Santa Claus Cookies

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, surrounded by the ones you love.  Our Christmas was very fun. I love seeing the children open their gifts.  There was wrapping paper everywhere and it took forever to open every gift. I still make the kids open them one at a time.  I want to be sure to see each child open their gifts. I just love every minute of it.

I learned a few things today.....

I'm in good health thanks to my check up by Doc McStuffins.

Lalaloopsy dolls are too cute. I really want to get them all....for me not my daughter.

I need a pad lock on my shoe closet....these teenage girls borrow everything.

and there is no greater joy then being a mother.

Although Christmas is pretty much over, I still have a Santa tutorial so I'm gonna share it anyway. I've been doing a lot of repurposing of cutters lately. For Santa I used this paisley cutter from Ecrandal.

1. With flesh colored royal icing make a face shape in center of cookie.

2. Outline hat shape in red royal icing.

3. Fill hat with flood consistency royal icing. Let dry.

4. Outline and fill white area on hat.

5. Outline Santa's beard with white piping icing.

6. Fill Santa's beard in with white flood icing. Let dry









7. Add eyes with black piping icing and a #1 tip
add nose with flesh colored piping icing. Let dry

8. Add Santa's mustache and a pink dot for mouth.

9. Add white puff to top of hat

10. While icing is still wet pour white sanding sugar  on puff. Shake off excess.

11. With 15 second icing add more white icing to brim of hat.

12. While icing is still wet sprinkle with sanding sugar and shake off excess.  Let cookie dry.

Sparkly Snowman Cookies

Ok Christmas is right around the corner and if anyone is wondering....No, my wrapping still is not completely done.

I've just been so busy.....but I totally plan to be finished tonight. I'm just glad all the online orders arrived on time. This year has been free of customer service drama. There's nothing I hate more than when I order things for my kids weeks ahead of time and it doesn't arrive because of some screw up. 

Not this year.....I've got all the presents here and I can't wait to see the children's faces light up when they open them. 

Well I've got a lot of wrapping left to do so I'm going to leave you with this snowman cookie tutorial. This was a tag design I saw here and just knew I had to make a cookie version. I used a tag cutter. These are very easy to make and don't take much time at all. 

                                           

1. Outline and fill bottom portion of tag cookie with white royal icing. Let dry for several hours.

2. Add snowman face and allow to completely dry. 

**TIP** make sure all the icing is completely dry before doing the next step (glittery hat) because the glitter will stick to anything wet.

3. Outline red hat with a #2 tip and red royal icing. 

4. Fill hat with flood consistency red royal icing.

5. While icing is still wet. Pour red disco dust over it. 

**TIP** for easy clean up, hold cookie over a cupcake liner when doing this. I used the foil liners because they are a bit stiffer. 

6. After the icing is dry, shake off excess glitter.

**TIP** After icing is dry, you can use a small clean paint brush to remove any stray glitter along the edge of the hat.

7. With a #3 tip and white royal icing add a poof at top of hat. You want to use thicker icing so it doesn't run off. 

8. sprinkle with rainbow disco dust.  I use a small brush that I dip in the disco dust then 

 kinda twirl the brush over the poof so that the disco dust falls onto it.

Let cookie dry and you're finished!

Snowgirl Cookies

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas........NOT. At least not here. It's rarely wintery and cold here.

It's a bit colder this morning in New Orleans, well cold for us anyway. I believe it's about 50˚ outside. I don't think I'll be going anywhere today. I'll be staying home baking. That way the house is nice and toasty.

Cold is not my thing.....but snowmen are. I love anything with a snowman on it.

Today I decided to make a girl version of the snowman....a snowgirl. Is that what you'd call the girl version?

Ahhhhh I don't have a clue. That's what I'm going to call her. A snowgirl.

I picked up the Wilton Santa cookie cutter and after I started looking at it I saw more of a snowman then Santa.....but if Sugarbelle has taught us anything in the world of cookie decorating, it's that cutters can be repurposed!

