Of all the baking I do all year, none is more special than baking batch after batch of festive holiday cookies. I take pride in making picture-pretty cookies for sharing — using festive, holiday-appropriate colors for decorating both cookies and packaging. And I’ll confess that I also like to take a few shortcuts, using convenient ready-made refrigerated cookie dough and dressing the cookies up in festive style.

Nothing’s prettier on a cookie tray than Swirled Holiday Snowball Cookies. These sweet mouthfuls are as pretty as a holiday snow globe — powdered white treats studded with red-and-white and green-and-white swirled morsels. Round out your cookie gifts with a couple of stunning and simple cookies made from easy-to-dress-up refrigerated cookie dough. And wrap up the finished cookies in holiday style.

• Arrange cookies on a gift plate and cover with clear cellophane; secure with a holiday bow or a twist of holiday tinsel garland.
• Add some glitter to a gift cookie tray by including a sprinkling of foil-wrapped holiday candies.
• Place 5 to 8 small cookies in a plastic bag and tuck into a holiday coffee mug with a ribbon tied around the handle.

Sweet and festive ideas and tips for all your holiday baking can be found at www.VeryBestBaking.com.

SWIRLED HOLIDAY SNOWBALL COOKIES
(Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups (10-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Swirled Holiday Morsels
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 375°F.
BEAT butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in morsels and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Store in airtight containers.

Nutrition Information per serving: 110 calories; 70 calories from fat; 7g total fat; 4.5g saturated fat; 15mg cholesterol; 60mg sodium; 11g carbohydrate; 0g fiber; 6g sugars; 1g protein

EASY & FESTIVE HOLIDAY COOKIE IDEAS

Chocolate-Filled Cookie Sandwiches: Bake and cool 1 package (18 ounces) Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Butter Shortbread Cookie Shapes as directed on package. Melt 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels as directed on morsel package. Frost bottom of one shape with melted chocolate, then top with the bottom of another cookie of the same shape. Makes 24 sandwiches.

Dusted Butter Cookies:
After removing Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Butter Shortbread Cookie Shapes from oven, sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Makes 48 cookies.