When I want to make impressive cookies, I usually make sugar cookies decorated with royal frosting. They're easy enough to make and end up looking great.

But sugar cookies have a very predictable taste, and some people don't like the taste of royal frosting. This year, I decided to look for cookie ideas that were a little out of the ordinary.

The Rudolph gingerbread cookies didn't require many special ingredients. I followed a standard gingerbread cookie recipe and decorated them with a cinnamon candy nose and I piped brown-colored frosting to make the eyes and antlers. The next time I make these, I'll probably use a red M&M for the nose, since the cinnamon candy ended up staying hard after baking.

The melted Frosty the Snowman cookies took a little more effort to track down the ingredients. The cookie itself wasn't too complicated, just a fudgy chocolate cookie (I picked a recipe that produced taller cookies so that the vanilla topping would run a little bit). Gathering the vanilla candy coating (which gets melted down to make the snow) and mini peanut butter cups for the hats took a little more work.

I followed this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens. If you give it a try, let me know!