It's always been a bit of a magic trick: Like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, when you add flour, butter, sugar, eggs and salt (plus some other secret ingredients) to a mixing bowl, you get Christmas cookies.

Magicians wave wands, but home bakers stir batter. And that levitation trick? Gingerbread men rise on their own in the oven.

Our beautiful assistants typically need a foot stool to reach the kitchen counter. And they're very helpful during the disappearing act -- when small hands reach into a tin of cookies.

There is no denying the appeal of Christmas cookies. There's a special brand of love that goes into their annual appearance, whipped up not by a magical spell, but by special words written in a cookbook or on an old recipe card.

This selection of Christmas cookie recipes runs the gamut, from Candy-Stuffed Cookies (recipe below) that wraps cake mix batter around a piece of candy, to the more sophisticated Chocolate-Raspberry Linzer Cookies.

So, pick a recipe. Head to the kitchen. Make some holiday magic.

Here are a trio of cookie that use peppermint extract and candy, or in this first cookie, look like peppermint candy canes.

ALMOND CANDY CANE COOKIES

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter

1 1/2 cups shortening

3 cups powdered sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons almond extract

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Scant 9 cups (38 ounces) flour

Red food coloring

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then add the almond and vanilla extracts. Add the salt, then slowly add the flour, a little at a time, until completely incorporated to form the dough.

2. Divide the dough in half. Cover and refrigerate half. To the other half, add enough food coloring to turn the dough a rich pink. Cover the other half; and refrigerate both pieces of dough about 30 minutes.

3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

4. Form the cookies: Take a heaping tablespoon each of the pink and white dough. Roll each piece into a strip, then take the two strips and place them side by side so they are touching each other. Roll them together so you have one uniform piece, red on one side and white on the other, then twist to swirl. Twist the dough to form the shape of a candy cane. Continue forming the cookies with all of the dough.

5. Bake the cookies on a cookie sheet until set, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the hot cookies from the sheet carefully, as the "hook" of the cane can break easily; allowing them to sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or so after baking makes the removal a bit easier. Glaze while hot. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Glaze

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 to 3 teaspoons almond extract

1/4 cup milk, more as needed

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar. Beat in the almond extract, then slowly add the milk. Add enough milk to create a glaze-like consistency (not as thick as frosting, but thick enough to coat the cookie). Glaze the cookies generously while hot. Feel free to add a second coating of glaze if you'd like!

2. The cookies are good warm, but they are actually at their best the second day, or after they have had time to really cool and properly set.

Peppermint Meltaways

Cookie:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 to 3 drops red food color, if desired

Candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

Combine butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30 to 60 minutes).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Stir in food color, if desired. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

-- Land O Lakes

Candy Cane Blossoms

48 Candy Cane Mint Kisses (or other favorite flavor)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine , softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove wrappers from Kisses.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

-- Hershey's

Cookies are great, but they're even better when there is a treat inside. These three recipes fit the bill.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY LINZER COOKIES

2 1/3 cups (10 ounces) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Raspberry jam or preserves

Powdered sugar, for dusting

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the almond extract. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured board, roll out half of the dough to a thickness of one-eighth inch. Cut out rounds using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter.

3. Repeat with the remaining dough. On these rounds, use a 1-inch cookie cutter to cut holes in the center of the dough. Re-roll the trimmings to form extra cookie tops and bottoms.

4. Bake the cookies on ungreased baking sheets just until set, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the sheets and cool on a rack.

5. In a metal bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Spread 1 measured teaspoonful of the melted chocolate on the flat side of each whole cookie. Top with one-half measured teaspoonful of the raspberry jam. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cookie tops with holes; place a cookie top over each prepared bottom to form the sandwich cookie. Repeat until all of the sandwiches are assembled. (The cookies are best assembled shortly before they are eaten, as they can become smudged if stacked and stored.) Makes 3 dozen sandwich cookies.

Apricot-Almond Snowballs are a nice twist on the traditional wedding cookie, with the tang of dried apricots and the complement of almond. Made with heart-healthy canola oil, the recipe is from the Canola Info Skinny Mini Holiday Desserts collection at canolainfo.org/recipes.

APRICOT-ALMOND SNOWBALLS

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt until completely combined. Add canola oil and beat until well combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons water and the extracts, then almonds and apricots.

Scoop batter onto ungreased baking sheet by the tablespoonful, leaving about 1 inch between. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until just set. Cool on pan for 2 minutes and transfer to wire rack.

Pour confectioners' sugar into bowl. While cookies are still warm but not hot, roll in confectioners' sugar. It will adhere slightly. Return cookies to rack. When totally cooled, roll in confectioners' sugar again. Store in air-tight container for up to five days. Makes 36 cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY MACAROONS

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 pound sweetened flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

12-14 large maraschino cherries

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons flour

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Set the chocolate in a bowl and microwave for on high for 1 minute. Stir with a spoon. If there are any lumps remaining, microwave for another minute.

Scrape melted chocolate into large bowl. Add condensed milk, coconut, vanilla and salt. Mix with large spoon. Mixture will be very thick and sticky.

Drain cherries and cut each in half. Set aside in small bowl.

Using a paper towel, lightly coat bottoms of cookie sheets with vegetable oil. Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over each sheet. Standing over the sink, tilt and gently tap each pan until it's white with flour. Tap loose flour off sheets into sink.

Using tablespoons, drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the cookie sheets. Leave about 1 inch between the cookies. Put a cherry, cut side down, in the center of each cookie.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan, and then use a spatula to remove them.

