It’s Christmas Eve, which means tonight’s the night to leave some cookies out for Santa as he makes his way on his delivery route.
But why give Santa plain chocolate chip cookies, when you can give him the ultimate Christmas cookies?
Rick Martinez, former senior food editor at Bon Appetit, stopped by "Good Morning America" and shared some of his tips to making perfectly baked cookies and how to transport them for the holidays as well as two delicious cookie recipes from Bon Appetit for the whole family to enjoy.
And because baking cookies is a fun holiday tradition, these cookie recipes will be fun for everyone to help out in the kitchen.
(MORE: Bon Appetit shares tips to make the best chocolate chip cookies)1. Use an ice cream scoop
An ice cream scoop will consistently make the same sized dough balls and will also help the cookies bake evenly.
2. Use parchment paper
Why take that extra step greasing (or cleaning) your pans when you can just simply use parchment paper? Nonstick, heatproof paper can cut your baking in half so you’re spending less time in the kitchen and more time with your family for the holidays.
3. Use a wire rack
The bad news is that cookies can burn in a pan even once out of the oven. Prevent that from happening by using a wire rack.
Did you hear? Tie-dye is back!
This cookie may look difficult to make, but don’t let looks fool you -- it’s actually very simple to make! A simple six-ingredient butter cookie is the canvas for this groovy design.
Bon Appetit’s butter cookie recipe is so easy, you can also make it ahead of time so that more time is spent on the fun part: decorating!
Get your kids involved by working the dough in classic Christmas shapes like trees and gingerbread men. Next, make a big batch of white glaze and divide it into separate bowls for each different color. But make sure you keep one of those colors white.
Pour a few color combinations on a plate then dip your cookie in the combined glaze. If the cookie didn’t turn out the way you wanted, don’t panic! Simply wipe off the failed glaze, let the cookie dry for about five minutes and try again.
The Recipe: Brown Butter and Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
This cookie recipe was one of Bon Appetit’s top-trending recipes this year, and we can see why just by the name of it.
Elevate your chocolate chip cookie for Christmas by combining chocolate and caramel into a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. And instead of using chocolate chips, use chocolate discs, which will spread as they melt, creating thin pockets of chocolate in each layer.
This simple twist on the chocolate chip cookie is a game changer and will be soft even at room temperature.
Poor packing and bumpy car rides have crushed the cookie dreams of many during the holidays, but here’s how to make sure your cookies travel safely.
Good: Use plastic quart containers for cookies with decorations that are baked in rather than layered on top. Plastic quart containers can accommodate stacks of cookies up to a dozen and you can separate them with sheets of parchment to keep them safe.
Better: Bakery boxes or small (unused) pizza boxes padded with tissue paper will keep your cookies safe when traveling long distances and will keep them from crumbling. Make friends at your local bakery/pizzeria or buy boxes at the container store for $1 each.
Best: A reusable tiered container is the best way to go for a seasoned cookie swapper. The Baker’s Sto N Go can safely transport up to 40 heavily decorated cookies on its nifty shelves.
(MORE: 25 Days of Cookies: Christina Tosi's compost cookie recipe)