Ready to start?

First you'll need the following:

baked santa shaped cookies
white royal icing
blue royal icing
black royal icing
orange royal icing
#2, #3 and #1 icing tips
piping bags
petal dust in pink
small clean round paint brush

1. With light blue piping consistency royal icing, outline the hat. For top portion of hat I used a #2 tip and for the bottom of hat I used a #3 tip. I wanted the bottom to be thicker for some dimension.

2. Fill hat with flood consistency icing and let dry several hours. Don't worry if the two sections run together during the drying time. Mine did and it's ok.

3. Outline and fill in the snowgirls face and poof on top of hat. Allow to dry for several hours.

4. When white icing is dry add her face. I used a #2 tip for all the details. For the eyelashes I just drug a toothpick through the wet icing to form eyelashes. For her nose I piped dots. I started big and got smaller as I got to the tip of the nose. 

5. Fix cookie mess up....

**TIP** Mistakes are made...it happens. My icing broke when piping and left a mess. Black icing does not wipe off well......so I did a little fix and added a tongue on the cookie with the mistake. 

(Shown below)

6. Cookie fixed! I just added a little blob of red icing for a tongue.  

7. After the hat was dry. I outlined the hat with piping consistency royal icing and a #2 tip.

8. With a completely dry cookie, take some petal dust in pink and make some rosy cheeks with a small fluffy round paint brush. 

Now go make some hot cocoa, put on some Christmas music and find some cookie cutters to repurpose.

Mrs. Claus' Dress Cookies

It seems my life has gotten so busy lately.

My time has been consumed with the Christmas shopping....the wrapping....the children's school parties ....the Christmas dinner.

THE CHRISTMAS DINNER!!!!!!

Then it hits me......I haven't planned Christmas dinner or bought the food for it! Seriously I don't know where I put my superwoman cape at but it's gone! I have become "that mom". The one who forgets everything. The one leaving the house in her pj's to get her kid to school just in the nick of time.

I mean where are the cute clothes and heels?  I think I need to gather myself and get it together.....fast.

I certainly can't go to a christmas party in my pj's, or can I? Noooo people talk and they would certainly be talking about me.

I've been decorating a lot of Christmas cookies this year. One of my favorites is Mrs. Claus' dress.  She has to be well dressed. I imagine she has quite the heel collection. After all, she needs to always look her best.

Wanna see how I made them?

1. Roll out cookie dough and cut out dress shape. I used this cutter from Copper Gifts. Then using a heart cutter cut out the top part of the dress.

2. Trim off scalloped edge of dress. I used a large party hat cutter since it was curved at the edge. Piece the heart and bottom portion of dress together and bake.

3. After cookie has cooled, pipe a belt on the dress with a #2 tip and black piping icing. Allow to dry completely to prevent bleeding. If you need a good icing recipe you can find mine here.

4. Pipe red royal icing using a #2 tip. I used Tulip Red for this.  You can find the Tulip Red icing color here at Karen's Cookies.

5. Fill in top and bottom dress portions with 15 second icing in tulip red. Allow cookie to dry overnight.

6. After cookie is completely dry pipe white fur on dress top. I used a #2 tip and thicker icing. Probably around 20 second icing. I did this to prevent the icing from running and I also didn't want it to be completely smooth.  I also did not pipe a line but did more up and down motions when piping. I wanted it to have a rough edge.
Next, using a clean paint brush, paint a belt buckle with silver luster dust. You can find luster dust here.

Santa Boot Cookies

The days are just flying by. Can you believe Christmas is only a week away? 

A WEEK!

I'm not prepared at all this year.  Normally I'm on top of my game, but this year it's just not happening. 

All of the presents are NOT wrapped.

The four that are wrapped do not have bows on them yet....and it's a crime to have a present without a bow. My mother-in-law would die! 

She's the queen of pretty bows on packages. The woman knows her bows.

I've really gotta get my stuff together. Having a new baby is not what it was years ago. Somehow I think I aged a bit and lost energy. 

