Gotta Love Christmas Cookies...

Had a lot of fun with my boy tonight decorating some Christmas cookies...he is quite the creative cookie decorator if I may so say myself. Love that I got to spend the whole night with him tonight...he didn't have any jobs after work today!!

We made a deal - if I made him Tomato Basil Squares for dinner, he would go to the grocery store with me (I HATE going alone!) and decorate Christmas cookies with me. We didn't get to start the cookies till around 10:00 but we are both quite happy...he has a full belly and I have a lot of pretty cookies to share tomorrow!

I thought I would share the recipe in case anyone is looking for a really simple (and yummy!) sugar cookie recipe...

Mrs. Field's Christmas Sugar Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Colored sugars or sprinkles

Yield: About 3 dozen

*Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

*In a medium bowl, comine the flour and salt with a wire whisk.

*In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well mixed. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

*Gather dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate one hour or until firm.

*On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. With cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with colored sugars or sprinkles.

*Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, being careful not to brown. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.

The recipe is from the "Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book!" and the title is no lie. It really is the best cookie book ever! Lots of yummy recipes in there. I should share the Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe sometime...I use Andes mints instead of regular chocolate chips and it is so good!

For the sugar cookie recipe I doubled it and it made over 50 cookies. I didn't cool them for an hour...I popped them into the freezer for like 10 minutes and they were good to go. I more than doubled the amount of vanilla the recipe calls for.

Hope you are all getting to spend time with your loved ones! I get to spend the whole day tomorrow with my mommy! We are going Christmas shopping, probably to Chilis for lunch (her fave) and I may even drag her to Starbucks. Have a fabulous Friday! I LOVE days off!!!! I hope to have everyone crossed off of my Christmas list and have all of my presents wrapped by tomorrow! :)

BVOTD: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." 1 Corinthians 8:1b NIV