Of all the traditions we share leading up to Christmas, decorating Christmas cookies is my favorite! My love began in childhood. I still remember my mom pulling the cookies out of the oven while Mark and I waited at the dining room table. My dad was in charge of the icing and food coloring. Christmas music played in the background, and we always left a handful of cookies plain just for my dad.
My grandmother baked these cookies by the hundreds every December, staying up all night to ice intricate cardinals, bluebirds, reindeer, sheep and snowman. We still use her perfect recipe – I can picture her cursive on the recipe card my mom faithfully followed. BeBe boxed her cookies to ship to friends around the world. When we arrived for our visit after Christmas, the remnants remained, but we certainly didn’t mind! Her icing colors were always so vivid, rich reds and deep blues. I wish I knew her tricks!
Our reds look more pink, and the blues are pale. Mark and my decorating skills haven’t advanced much over the years. Nobody notices and nobody cares! I haven’t missed a year that I can remember in my lifetime. Some years we invite friends over, and other years it’s just our immediate family. This time Mark and Ne’Kia arrived in town early, and we had so much fun with them!
Paul has been the unchallenged King of Decorating although Ryan is going to be stiff competition.
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