My get up and go, got up and went. 

I'm still trying to organize my time better so I can have more time for baking.....and cookie decorating. 

Today I made Santa's boots. Simple, just two colors.....black and gold. 

Easy! and lately easy is what I need. 

1. Roll out cookie dough and cut using a boot cutter. Cut a straight edge across the top. If you need a good cookie recipe you can find mine here.

2. Bake and let cool.

3. Outline and fill top of boot with 15 second black icing.

4. While icing is still wet pour sanding sugar on top. Allow icing to dry several hours then shake off excess.

5. Outline boot with black piping icing. Then fill with 15 second black icing. Allow cookies to dry completely. (about 4-5 hours)

6. Add gold buckle to bottom of shoe with gold piping icing.

7. While icing is still wet, sprinkle with gold disco dust. Allow to dry and then shake off excess disco dust.








8. With black piping icing and a #2 tip outline boot and add lace detail. Allow to dry.

Christmas Snowflake Cookies

When I think of Christmas, I think of snowflakes.  I'm not totally sure why, because I live in Louisiana where it rarely gets cold, much less snows.

I'm totally fine with warmer weather. I am not a girl who likes cold weather at all. We lived in Germany for a few years and it snowed all winter. When it snowed I stayed in my pajamas all day and didn't leave the house. I'm surprised I even survived. 

I need warm weather and cute shoes. 

When you go out in the snow the bottom of your jeans get wet, it's just gross to me. Don't get me wrong it's beautiful to look at but, that's about it. 

So I'll just make pretty snowflake cookies and enjoy the warmer climate. 

1. Outline cookie with a #2 tip and turquoise royal icing

2. Fill cookie with flood consistency icing. Let dry overnight.

3. With a food safe marker take a small circle cutter and outline a circle in the center of the cookie.

4. Next, using white outline consistency icing and a #1 tip, start piping lines from edge of circle to the tip of snowflake.

5. Add short lines in between the other lines

6. Then add dots around center circle and on tips of lines. Allow to dry for several hours.

MICKEY MOUSE Cupcakes

Well Christmas is over and it's almost time for a New Year.  Out with the old, in with the new.

Did y'all have a good Christmas? I know we all did here at my house. The kids loved everything they got. They had a box filled with different Mickey Mouse treats I made for them, a hundred Disney bucks each...

 and a poem to let them know......

WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!!!!!!!!!

They were totally surprised and I've never seen them more excited.

The three older kids have been to Disney World twice already, but the two younger ones have never been.

We won't be going until February.....around Mardi Gras. Yes, I can't believe I'm going to give up Mardi Gras for Disney world....it's really unheard of.  I mean seriously in the heart of a New Orleans girl that comes right up there with Christmas. Mardi Gras is the end all be all of holidays......yes a holiday.

It's so much fun and unless you've been, you can't really understand where I'm coming from.

Well they will be plenty of parades before Mardi Gras day so I'll get my parade fix in there.

How was y'alls Christmas? Get anything special you were dying for?

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.

I hope your day has been filled with Joy and much happiness.

I know I haven't blogged in a while, but we traveled home to New Orleans for all of two days to visit the family quickly before coming home to wait for Santa. It was a fast, in a blink of an eye kinda trip.

So I didn't get to blog....but I did miss you and I did make you some amazing cookies.

Do you all have Julia Usher's new book, Ultimate Cookies? If not you must.....seriously she shows you some amazing tips. I've got three cookies to show you today. The first one I made from Julia Usher's book. GO order it now....it really is good!

Here's the first cookie I made....

SNOW GLOBES!!! I just love snow globes. 3D too....Julia Usher shows you how to make these in her book too!.....just one of the many techniques she teaches.

Next I made Santa cookies.....

I mean what Christmas would be complete without Santa cookies right? 

Then there were the green and red ornament cookies I made. Topped them off with some gold disco dust and ta daaaa they were done. 

  And last but not least were the Santa hats. They were fun to make and with the edible glitter they looked like the fur was on them for real. Cute huh?

