Sugar Cookies

It would be much easier if I just waited till the kids were in bed to do my Christmas baking.

But where would be the mess fun in that?

Decorating sugar cookies with children can be stressful for people with control issues. Having kids has been great therapy for me. I have mostly let go of my conceptions of how things should look. The only real rules when baking is that everyone must have clean hands and noses.

Violet's cheerful trio of Christmas lights.

Margot clarified to me that "these awe NOT Gwinches. They PWINCESSES".

I tried my hand at a few, then got carried away, making a bride, a snowman, a cookie that looks like my brother-in-law (whiskers and a plaid shirt), and two wrestlers. They're hilarious.

Now I need a nap. But first I have to clean up the sticky, coloured pools of icing on my island, wash some dishes, and make some tea to go with my cookies!

Here's the recipe:

Perfect Sugar Cookies

Cream together:

1 cup Crisco (vegetable shortening)

1 cup sugar

Then add:

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

In another bowl, combine:

2 1/2 cups flour (I used gluten-free)

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix dry ingredients with wet, then roll out till 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes! Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny.

These can be delicate, so move carefully onto a cooling rack. Mix icing sugar with water and colour to create glazes. Let your kids do it. It doesn't matter what they look like...they taste exactly as a sugar cookie should!