As the mother of little ones, I sometimes get frustrated. For example, last year, on December 1st, we tried to decorate a gingerbread house. It ended up being mostly me doing the work. And it isn’t that I mind that (who doesn’t love decorating a gingerbread house?), but I feel bad planning activities for my children that give them so little to do. We tried again at Halloween this year…with the same results. The icing really needed to be done by a grown up, and then it was awfully runny, so someone had to sit there and hold the candy on until the icing dried, and what child wants to do that?! So for our December 1st party this year, we decorated gingerbread house cookies instead. And everyone loved it!! Daddy loved decorating his (and eating it immediately after), Oldest Daughter thoroughly enjoyed decorating hers, and Youngest Daughter enjoyed smearing around the frosting and then licking it off of her chubby fingers.
I really wanted these cookies to be delicious, as gingerbread cookies are so often the opposite of delicious! The recipe I used came from an old issue of Cook’s Illustrated, and it also appeared in the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. It got glowing reviews online, and the accolades were well deserved. The cookies were spicy without being bitter or harsh. They were soft and puffy instead of thin roofing tiles. And they were easy to make! I think we might have a new (and improved!) family tradition on our hands!
Click HERE for the recipe!