Christmas Cookies and Memories!

Rob and Tom cookie-ready!

On Sunday, Dec. 6 we baked homemade sugar cookies. My (Rob) office hosts a holiday cookie swap
-hosted by my friend Lynn, who also loves cookies, and everyone makes a dozen cookies for everyone in the swap. So, it could be a massive baking effort!  Fortunately, this year there are 8 people in the swap.
   Tom doesn't bake, but he volunteered to help, since we needed to crank out 84 cookies for the swap (and any extra for us). Originally, I was going to make Oatmeal with cranberries (my concoction), but our friend Jeff said "sugar cookies are for Christmas."

baking in the oven!

   ROB'S MEMORIES - So, we made sugar cookies, just like my mom did when I was a kid in the 1960s/70s. I used to help my mom bake, which is where I developed my love for the art. Mom had a cookie press from the 1960s, with different cookie patterns, like a star, wreath, christmas tree, star, camel, etc. Mom also made a sugar/vanilla glaze that she coated each cookie with, and then put sprinkles on them. So, that's what we did!

The finished, glazed and sprinkled cookies!

TEAMWORK! 
   I made the dough, and after an hour in the fridge we put it in the press and Tom squeezed out the cookies as I decorated the finished batches. It took about 4 hours with teamwork, and we made about 120 or so cookies. Of course, I ate 4 immediately!
  So, it was great to have Tom helping and Mom's spirit around!