Wednesday Baking | Christmas Cookies
Yesterday, the kids and I baked cookies (with cookie cutters that were bought for pennies in Januarys past).
This was always one of my favorite Christmas activities when I was young, and my kids are like me in that regard.
They enjoy the whole process from cutting the cookies out....
to decorating.
They're all quite fond of liberally using sprinkles (which were, naturally, purchased post Christmas on deep discount).
We always end up with a table full of very colorful cookies.
And a LOT of mess.
Oddly enough, the mess is conspicuously absent from my childhood memories of cookie baking. 😉
(Joshua was there with us...he just managed to stay out of almost all the pictures!)
This year, I used a Christmas Cookie recipe from the Girl Talk blog (I omitted the nutmeg and added a teaspoon of vanilla, though) because the one my family traditionally uses calls for a small amount of Crisco, and I had none. I did, however, use our traditional frosting recipe, because I think all good frostings should include butter.
I usually make 1.5 times the frosting recipe for one recipe's worth of cookies because some of my children are fairly, um, generous when they spread the frosting.
Christmas Cookie Frosting
¼ cup softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whip the butter until soft and fluffy. Mix in half the powdered sugar, the milk, and the vanilla. Add remaining cup of powdered sugar and beat until smooth, adding more milk if necessary.
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If you have kids of your own or if other people's kids are in your life (our neighbor's daughter joined us yesterday), I highly recommend baking cookies with them. Though it requires an investment of time (and a lot of cleaning up!), kids take such delight in being allowed to participate in the baking and decorating process. I think you'll find yourself thinking, even in the midst of the sweeping and wiping, that it was an awfully good use of your time.
Happy Baking!
Aw your kiddos are so cute and so are their cookies!
I wish I'd used your icing recipe this year--we used a simple royal icing recipe, and while it's nice that the icing doesn't get everywhere after you decorate the cookies, it's not the tastiest icing ever. I also managed to pick a tasteless sugar cookie recipe...but at least the decorating was fun!
Cute photos! Looks like you all had a blast making cookies. I babysat my little nephew last night and we made Christmas cookies, too! We used the refrigerated dough because that is what my mom already had on hand and boy, did we make a mess with sprinkles! I love how proud kids are of their masterpieces. Merry Christmas!
Did you still make cookies when your oldest child was under 2? We didn't end up making cookies this year - we went to my in-laws' for Christmas, 6+ hours of driving away, and by the time we showed up (last Friday), my mother-in-law had already finished her cookie-baking. I didn't want to try making cookies in a fairly unfamiliar kitchen. I've cooked in there before, and mostly I just end up frustrated from the cluttered drawers, pantry, and fridge.
Anyway, my son is 18 months, and baking with him is really more like baking NEXT to him, so I didn't feel like he missed out (he gets to eat my MIL's cookies!), but I'm wondering - at what age did your kids start really enjoying helping in the kitchen and understand enough to do things like decorate a cookie?
EM-I think I probably started this when Joshua was 3 or so. Last year Zoe was almost three, and she had fun doing the sprinkling, just like this year. Sonia is 5 now, and she's just starting to figure out the whole frosting thing...spreading it on with a knife is sort of tricky.
Amy-yes, the sprinkles are certainly the worst culprit! lol But my kids love them SO much, I just put up with the mess.
I love baking cookies with my niece and nephews. They are 4.5, 3, and 1.5. It is a huge mess in the end, but, as you said, it is totally worth it. Their parents both work full-time and I try whenever I get the chance to do something creative with them, most of the time it is baking related because that is what I am good at doing. I even made your pizza (applesauce substituted for half the oil) with them a few times. But their favorite is gingerbread cookies. And yes, they love sprinkles as well. 🙂
I found one way to contain the mess is the give them these plastic trays that they have for finger painting (it is the size of a larger cookie sheet). I have found that most of the mess stays on the trays and I usually only have to wipe flour off the table and clean the trays in the sink or dishwasher.
I like to make dipped pretzels with the kiddos in my life. They are quick and easy and fun to decorate, though probably a bit more expensive than cookies.
Oh my, yes. Christmas and cookies and kids are just part of it! My son loves to cook in the kitchen with me!
These are great tips and photos---thank you SO much! I'm saving them and your frosting recipe 'til our wee one is a lititle older, as you and the others, above, have recommended.
And you're RIGHT!...making cutout cookies is one of the very BEST things about Christmastime as a child! ( My sibling and I never noticed the mess, either!)
Thank you, too, for all the great help from your blog. Merry Christmas!!
I am in my twenties and I still love baking and decorating cookies!
Kristen~
Love the Blog!! I just discovered it via your mom's Christmas letter. I'm looking forward to becoming a faithful follower 🙂 I'm currently having trouble tearing myself away to go mop the floors. Super cool!
~Jen
Jen! Good to see you! I saw my mom gave me a little publicity in her letter. lol
Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing! By the way, I borrowed your chai tea mix idea. It turned out nicely. Thank you!
Two suggestions:
One, spread a sheet or plastic tablecloth under the decorating table to catch the inevitable overflow.
Two, when it's warm, decorate outside. I was at a kid's 3 yo birthday party where instead of a cake, the kids had decorate your own cupcakes. A fine time and wonderful mess was had/made by all, and the birds did the cleanup.
I love eating cookies decorated by kids because they're, um, generous when the spread the frosting.
Pamela, that's awesome...so glad it worked out for you!
William, I love that about warm weather...messy activities like baking, haircuts, tie-dying and such can all be moved outdoors!
I think it's great to have the kids help out with your Christmas baking--what a great way to engage them, and the tradition will make a wonderful memory for them as they get older. I hope to be something like you if and when I'm ever a mom. 😉
In my house, we may lots of frosting because my son and I like to eat it by the spoonful. You know, sustenance for the baking and decorating process! 🙂
Julia, I have an aunt who feels the same way about frosting! lol
Maria, thank you! That is a high compliment. 🙂
I loved having my kids help with the cookie decorating. It made it easy to serve really messy-looking cookies - "the kids did these!" and everyone is happy. Now that they are grown, I have to admit that I am terrible at decorating, and I don't have my easy excuse anymore.
And for those of you with very young kids and you bake "next to" them - that's ok too. Set up their high chair near your work space, give them a plastic bowl, a wooden spoon, a bit of flour or sugar or dough or frosting and let them "help". Your presence together and your interaction is what makes it special.
Thank you so much for pointing out the cookie recipe and for your icing recipe! I made them with my boys this year and they are fantastic! We had a great time decorating and Santa loved them too!
Thank you Kristen! I made these with my family this Christmas Eve and they turned out perfect! Thank you for providing recipes that I can count on and enjoy!