Well I sure hope everyone is enjoying Christmas with the people they love most. I know I am. Today it's all about them.....tomorrow....back to cookies. 

Christmas tree

Is it just me, or is it so busy this time of year that it seems you just can't get it all done? I mean is it really possible? My laundry says it isn't. 

With five kids y'all know I have my fair share of laundry, but geez I think it's taken over. If I had someone to just come and do my laundry I'd have it made. Any takers? 

I'll make you lots of cookies? 

No???

Ok, I understand. I don't blame you. Guess I'm stuck doing my own laundry......or staring at it from my cookie room.  I'll just keep baking, never to look up at the clothes needing to be folded so bad.

Well no Christmas would be complete without a tree. Y'all have your tree up yet? For those who procrastinate.....let's get with it and get it up. We only have eleven days left.

I really can't talk, my lights still aren't up. Nope, they are untangled and ready to go up outside, but my husband hasn't gotten to them yet.  PROCRASTINATOR! Yep that's him. 

Well I made some Christmas tree cookies and thought it just wasn't complete without some presents. Totally simple to make. 

Sorry for the lack of tutorial.......my laundry is calling me. I'll have a good tutorial for you guys soon to make up for it ok?

I knew y'all would understand. Hope everyone has a great day......and get your laundry folded. 

Mr. Bingle

Ok so I really didn’t want to go out last night Christmas shopping AGAIN.....It’s cold. When I left four years ago to live in Germany it was not cold around this time of year in New Orleans.  It’s normally warm around Christmas time. I come back and I think I brought the cold back from Germany. 


Not loving the weather.

So off I went yet again out in the cold to finish Christmas shopping. Only one kid left to buy for. Four out of five were done. That’s not so bad, right? Normally I do it all in one day but it didn’t work out that was this time. So last night I got the fifth child’s presents and was DONE! 

Ok well not done, done.

I’m bad....

Really bad about Christmas. I’m not ever OFFICIALLY done. I start off good, with a budget and all. 

I finish.....I stick to the budget......

then I add.....and add some more. Until there are not anymore days left to shop...like until December 23rd.  


I’d shop on the 24th but our family does their annual Christmas party on Christmas Eve. It’s been that way since I was born and we still do it that way.  

So yeah, I’m one of those parents. The one who buys and buys and buys until I run out of shopping time. 


Yes, my kids are spoiled. 


Yes, they have too much junk.


 Yes, I will regret it. 


I always do. Especially when I’m tripping over toys.....or worse, stepping on them. 

Are you ever barefoot and step on a toy? Yeah, that Hurts like doo doo. 

So I worked on some cookies before I went shopping last night. 

All this Christmas shopping gets me thinking about when I was a kid and so excited about Christmas. I’m really gonna show my age here, but do you guys remember Mr. Bingle? No, I’m not that old, only in my thirties but I do remember Mr. Bingle. He was the Christmas icon of the department store, Maison Blanche. He was Santa's assistant. He’s was a true New Orleans icon.

So I could not go making Christmas cookies without making a cookie of Mr. Bingle. 

What reminds y’all of Christmas time as a child? Any special memories? I’d love to hear them.

Jingles....The Elf on the Shelf

As if my kids didn't get into enough trouble on there own, Jingles came to our house a few days ago.  Jingles is our Elf on the Shelf. He comes every Christmas. It's such a cute family tradition.

I'm sure y'all have seen people posting pictures of their Elf on the Shelf on Facebook.  He's Santa's little helper that comes to our house every Christmas to keep an eye on the children. He goes back to see Santa every night to report on their behavior. The next morning his location has changed.

Problem is......

Whose gonna watch him?

Jingles gets into more trouble than the kids could.

Well the other night Jingles thought he'd get into my baking supplies. Oh Yeah......Death to the Elf!

But then when I saw the cute cookie he made, I wasn't so upset with him anymore.  Now he's a little bit full of himself because he made a cookie of HIMSELF. But hey, it's all good.......because he picked up all his mess too. YEAH for Jingles!

