Santa's sugar cookies

Our little bakers joined in for a yummy Christmas Eve  day experience. Grandmama and mommy did all the prep work the night before making and mixing the dough. We prepped all the main dishes together for the following day working late into the night before Christmas Eve. One things for sure, that kitchen hasn't gotten so much use in a while. We considered great grandma Eliza's classic recipe, but when we read the 'oleo' ingredient...we shyed away.

We spotted our sugar cookie recipe in a local magazine and gave it a whirl. It was my first time using the dough hooks on the mixer. Last year, I just rolled out slice and bake dough as a short cut. The homemade dough was frozen on baking sheets for cut out time the following morning. Throw back cutters from my childhood brought waves of nostalgia back to my childhood kitchen. Memories of standing around our island creating sugar cookies of Christmas' past. 

The littles pressed with all their might to slice through the icy sheets of sugary dough. 
Eliza Kate's mantra these days is "No, I can do it myself" so I have to back away and release a lot of control over what the finished product will look like. I do like that she is forming her own independence. Sometimes this independence mixed together with a two year old sassy face is a little more than my patience can handle.

I hope he treasures these cozy memories with his grandmama.

A fine dusting of flour and dough remnants were splashed here and there on the floor. It's a messy job cutting cookies out.

Miller took on the role of spatula lifter. He enjoyed using the kitchen utensils this go around.

He also played the part of delivering shapes to the parchment paper. We ended up making two dozen with leftover dough to freeze.

Our cookie admirer with lovey in hand was singing our baking praises. I had to explain that the dough cut outs needed to go in the oven to cook. Precious girly was all ready to take a bite! It takes some patience for the finished product.

Joyful Christmas music played in the background sprinkled in with brother & sister bantering over sharing the cutters.  Before long, sugary smells wafted through the air reminding us that Christmas was near. It's cozy times like these that I'm thankful for the blessing of children who make the season so sweet.