Brown Sugar Spice Cookies

I mentioned yesterday that lots of cookies were baked in our kitchen recently. This is one of the other cookies Tim and I spent our day baking and decorating. They are fantastic. A delight with or without icing. We used the same icing as we used on the sugar cookies.

I know some people are big fans of gingerbread. (Dad) These are not exactly gingerbread cookies. Just nice spice cookies. But festive and tasting of the holidays, none the less.  (And by “tasting of the holidays” I do not mean pine trees. Not delicious I assume. I promise not to try it, Tim.)

Speaking of pine trees. (Or “Christmas Trees”, as my Floridian friend likes to call EVERY SINGLE LIVING PINE TREE IN THE NORTH.) Real or fake for Christmas? It’s ok. . you can tell me. . I promise not to judge. . too much.

I am a fan of real trees. I do not care for the fake. They look bad, do not smell good, are less eco friendly, and rob you of the holiday tradition of going to pick out the perfect tree. (In my opinion, of course) I also find them harder to decorate. The ornaments never want to stay on their pathetic branches.  My family and friends know of my love of the real trees. And although I can forgive them for their fake trees, I do not forget. 😉

I used to have a fit every year when my parents decided to switch to a fake tree. I was a teenager and therefore, extra dramatic. But that fake tree sucked! And still to this day my dad has a fake tree. I’m not sure how he sleeps at night.

There is a great Christmas tree farm near us and every year my husband and I have a tradition of going out and scouting out a perfect little tree and cutting it down ourselves. (The carnage!) Or rather, Tim cuts it down and I tell him what a good job he is doing while he cusses out the extra hard tree trunk and the extra dull saw while getting mud on his jeans and coat. See. . holiday memories. Ahhh.

Real tree or fake, I hope you have a great Christmas. Enjoy your day and your family and most of all, the good food!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Brown Sugar Spice Cookies

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/8 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 cups flour

Mix butter and shortening together. Add brown sugar. Mix well. Add egg. Add vanilla  and spices. Mix well.

Add flour and baking soda. It will come together into a thick dough.  Roll out on a lightly floored surface to 1/4 inch thick sheet and cut out with your favorite cookie cutters. (Or refrigerate or freeze. . let come to room temp before using)

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheets at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing them.

I know this picture is a bit blurry but I had to share it with you. It’s our Christmas Squirrel. I think there needs to be a children’s book about him. Isn’t he so adorable? Just makes me wanna eat him up. . . ummm. . .actually we did. Poor Christmas Squirrel. Bad ending to the children’s book, I suppose?