Christmas Cookies

This year I decided it was time to start some Christmas Cookie traditions.  Growing up, we made Christmas cookies; but not in the way that many people make Christmas cookies - namely, batches upon batches of cookies that you mix together on trays, tins, etc for all the holiday sensitivities.  I decided this is an awesome tradition and it was time to get it started. 

First cookie of choice, Gingerbread Cookies, of course. 

Papillon was a great helper with pushing the cookie cutters down.

She also discovered that the dough was delicious (yay for egg-less cookie dough!)

Yum!

Voila! Cookies cut out and ready for baking.

Next step, frosting and decorating! I frosted, Papillon added the sprinkles...one at a time. Talk about fine-motor-skill development!

Eventually she discovered that the frosting is also delicious, so, no more sprinkles, just fingers in the frosting then into the mouth! At that point she got her own cookie to devour and I frosted the rest so we wouldn't have baby slobber on all the cookies...

The next day's cookie of choice was Peanut Butter Blossoms (the technical name for cookies we affectionately call Hershey's Kiss Cookies...you know them, little peanut butter cookies with a hershey's kiss sitting in the middle). 

Papillon was excellent at helping me stir.

And at licking the beaters!

She also helped me unwrap all the Hershey's Kisses.  I would get them started and she would pull the little tail out. Then I told her we needed to squish up all the wrapper trash so we could throw it away. This became a fun filled game that was messier than it was productive.  But, the main goal of cookie making is to have fun, not to keep the house clean, so it was all good.

The next day we made rice krispie treats with M&Ms in them. Sadly we took no pictures. But, I am pleased to report Papillon is just as much of a fan of marshmallow-goodness as I am, and good times were had in the name of gooey-ness.