I know we all love the quick and easy holiday favorites, but sometimes, Christmas just calls for a little extra effort to add those special touches that build traditions and memories for generations to come. Every year, my grandma gets Santa Claus cookies from an old-time favorite local baker. Each one is individually wrapped and is the treasure of our stocking stuffers. When we all see those cookies, our mouths start to water, and we just can’t wait to taste the sweet, buttery cookie that we all covet so very much - they really are the very best cookies ever!

This year, my grandma has moved in with my Aunt and Uncle and as it’s very far from our precious cookie baker, I’ve become disheartened at the thought of the absence of those cookies on Christmas morning! As this precious holiday wiggles its way closer down the calendar, I’ve begun to test and try my hand at those cookies and I think I’ve finally got it down! They’ve been such a special part of our family’s Christmas stocking stuffer tradition that I just can’t bear the thought of never tasting a Santa Cookie again and now I won’t have to!

I hope you take the time to make your family these special little treats this Christmas, and, who knows, you’ll probably start a Santa Cookie tradition of your own!

SANTA SUGAR COOKIES

UTENSILS: 2 Large Mixing Bowls, Electric Mixer, Rolling Pin, Plastic Wrap, Butter knife, 2 Large Cookie Sheets, Icing Decoration Kit (bag and tips)

INGREDIENTS:

COOKIES:1 ½ Cups Butter, 2 Cups White Sugar, 4 Eggs, 2 tsp All-Purpose Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Salt

2/2/2/ ICING: (double for this recipe) 4 Cups Butter, Softened, 4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar, 4 tsp Vanilla

DECORATION: Red food dye or Red Sugar Crystals, Mini Chocolate Chips, Red Hots, 1 Icing Bag, Scalloped Pipe Tip, Small Straight Writing Tip, and Mini-Marshmallows (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

**MAKE THE DAY BEFORE** ~ COOKIE DOUGH: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill the dough for at least one hour (or overnight). ICING: Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Cover and allow to set up in the fridge over night.

TO BAKE:

Preheat the oven to 400. Roll out the dough on a floured surface ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. (we will use a Santa-Head shaped cookie cutter for this project - but you could use any shape for any occasion)

• Place the cookies 1 inch apart on a buttered cookie sheet.
• Bake 5-7 minutes and cool completely before icing.

TO DECORATE:

• Remove about 1 ½ cups of icing into a small mixing bowl; sprinkle the red food coloring in it and mix until it is crimson red. Use this icing for the hat. Using a butter knife, gently fill in the hat section of the cookie. Repeat on all cookies. (you could also use red sugar crystals to color the hat instead of dying the icing)
• Fill an icing bag with the reserved white icing and use a scalloped tip. Pipe on the hat trim and the ball at the end of the hat. (you can get creative here and use a mini marshmallow for the ball of the hat)
• Pipe on the beard, leaving a little space for the mouth section. Repeat this on all cookies.
• Change the tip to a straight dot tip. Make two small dots for eyes; place one mini chocolate chip on each dot to adhere it to the cookie.
• Make one small dot of icing for the nose; place a red hot on that dot to make the nose.
• In the moth section, make a small dot of icing for the mouth. Cut a red hot in half and adhere it to the dot to make the mouth. Repeat on all cookies.

Check back all next week for our Simplicity Gourmet’s Quick and Easy Homemade Holiday Treats!

Christmas Blessings,
Katie�

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