Decorated Cookies

Each year I make it a project with my daughter to make all sorts of goodies to hand out to relatives on Christmas. We don’t make a big present exchange with those that aren’t immediate family, but small gestures that like that are always appreciated. I used to do this with my friend but since we live too far apart now, I make it a fun time for my daughter and I. We make muffins, breads, fudge, party mix, and my daughter’s favorite part, decorated cookies.

She likes the decorated cookies the best because she can help the most with them. She can help me add and mix most of the ingredients, but when it comes time for the decorated cookies, she knows she can do whatever she wants with them. They may not look like the decorated cookies that you might see in a Martha Stewart book or collection, but I think I like these even better.

When it comes time for her to finish the decorated cookies, I give her icings of all colors and as many cookie decorations as I can find. I always make all of the cookies first, and then we sit down and go to town decorating them any way we like. Hers always look different than mine, but I think her decorated cookies are the best. She makes a mess, but the cookies are decidedly beautiful. Perhaps it is just because I am her mom, but I see more love and fun in her mish mashed designs than I see in the slick ones you find in the store.

When we are finished with the decorated cookies, I have to let them sit out for a while before I can stack them up to put in the freezer. I always freeze them until it is time to package them up for Christmas and give them out. I think I might have to hire a guard this year, however, as I know once I walk always from those beautifully decorated cookies, there are going to be quite a few missing. My husband and my daughter both try to blame it on the cats, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what is going on. Either way, I don’t expect her to work so hard and not sample what she has done. We always save a few of our decorated cookies for Santa too, even though I’m pretty sure he may have already tried them.

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