe makes a big batch because no one can stop eating just one! These crisp, buttery cookies truly do melt in your mouth. —Mildred Lorence, Carlisle, Pennsylvania

These chewy gems have refreshing lemon flavor. They freeze well and thaw easily in the fridge, so you can cure a craving anytime. —Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana

Mom and I took up cake decorating. Funfetti was our favorite cake, so we used the mix to make cutout cookies. Plain or decorated, they’re a fave at parties. —Danielle DeMarco, Basking Ridge, New Jersey

I make these citrusy cookies for parties and special occasions, and we always get to eat the ones that don't come out perfectly. Eventually I had to start making extra "mistakes" to keep my family happy! —Myrrh Wertz, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Chocolate lovers will go crazy over these cookies that feature loads of chocolate! When friends ask me to make "those cookies," I know exactly what recipe they mean.—Rebecca Jendry, Spring Branch, Texas

I was looking for a light cookie that would freeze and travel well and couldn't find one, so I created these. They are so good you won't be able to eat just one.—Brenda Brooks, Bowie, Maryland

We make sugar cookies and fill them with a tangy raspberry cream cheese. They taste best after they've been refrigerated for at least 45 minutes.—Heidi Farnworth, Riverton, Utah

The chocolate in the middle of these cookies is such a fun surprise. And the dough is so simple to make, with just the right amount of sweetness. —April Shuttleworth, Fort Wayne, IN

Light and buttery, these delicate shortbread cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good. The coconut flavor makes them extra special. —Roberta Otto, Duluth, Minnesota

I had to bake something from my heritage for school. I made these little drops of heaven called kourabiedes. —Rebecca Sprague, St. Louis, Missouri