Cannabis-infused holiday treats are a relaxing way to celebrate the season, but maybe stick with classic sugar cookies for Santa.

As of last month, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota joined 11 other states in the legalization of recreational cannabis use. If you live in one of those 15 states, you can take the holidays as an opportunity to experiment with making some of your own edibles.

Here are some yummy, cannabis-infused holiday treats you can make and a guide for prepping your cannabis for cooking.

Step one: Get your cannabis ready

Before you get to baking, you’ll need to activate your bud’s cannabinoids, the part of cannabis that makes you feel high, through a process called decarboxylation. This seems like a daunting task but all you’ll need is finely ground cannabis, an oven, parchment paper and a baking sheet.

To start, grind your cannabis into an evenly fine texture and preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, line your baking sheet with parchment paper and spread your ground cannabis onto the parchment in an even layer. Bake this for 30 to 45 minutes before removing from the oven and allowing to cool.

Once you’ve done this, your cannabis is ready to be transformed. For most recipes, you’ll use the decarboxylated cannabis by first infusing it into butter or oil. For any infusion, use a one-to-one ratio, so for example, one pound of butter to one ounce of cannabis. Here are step-by-step recipes for “cannabutter,” “canna-oil” and cannabis tincture – each of which can be substituted for alcohol in the recipes below.

Once you’ve got these made, you can store them and use them as a replacement for butter or oil in most recipes.

Step two: Prepare your treats

Apple cider by CannabisWiki

This steamy drink with warm spices and a bit of tartness is great for ultra-relaxation.

What you’ll need:

• 4 cups of apple cider
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• ½ of a thinly sliced fresh apple (seeds removed)
• ⅛ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons of cannabis tincture (alcohol-based)

Add the apple cider into a crockpot or deep boiling pot. Stir in the cinnamon sticks, sliced apple and cloves. Warm the mixture through on medium-low heat. Mix your tincture and brown sugar in a small bowl. Bring your apple cider mixture to a boil, and then add your brown sugar, tincture mixture and stir until combined. Turn off the heat and serve warm.

Marijuana snowball Christmas cookies by Texas Weed Syndicate

If you’re a fan of Italian wedding cookies, these buttery shortbread-style cookies will win you over.

What you’ll need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup cannabutter
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup finely chopped nuts 
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• powdered sugar for coating the cookies

Heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whip the cannabutter, regular butter, one-half cup of powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour and nuts and mix until a firm dough is formed. Shape the dough into golf ball sized pieces and place one inch from each other on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and remove from the oven to let cool slightly. Finally, roll the cookies in powdered sugar and serve.

Cannabis peppermint bark by Las Vegas Cannabis Reviews

This cannabis-infused peppermint bark is a step up from your average chocolate bar edible.

What you’ll need:

• 12 oz white chocolate
• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 crushed candy canes
• ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract
• 4 tablespoons of canna-oil

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a low boil. Place a medium to large metal bowl over the saucepan to create a double-boiler. Melt the white chocolate in the metal bowl until smooth. Add the canna-oil and peppermint extract to the melted white chocolate and stir to combine. Pour this mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and tap out to create a smooth layer, then place in the fridge to harden. Clean the metal bowl and melt the semi-sweet chocolate with the same technique. Once it’s all melted, pour the chocolate over the hardened white chocolate layer and sprinkle crushed candy cane on top. Allow to cool and serve.

Cannabis gingerbread loaf by Cannadish

This moist cake loaf will satisfy your gingerbread craving and is great for getting high any time of the day. 

What you’ll need:

• ¼ cup cannabutter
• ¼ cup regular butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot water

Preheat your oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf baking dish. In a large bowl, whip together the sugar and butter. Once the mix is light and fluffy, add in the egg and molasses and stir to combine. In a separate bowl mix, together the flour, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture and thoroughly combine. Whisk in the hot water and pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake for one hour or until a knife comes out clean from the center. Serve the cake warm or room temperature.