It’s time for 12 Days of Cookies, Food Network’s annual virtual cookie swap. Each day, visit us here on FN Dish for a peek at new holiday cookies, party-planning tips and top techniques from your favorite Food Network chefs for rolling, spooning, slicing, baking and decorating delicious sweet treats to give — or keep.

What sets a classic, homemade sugar cookie apart from the doughy store-bought varieties? We think it's the combination of crispy edges and a soft, buttery center. Food Network Kitchen strikes just the right balance by using superfine sugar to give the cookies crunchiness, and a small amount of baking powder, which ensures that they puff just a little without spreading too much and losing their shape. You can cut the dough into whatever shapes you'd like, but these tree ornament shapes are timeless.

Get Food Network Kitchen’s Classic Sugar Cookies recipe, and check out 12 Days of Cookies for dozens more recipes and holiday baking inspiration. Then, join the conversation: Tell us what you’re baking this season and what your all-time favorite cookie is.

Find recipes for our Top Holiday Cookies and bake up a batch in your kitchen.

See our favorite Sugar and Butter Cookies.

Host your best cookie swap yet with these easy party ideas.

Learn How to Decorate Cookies like the pros.

Show us your best cookie creations.