Thursday, December 11, 2008

Easy Christmas Cookies For the Whole Family

By Jim Bolding

No holiday is complete without the whole family pitching and baking easy Christmas cookies! Pick out a half dozen recipes and make a party of it. The weather is nasty, wet and cold, but the kitchen is nice and warm. Time to round up those bored kids and drag out the mixing bowls and spoons for a day of festive baking!

One type of cookie that is a snap to stir up is the no bake kind. These are usually based on peanut butter or some other type of gooey product. No eggs can be used, because of the dangers of salmonella, so you have to find alternate ways of moistening the dough. Often you can roll these in powdered sugar to keep them from sticking to each other - add a little cinnamon or other spice to keep it interesting!

The best part is all the stuff you can let them throw in. A two year old can kill a half hour carefully dropping in chocolate chips, chopped gumdrops or raisins one at a time. Sift a handful of dry milk powder in for a protein boost - they'll never know you just made cookies healthy! Feel free to nibble yourself; this is a guilt free day.

The most often baked easy Christmas cookies have to be simple sugar ones. These can be baked by the dozen and decorated with icing, sprinkles or any other thing you can think of. If a few break, eat them and keep going - that's half the fun! If you have more than enough, carefully make a hole in the top of a few, brush them with a thin mixture of water and Elmer's glue and hang them on your tree.

A children's favorite is the gingerbread man. Tradition holds that gingerbread men must be decorated with currants, but raisins work just fine. A sturdy gingerbread man cutter can be made by cutting a ring from the end of a large metal can and bending it into shape.

Sand tarts are shaped like crescent moons, and are a nice twist on the regular sugar cookie. Finely chopped nuts mixed in add a little flavor, and the warm cookies are coated in powdered sugar for an explosion of sweet goodness! These are great with a cup of hot chocolate.

Santa will expect his due, so plan ahead to have his signature favorites ready. Chocolate chip or oatmeal does equally well for the man in the red suit! Pair a plate of tempting cookies with a tall glass of frothy milk and a few peeled carrots for Santa and his four legged friends.

Dipped cookies and coffee go hand in hand. Even a basic shortbread number takes on a life of its own with a judicious flavor adjustment! Coat half the cookie with melted white or dark chocolate, almond bark or even melted butterscotch chips to make dunking a completely new experience.

Maybe the best thing about baking easy Christmas cookies is the memories you make with your family. There is nothing quite like a warm kitchen full of delicious smells and happy laughter. There's really no better celebration than that!

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