This past Sunday I began my Christmas cookie baking. I’m a much better cook than I am a baker, and mostly only bake this time of year. But I do alright – it helps that I only make two types of cookies!
For the past several years I have made gingerbread men. Last year I also started making white chocolate chip pumpkin snicker doodles, after seeing the recipe on HRG. They were a hit, so I brought them back again this year!
One of my favorite things about the gingerbread cookies is decorating them. About halfway through, it also becomes my least favorite thing. It’s a lot of work! They’re fun, though, and people always tell me they look cute. I secretly think they look cute because try as I might, they always look like a first grader decorated them. 🙂
Much to Barry’s dismay, almost all of the first batch of cookies got mailed or given to other people. Lucky for him, I made round two of cookies on Wednesday evening after work to take with us when we visit his parents. I even gave a Hokie bird cookie a try!
I’ll be making two final batches early next week to take with us when we go to visit my family. One of those batches will include several ginger “dead” men!
Since we’re talking Christmas things, I have two other non cookie-related things to share. First, our neighbors had an extra string of lights and they asked if we wanted to use them. I ended up deciding to decorate the chicken coop with them, and Barry helped me do so last weekend!
I think the chickens like their decorations!
Second, we took Hank and Scout to see Santa the weekend before last. I picked up their photos on Monday morning. This was the best one from the 15 or so the photographer took. I think it turned out pretty good.
The folks at the humane society still talk about the time three years ago when Scout was a puppy (back when we also had Toby). That was the time when this….
…..became this.
Do you have a signature ‘treat’ you make during the holidays?
Do you ever take your pets to see Santa?
Turkey Runner 
Baking started last night. Shortbread, Snickerdoodles (w/o pumpkin or chips), and several runs of peanut butter based cookies. Still have to get the date/nut, little choclate cupcakes, festive butter crisp and ginger snaps done. Then I can think about banana bread.
LUD.
As always, you got it all done! Still enjoying that banana bread, too 🙂
I love your Gingerbread men! Your guys look better than anything I could come up with! But really – as long as they taste good, right?
In the end, I think how they taste is the most important part!
I let my teens pick what treats they want to help me make. I think we are making Honeycomb candy, chocolate peanut clusters, and peanut butter balls today. But that might change! I get frustrated with the icing cookies part. It’s hard work so kudos to you! I think the gingerdead men are fabulous.
I hope everything turned out alright! I always get worn out about halfway through the icing, but then I HAVE to finish since I’m halfway!
I love your gingerbread Hokie! Do you have a cookie mold or did you cut it out free-hand?
I LOVE this year’s picture of Hank and Scout with Santa. I hope Santa’s good to them! 🙂
My signature cookie takes a ton of time to make, too. As a result, I haven’t made them for a couple of years. They’re sugar cookies with an almond glaze. In addition to Christmas cookie cutters I also use my VT and cow cookie cutters! 🙂
I used a cookie cutter 🙂 I needed to add a couple of dollars to an online order to get free shipping back in November, and that’s when I got the cutter.
Hank and Scout got some treats from Santa Paws in NoVA and some beef and chicken-flavored rubber bones here at home. I think the bones were a hit, as they have been carrying them around since!
Your sugar cookies sound yummy!
Your gingerbread men look awesome! Mine always look horrible. How do you keep your icing so even? Love the “old” dog pics w/ Santa and of course the new one! I love that you take your dogs.
Our traditional cookie to make is a sugar cookie recipe of Chris’s mom’s. It takes almond extract so they taste different than regular sugar cookies but they’re good!
I don’t know how to answer your icing question. I just use those prefilled bags of cookie icing and outline them. I cut the tip at an angle and keep the opening as small as possible…not sure if that helps?
Those cookies sound yummy and unique!