1Don't forget to pin it for later!
2Jam Thumbprints
Do thumbprint cookies look festive? Sure! But that sticky jam filling just can't provide the same bliss that a swoosh of silky frosting can. It's like your grandma is trying to pass off toast as dessert.
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3Crinkle Cookies
We don't quite understand the appeal of crinkle cookies. They often have a few sad cracks instead of looking like the pretty, crackly versions you've seen on Pinterest and the powdered sugar topping doesn't do much for the flavor.
4Shortbread
Shortbread is a fine accompaniment to a cup of tea, but if we're talking Christmas cookies, you've got to admit that this classic is a little weak. When it comes to festive baking, don't be half-hearted about it!
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5Florentines
The lacey edges and layer of chocolate on these thin cookies definitely make them look tasty, but when you first take a bite it's easy to fall out of love. The candied orange peel in them reminds us too much of fruitcake and while they're meant to be chewy, they usually end up too sticky to handle.
6Snowball Cookies
So after you've taken a bite and gotten powdered sugar all over your fingers, face and sweater — or been nearly suffocated by inhaling it — all you get is a crumbly nut-filled center? Snowball cookies just aren't worth it.
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7Molasses Cookies
I'm sorry, is this Little House on the Prairie? Did we run out of our sugar ration for the winter? Okay then, let's nix the cookies that taste like tar.
8Pignoli Cookies
VEGAR ABELSNES PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGESItalian families will stand by these classic sweets until the end, but these mildly sweet, nut-studded cookies just can't stand up to other more festive options in the holiday dessert spread.
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9Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
When it comes to cookie mix-ins we're all about chocolate chips, sprinkles and even the occasional nuts, but dried fruit need not apply. Plus, oatmeal cookies taste like breakfast, not dessert.
10Biscotti
These are lovely for dipping in coffee, but they're tough to bite into and more closely resemble a cracker or biscuit than a cookie. Bottom line: Biscotti just don't belong in any holiday gift basket.
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11Spritz Cookies
Dry, crumbly and bland. They're like that one weird uncle everyone hopes won't show up to Christmas dinner ... but he always does anyway. Plus, who's got space in their kitchen for a cookie press?
12Cinnamon Stars
These classic German treats are pretty, but honestly just too healthy to deserve a spot in our holiday rotation. We want our cookies sweet enough to give us a toothache.
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13Candy Cane Cookies
Flickr Creative Commons / Heather KatsoulisThese never quite turn out the way Pinterest would have you believe, and instead you're left with awkward twists that look like a child's Play Doh project
14Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Cheerful shapes and some sprinkles aren't enough to make plain sugar cookies stand out. They're basically blank canvases, so why not jazz it up with icing and candy toppers?
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15Gingerbread Cookies
A little family of cleverly decorated gingerbread men (and women) is definitely cute ... but not quite cute enough to eat. The weirdly spicy combination of ginger, nutmeg and cloves is an acquired taste best used to build gingerbread houses.
16Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Flickr Creative Commons / rfduckStore-bought cookies are already a bit of a cop out already, so the least you could do is get some decent looking ones. The holiday-edition tubes of slice-and-bake cookies give you a choice between sad snowmen, droopy Christmas trees or very manic looking reindeer. Yikes.
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17Stained Glass Cookies
Flickr Creative Commons/Gerwin SturmThere are so many awesome sugar cookie hacks out there, so make sure to skip this one, which involves melting Jolly Ranchers in the middle of sugar cookies. The effect can be cool, but you're more than likely to chip a tooth trying to chow down on one.
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