Holiday Cookies

I’ve been on a cookie kick this month.  It’s just something about them that make it feel like Christmastime.  And since I’ve had to taste test each one…ya know, quality control…I’ve promised myself that I’m going to work even more determinedly December 26th and on to get back on track!

Hold me accountable, ok?  Ok.

Look at all the fun I’ve been up to this month:

I started off with

peppermints and candy canes!

To make these I used a 2 inch circle cutter for the peppermints and dug through my Christmas cookie cutter set to find my candy cane cutter.  After my sugar cookies had cooled, I filled them in with my favorite royal icing recipe and set them aside to dry.  To make the stripes and swirls, I piped on a thicker consistency of red, and while the red was still wet, sprinkled with red sugar sprinkles.

The next event called for

melting snowmen cookies!

I tried out a new recipe for this cookie – Brownie Roll-Out Cookies by Smitten Kitchen.  They kept their shape really well when baked, so that makes them great for using cookie cutters.   For these snowmen, I used a 3 inch circle cutter.

I used a glaze icing, which is shiny when it dries, for the “melted snow.”  To make the heads, put jumbo marshmallows on a plate and microwave for about 20 seconds until puffed.  Place on the cookies while still warm and the marshmallows will settle and look like the head is melting.  Pipe on the rest of the details with royal icing.

Then, it was time to make some cookies to give as gifts.  I’ve fallen in love with the snowflake motif this year, so I chose to make snowflake cookies.  Tied up with snowflake ribbon.  With a mini snowflake ornament attached to each package.  And place them in a basket with snowflakes on it.  Get the drift?

snowflake cookies

I used different sized snowflake cookie cutters and then covered the blue ones with tinted white chocolate, and the white ones with royal icing.  Once that dried, I piped on details with stiff consistency royal icing, and sprinkled with white sparkling sugar sprinkles.

I also made some Christmas tree cookies for my son’s pre-school class to decorate.  They spread green buttercream icing on the cookies, and then used mini M&Ms for the ornaments.  They had a blast making them, and then eating them the next day at their Christmas party.

Of course, I have one more occasion to make cookies.  We have to make some to leave for Santa!