Christmas Cookie Love

Two thumbs plus two fingers up from the kiddies

After a disastrous lebkuchen incident a few weeks ago which resulted in two trays of dry inedible fruitcake-like garbage getting dumped in the trash, I decided to give the Christmas cookie baking another go. The husband had several colleagues that could use a little thank you treat, and I figured between the neighbors, mailman and UPS delivery guy, I'd be able to offload most of them before gaining too much weight.

Baked goods never last long in this house because no member of my family has any willpower when it comes to things containing sugar, butter, and flour, so having an exit strategy was important.

There's just something so Norman Rockwell and perfectly wonderful about a kitchen covered in powdered sugar dust and the smell of cookies baking in the oven...Christmas music playing in the background (a combination of Michael Buble's Christmas album - my choice - and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer - the boys' choice)...sticks upon sticks of butter sitting out on the counter in preparation for getting whipped together with cups upon cups of sugar...piles of Hershey's kisses separated from their silver wrappers...and a huge bowl of green frosting with tiny finger swipes along the edge (he was just making sure it tasted good).

The best part of Christmas cookie baking these days, though, is the joy of sharing something I love with the kids and watching them love it too. Merry Christmas to all!