Christmas Cookies

I don't know when I started with the marathon Christmas Cookie Baking habit but it was certainly years ago. I have a sweet tooth that won't quit, but that isn't even the reason I do it. I just love to make them, and to have them around, and to give them to people. (All of which was fine when I was in Alaska and had a bunch of people to give them TO. Not so much here...)

But the whole process of pouring over the recipe collection, looking in magazines for new possibilities, and then ending up deciding, as I do every year, on the same 8 or 9 varieties that I just can't have Christmas without, is as much a part of Christmas for me as the tree. I line up all the ingredients on the counter (and I hate messy countertops - just to give you an idea of how far this obsession has gone!) and I go from one batch to another to another, the whole point being to have them all done and fresh and beautiful at the same time. Then you can put together a really pretty cookie tray. And have a lot of choices. (Yes, I know that is probably not sufficient rationalization, but it's all I've got.) I just like to have them.

I did add 'Butterscotch Cream Bells' from a magazine some years ago, and last year tried 'Coconut Cranberry Chews' which were a real hit (and festive looking besides.) But the cut-out cookies are my favorite, probably from the sentimental value of years of help from Todd in cutting and decorating. To this day I am less interested in getting a 'beautifully decorated' cookie than in just the process of making them.

One year, when Todd was little, we were headed to Tucson from Alaska for Christmas. On our overnight delay in Seattle Todd was a little droopy and finally held up one finger and pointed to a small round pox that had appeared on it and asked 'what is this?' Chicken pox, of course. We were halfway there and decided to just go on rather than back home, and we spent a quiet several days at my mother's house while he developed more and more spots. We used those days to bake Christmas Cookies, of course. And to help him with the itching, we 'decorated' him with corn starch (does that sound right?) while we were decorating the cut-out cookies with colored sugar. There is nothing quite like hearing little ones giggle and laugh when you know they are sick. (I guess my brother's kids all came down with chicken pox then too? And my brother as well, if I remember right. Sorry!!!)

Anyway, I know that if Todd were here he would still help me make cookies. And I know Mark will appreciate them as much as I will. And I hope his new work team will put up with them too because this year I have no one else to pawn them off on!

Hope you are enjoying your Christmas preparations as well!