Christmas holds many traditions: gathering with family, seeing Christmas lights, singing carols, exchanging gifts, and making sweet treats. Many people love spending their free time making different treats for the holidays ranging from fudge to caramels to candies to the most common choice: Christmas cookies. Christmas cookies are normally sugar cookies cut and iced to look like Christmas related things, and they are normally a fan favorite. While many love Christmas cookies, I personally think they are overrated. 

Don’t get me wrong, the cookies are good, but I think homemade caramel and fudge is better. My main reason for thinking they get more hype than they deserve is they are so basic. You can buy iced sugar cookies at the store year round, and the only difference between the ones sold at Christmas time and the ones sold year round is the sprinkles. How boring is that? Now, of course, someone will say: “What about homemade cookies?” Well, yes, they are good, but once again some people make them year round and eat them all the time so what makes them so special? Not to mention that sometimes you make them and they don’t turn out that good because you either added too much sugar, too much vanilla extract, or they get left in the oven a bit too long and they are not soft.

Ok, ok, I hear your argument:  “…but making the cookies is fun!” Yes, I completely agree that making the cookies is so much fun, and it’s a great bonding experience for me, my sister, and my mom. Every year we get together and make a TON of cookies and enjoy talking to each other and being in each other’s presence all day. Also, who doesn’t love eating unbaked cookie dough? However, even though the experience is fun and one to remember, it isn’t enough for me to be completely on board for team cookies.

Another reason why I think the cookies are overrated is because they take all the spotlight away from all the other holiday delicacies. There are such strong flavors in homemade fudge and caramel. I think that homemade caramel is the best Christmas dessert, fudge is a strong second, and that leaves Christmas cookies in third. Not many would pass up a homemade caramel or piece of fudge, and it truly is a treat because we don’t make these any other time of the year. You know you eat Stonehouse sugar cookies year round, right? And, yes,  they are amazing, but they just aren’t a special holiday treat.

While many may disagree with my unpopular opinion that Christmas cookies are overrated, I strongly believe that I am right. You can have your boring, old sugar cookies this holiday season, but you will find me over here with an ooey gooey piece of caramel or a rich piece of chocolate fudge.