How do you like his little piping bag? Pretty cute huh?

Ok so I just thought I would share Jingles and his cookie. This is exactly how my little cookie monster found him.

How could I get mad at him? He can cookie!

*Disclaimer: No sprinkles were harmed in the making of this*

Christmas Lights.....and Bieber Fever

Justin Bieber......yeah my three year old is begging Santa for a Justin Bieber singing doll.....well it’s more a Barbie than a doll in my opinion, but that’s what it’s listed as. 

When shopping last night I somehow managed to convince my husband to purchase this doll. Twenty-five dollars later the doll was in the car.....ok it was more like $150 later because you know you can’t go to Walmart and spend under a hundred. 

This morning she was letting Jingles, our Elf know that she wanted a Justin Bieber doll that sings “Baby”and to please let Santa know.

OHHHH POO! Yep POO....the one I bought did not sing “Baby” but sang “Somebody to Love”. Now all you parents out there know this is where you PANIC.....that’s right you PANIC and frantically call every store in town and out of town to find this doll because your 3 yr old has major Bieber fever. 

I could have saved myself the hassle and paid $65 for it on Amazon, but instead I’m driving to Target an HOUR away to pick one up......they have three left. No amount of bribing helped in having them hold one for me or would allow me to pay for it over the phone. 

So here we are in the car driving the hour drive to Target. After all I need to get her the right Justin Beiber doll. 

With the Christmas season so hectic there’s hardly time for anything. No worries, I still made you some cookies. 

Once again I opt for SIMPLE.....hey I had to, we’re out looking for Justin Bieber.....much harder than finding WALDO.

And I must add that when we arrived at Target, they never had any and never did have them in the store. Geez don't you just love it when a store says they carry something that they don't.

So my choices are to give her the one we already purchased.....or

spend $65 and hope it arrives on time.....man decisions, decisions...oh how I hate decisions. 

How's everyone else's Christmas shopping coming along?

Tomorrow I may stick to online shopping. It's safer that way....

I think.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Apparently I'm a big air head.  Seriously my head must be up in the clouds somewhere.

First I numbered wrong on my blog giveaway......

Then I did a Sunday Facebook Shout out....ON A SATURDAY...oh yeah that was me....maybe it will up my talk about numbers (just a thought)

And then tonight when my husband was on Staff duty all night.....yeah AGAIN....I was watching a show on the DVR from a few weeks ago and a severe weather alert comes on.

I PANIC....I get all OMG the weathers gonna be bad and I'm home alone with no husband.....UMMM HELLO IT'S A RECORDING FROM WEEKS AGO.

I looked like an idiot, my teenage daughter laughs at me and I just know she is now texting all her friends about my stupidity. Yeah her 15,000 a month text messages are mostly about something stupid I did or about her being mad at some injustice I've done to her.

Yep that's my life around here.....cookies and jokes about mom.

At least the cookies won't make fun of me.

This weekend I got off on a Reindeer kick.  I don't know what came over me but Rudolph was on the brain. I knew when I bought the ornament cutters from Fancy Flours I was going to make many different cookies with them.  If Sweet Sugarbelle has taught me one thing, it's been to think outside the box when it comes to your cookie cutters. I mean seriously have you seen the creativity that girl has?

I wanted to come up with other creative ways to make Rudolph. Not everyone is obsessed with cookie cutters like I am and may not have these ornament cutters.

 So, I wanted to make a few with more common shapes. Some cutters that most cookiers are likely to have....like a heart, gingerbread girl, and a bone that I modified before baking. Then show you how I made them.

These were really so easy to make there isn't a need for a tutorial.....BUT.....For those who like a step by step visual, I'm gonna walk you through the process. After all I needed a good excuse to use the My Memories Suite software that one of my readers will receive in my giveaway.



Here are the steps and a cute use of the Scrapbooking software.

Be sure to let the icing dry a few hours in between steps.