A sampling of the Christmas cookies we’ve made in previous years…
Like many families, we celebrate holiday traditions. For instance, one of those traditions in our house is blessing others. Through cookie-making.
Every Christmas season we set aside a day or two for our annual cookie fest. It would be so much simpler to just buy the slice-and-bakes and a few containers of frosting, but when I suggest this I’m met with “No, Mama. It wouldn’t be the same!”
Well, maybe my teenager’s right.
It would be less mess, but we’d probably sacrifice taste. And togetherness. And memories.
Sooo…
Our family rolls up its sleeves, gathers the necessary ingredients, and prepares to hunker down in the kitchen for several hours (or sometimes days).
After doing this a number of years, we almost have our Christmas cookie-making down to a science.
The key to a great start is making sure the cookie dough is thoroughly chilled. The softer the dough, the more difficult it is to work with. Where my recipe says “Chill dough for at least one hour,” I opt to leave it in the fridge overnight.
Our cookie glaze (aka “icing”) is a snap. (Powdered sugar, a touch of vanilla, a few tablespoons of milk, and various food colorings. EASY!!!
It doesn’t take long for the icing to set up, and then we use a tube or two of store-bought frosting to decorate the cookies. Sometimes, we use sugar sprinkles (or whatever I have handy-dandy in the pantry) to complete “the look.”
We make dozens of cookies!
We then distribute them to neighbors and nearby family–and save some for ourselves, too, of course.
It’s a labor-intensive effort, but also one of love.
And while my family enjoys the making, baking, decorating, and eating, the biggest blessing of this particular tradition is the sharing.
Blessing others with our homemade goodies is such a delight!
Why bless others? you may ask.
Well, it makes them feel good. (And by doing something nice for others, we receive a boomerang blessing right back. That’s not why we do it, but it’s interesting how that works.)
Showing the love of Jesus through an act of kindness rarely fails, and often, it leaves a lifelong impression.
Perhaps, someone you know needs a blessing today.
What can you do to make that happen?
I’ve decided to add a few more goodies to my December blog drawing!
Enter now through Sat., Dec. 14th for a chance to win my blog drawing!
If you’ve followed my last few posts, then you’re already familiar with how this works. If not, read this post for complete rules and prizes. (You may notice I’ve recently thrown in another Christmas DVD and a $10 Target gift card!)
Leave a comment for a chance to win. For an extra entry, sign up in my sidebar to follow my blog.
Have a super day, friends!
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Do you celebrate any holiday traditions?
How have others blessed you?
How do you bless others?
PLEASE SHARE
Talking holiday traditions, blessings, and cookies! (AND a giveaway!) (Click to Tweet)
A tasty tradition that never grows old: (Click to Tweet)
Blessings Always,
Comments 5
Thinking of others really makes Christmas special. I used to bake plates of cookies for my neighbors, when I was single, and lived in a more suburban environment.
Rural New Mexico doesn’t have the scope for that – at least not where we live. But we do exchange a Christmas basket with a neighbor and her daughter. The one they give us is loaded with gluten-free goodies that I can eat.
That kind of thoughtfulness means a lot.
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Andrew, so you baked cookies as a single? I smiled when I read that!
That’s great that you and Barbara now bless your neighbor with a Christmas basket. I’ve helped with holiday baskets at our church before and it’s such a treat to deliver goodies you know folks need and appreciate. And to be on the receiving end is always a blessing, too. (I’m glad we’re seeing more gluten-free options. Hopefully, we’ll see the prices drop in a few years as more products come available. It does work like that, right? Lol)
Yep, baked as a single! It was fun, and my dogs were always willing to hide evidence like a collapsed meringue.
There have been such strides since I went gluten-free in 2006. Today you can get some really nice stuff…including ice cream cones and bagels! Still not cheap, but prices have been coming down.
Your give-away is getting exciting! Just in time for Christmas. Thanks so much. Those Amazon gift cards are wonderful gifts! I love all the goodies. Thanks for all your encouragement as well. Following!
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Rose, thanks so much for stopping by! Your name is entered!