A Christmas Cookie Miracle

So, as I mentioned previously, I had gotten into the Christmas spirit in full swing. And, I harnessed that spirit in the form of baking...a LOT. I wanted to make Christmas cookies like I did when I was younger with my mom. So I looked up the recipe for the plain flour-based cookies that you can decorate, as well as the peanut butter kiss cookies that no holiday is complete without, and went to town.

I started with just a batch of the peanut butter cookies, which didn't last long in our house at all (I shudder to think back on how many cookies I actually ate, how much batter I tasted and how much butter was in all of it!) so I made another set (batch #2) to get us at least TO Christmas. :)

Then, the hubs asked if he could take cookies into the hospital with him one night - one think I've learned from him is that doctors and nurses LOVE treats, especially if they're working the overnight shift. So, rather than just packing up a few of the cookies that we had remaining, I made a whole new batch of the peanut butter cookies (batch #3.) They were a huge hit, so it was totally worth it.

Then, Christmas eve came around and I realized I had never made the flour cookies to decorate. The dough had been made for a week and was sitting in the fridge, and the doc was working all day Xmas Eve, overnight to Xmas morning. Cue genius idea - I'd make the flour cookies, and another batch of peanut butter cookies (batch #4) since they were such a hit the previous shift.

I certainly did not set out to spend my entire Christmas Eve in the kitchen, meticulously decorating cookies with a sense of creativity that I didn't know I possessed. However...the pictures below will show what happened much better than I could ever describe:

I'm a bit cookied-out after all that, but I ended up really enjoying myself, listening to Christmas music while I baked and decorated, baked and decorated, baked and decorated some more. And the docs and nurses were so appreciative of a sweet treat on a holiday that I'd do it again in a heartbeat...just not until next year.

Hope your holidays were wonderful and you all have a safe and happy New Year as well.
Cheers!
Maureen