Store in an airtight container. These may be frozen. Makes: 24 cookies

-- The Baltimore Sun

Making cookies means trips back and forth to the oven. With bar cookies, it's one-time and you're done. Here is a trio to try.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Bars

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons margarine, softened

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries/cherries or a mix

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup apple butter or applesauce

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned), uncooked

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together sugars and margarine until blended. Add apple butter, egg whites, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well. (Dough will be moist.) Spread dough in greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool before cutting into bars.

Yield: 32 bars, each with 90 calories, 0 cholesterol, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein. Exchange: 1 starch.

SUNBURST LEMON BARS

Crust:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/3 cup flour

Freshly grated zest of 2 lemons

/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Garnish:

Confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make crust: Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add flour all at once, and mix until thoroughly combined. Place in a parchment-lined 9-by-13-by-2-inch metal baking pan and press evenly to cover entire bottom. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough when pressing to keep it from sticking to your hands.

3. Bake 20 minutes. Prepare the filling during the last 5 minutes of the crust baking.

4. Make filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients and mix well.

5. Remove crust from oven. Pour filling over crust, return to oven and bake an additional 33-35 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

6. When cooled, lift out of the pan using overhanging parchment paper, and place on a cutting board. Trim off edges with large, long sharp knife and discard. Cut into bars. Dust tops with confectioners' sugar.

Makes 24 medium bars. You can also cut these into 48 miniature bars or 12 jumbo bars.

-- "Sweet Magnolia Cookbook" and the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Praline Bars

CRUST:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

FILLING:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup almond brickle chips

1/4 cup caramel flavored topping

Crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, mixing on low speed until blended. Press onto bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Bake 20 to 23 minutes until lightly browned.

Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in brickle chips. Pour over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of caramel topping over cream cheese mixture. Gently run a knife through the batter to swirl the caramel topping.

Bake 30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate. Cut into bars.

-- Smuckers

For anyone who needs to watch their sugar or fat intake, these two recipes are delightful and will keep you on your healthy weight plan.

SUGAR-FREE BUTTER PECAN COOKIES

3 cups biscuit mix, such as Bisquick

1/3 cup pecan pieces

1 cup pitted dates

2 egg whites

1/3 cup warm water

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup butter

Fruit-sweetened jam

Pecan halves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a blender or food processor to chop pecan pieces until finely ground.

Sift biscuit mix, then stir in the pecans. Set aside.

Use blender or food processor to puree dates, gradually adding egg whites and warm water. Beat several minutes until creamy.

Melt butter, and then stir in date cream and vanilla. Fold liquid ingredients into biscuit mix. Stir only until blended.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, form dough into cookies 1/4-inch thickness by 2-inch diameter. Press a thumb print into the middle of each. Decorate each cookie with 1/4 teaspoon of jam and/or a pecan half.

Bake 7-10 minutes, or until touches of light brown can be seen. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Strawberry Angel Cookies

No-stick cooking spray

1 package Pillsbury Angel Food Premium Cake Mix

3/4 cup sugar free strawberry preserves

3 tablespoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.

2. Beat together cake mix and preserves (do not add water) at low speed of electric mixer 1 minute, or until evenly moistened. Continue to beat an additional 1 minute.

Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until tops are just lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Place on cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies will be soft and chewy.

4. Store between sheets of wax paper to keep from sticking together. Makes 3 dozen.

-- Pillsbury

For home bakers who want a bit of a challenge, these two cookie recipes are turned from ho-hum to holiday magic.

Magical Marvelous Memorable Cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granola (or other cereal)

1/2 cup crushed salted pretzel pieces (or other salty snack food)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped chocolate candies, or a small bar of good dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts, optional (If you don't use nuts, you may want to add more cereal, snacks or chocolate to compensate.)

You may want to add a little cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, or whatever you fancy.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

2. In another bowl, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute longer. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula.

Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl again.

3. (For this step you can use a wooden spoon or your mixer on slow speed.) Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth.

Gradually add granola, pretzels, chocolate and nuts, and mix until well incorporated, ensuring that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed. Restrain yourself from eating the raw cookie dough.

4. Scoop dough into balls, each about 1 1/2 tablespoons, then roll between palms into balls. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8-12 per sheet. Freeze at least 20 minutes, or refrigerate at least one hour before baking. (They will still spread a lot.)

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are deep golden brown, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Let cool completely before gently moving cookies to wire rack. They will be fragile, especially on the edges. This recipe makes 24-30 cookies.

-- Food52.com

Needless to say, this recipe from the October 2012 issue of Saveur magazine is an exercise on how to make a great cookie even better. Sarah Copeland, author of "The Newlywed Cookbook," did the redo.

SAVEUR'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 1/4 cups flour, plus extra for rolling dough

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1 egg, beaten, optional

Sea salt, optional

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, two at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Transfer dough to a work surface and divide into three equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a 4- by 6-inch rectangle; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface. Place one dough rectangle on prepared work surface and sprinkle with half the chocolate. Top with another rectangle, sprinkle remaining chocolate and cover with last rectangle.

Using a floured rolling pin, flatten stacked rectangles into a 6- by 9-inch rectangle that is 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Gather scraps, re-roll into a 1 1/2-inch thick disk and cut out more cookies, repeating until no dough remains. (At this point, you can brush the tops of the cookies with a beaten egg, and sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on each cookie).

Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool 2 minutes and then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Try a Kiss, peanut butter cup, Rolo or other favorite mini candy to hide inside these cookies.

Candy-Stuffed Cookies

1 package Hershey Kisses

1 box devils food cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs. Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around the candy piece. Only use enough dough to cover the candy so it can spread through the cookie.

Bake 7-8 minutes. Yields about 2 dozen cookies.