It's beginning...

... to look a lot like Christmas! Or Christmas cookies, at least. I told myself I was going to get this post up before the cookies were gone and let's just say time is quickly running out. Now, New England has yet to see its first flakes of the white stuff, but that has not kept Boy and I from decorating a tree, listening to endless Christmas music, and making cookies! (Ok, it is more me threatening to cut fingers off if he tries to change the music away from Bing Crosby or Charlie Brown's Christmas on endless repeat, but Boy sure is a trooper.)

I dig this time of year. As someone who loves to cook as much as I do, there is no better excuse to continually crank out treats than the mere fact that it is "the Holidays"!

To kick off the season, boy and I made and decorated some Christmas cookies using the super-fun cookie cutters I recently bought. (Some of my favorite ones are the crab, the mushroom, and the penguin...) Now, I am a recovering sorority girl and if there is one thing I am good at it is crafts. Give me some sprinkles and frosting and I can make you your very own Mona Lisa cookie in no time. Obviously, Boy was not a sorority girl, so it was pretty hilarious to see the cookies we both came up with.

A sampling of our best...

Boy:

A simple, yet dashingly elegant yellow polar bear.

Me:

Not quite the Mona Lisa, but a fancy pants cactus if you ask me.

As for the recipes, I simply used a great sugar cookie recipe, but followed a friend's icing recipe.  I don't like to use names, obviously, but to you, my incredibly crafty friend, here is your anonymous shout out. This icing rocks.

"Royal Icing, Slightly Altered"
1c. powdered sugar
2t. milk
2t. light corn syrup
1/4t. almond extract (or vanilla if almond isn't your style)
assorted food coloring

Stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in the corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Enjoy!