Begin by crushing the Christmas sugar cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or by placing them in a resealable bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Next, mix the crushed cookies with the melted butter until fully combined. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8"x8" dish to create a solid crust.

After pressing the cookie mixture into the dish, place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

While the crust chills, prepare the cheesecake filling. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.

Next, gently fold in the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until there are no visible streaks. Spread this creamy filling evenly over the chilled cookie crust.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix with 1.5 cups of cold milk. If you're using almond extract, add it now.

Once the pudding is thickened, stir in the crushed Christmas cookies to enhance texture and flavor. Spread it evenly over the cheesecake layer.

Top with the remaining 2 cups of whipped topping. Spread it evenly across the pudding layer.

Sprinkle additional crushed Christmas cookies, colorful sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips on top of the whipped topping.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the Christmas Cookie Lasagna for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

After chilling, remove the lasagna from the fridge and slice it into squares. Serve this festive treat.