I almost feel like a bad cookie and cake decorator if I just keep it simply. Every year I make a TON of cookies, but I just glaze them and add sprinkles. We do all sorts of colors and may go as far as make frosty's hat black/brown and or the xmas tree base brown, but other than that it's so simple and I still think they look very nice and festive on a plate. They take long enough to make when you take into account mixing, chilling, rolling, cutting, cooking, glazing and sprinkling and drying... who has time for piping intricate details on 100 plus cookies just so they can be eaten in two to three bites? Maybe if I were giving just 2-3 finished cookies for a gift, that would be alright, but I would rather give a dozen "less" fancy ones because they are so yummy!

Hmm... for the diet though, a couple pretties is better for you than a dozen "simple" ones! LOL

I thought I would give it a try to do piped decorations on cookies, but I can't see spending that much time doing it, now or perhaps ever. My hats are really off to all of you who do it! I just wish I was as satisfied with these "plain" ones as I used to be before I found this site... now I kind of view them as my lazy cookies which is a joke because homemade roll out cookies are never lazy! LOL But, you know....

Melissa

I love plain cookies!!! I was debating what to do with my sugar cookies last night...they are not even glazed yet, but I have learned to keep it simple because I want to stay sane around the holidays. This year I only made snowflakes and trees because the snowflakes look pretty with a white glaze and cake sparkles on top...and the trees are simple, too.

I wish I had more time to spend on the artistic details of the cookies, but it isn't going to happen. I spend quite a bit of time admiring other people's creations, though.

So....if it tastes good and looks festive enough...then I would be proud!

Merry Christmas!!
Angie

Nothing wrong with that! Just because we *can* decorate doesn't mean we *have to* decorate. I do it because I dont make a lot, and it is fun for me. If I was sending them out as gifts, and making a lot, they would probably get undecorate, or a bunch of undecorated with one special decorated on top.

I don't make cut out cookies, but make butter(shortbread) cookies that you use in the cookie press. And sometimes I'll sprinkle them or dip them in colored glaze, etc, but thats alot to do. So I usually make some fancy and place them on top of the plain ones, it looks nice that way.

You are so right zmama!

Merry Christmas!

I have always made "simple" since I never really knew how to decorate them "fancy." I just found this site not long ago, and feel the need to do them fancy too, it looks fun, but definitely time consuming since I really do not know all the little tips and tricks to cookie decorating. Zmama has the right idea of a few "fancy" for gifts and the rest "simple"

We make a few dozen just so kids can decorate them but our family actually prefers all the other types of christmas cookies (even the kids prefer them plain).

During the holidays.....the simpler (sp?) the better! I always say! LOLL

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Beth in KY

I like to keep mine simple too. I did Antonia's icing once. It looked so pretty, but it was so darn time consuming (all the mixing, waiting for it to dry, etc.), it wasn't fun anymore! I prefer to keep it simple and let my kids help me. I've made a few fancy ones for cookie bouquets, but if it's just us eating them, who cares! In fact, sad to say, I even prefer the taste of the store bought sugar cookie dough to the homemade roll out recipe I have! How lazy is that?

Mom- its not being lazy, you're saving time! lol

I love the crisco sugar cookie recipe and the quick icing out of the good ole betty crocker cookbook. But beware, very sweet!!!

I always keep mine simple. My 3.75 year old daughter is showing a strong interest in baking. She LOVES to help and be the "sprinkle girl" She also likes using the cookie cutter but you gotta keep an eye on your fingers.

Joe

If it makes it easier i have tried the Betty Crocker sugar cookies for cut outs. There's a recipe on the back how to adjust the recipe for the cut outs. As far as icing goes maybe a little colored sugar? or wilton's ready made cookie icing. they sell in green, red, white and more. I think they'd still look nice but you'll skip all the prep time. sure decorating might be the hardest part, but i guess when all is ready might be easier?

My standard is snowflake cut-outs... I use white icing and sprinkle with white sugar. It's pretty without all the work!

I may do some pretty fancy ones, but those are the ones I sell. If they're for us or for family, they get sprinkles, too. Nothing wrong with that and they still taste great.

Wow, what a response! LOL

It's kind of funny, I was looking at my plate of white and pale blue snowflake cookies to take today to my son's 5th grade class and was thinking, "I hope these are ok". When my son and husband saw them they said, "Wow those look great!" So go figure... I'M the one whose tainted! LOL

My cookies are from an older better home and gardens cookbook. it's their cream cheese cutouts (just some of the butter is replaced by cream cheese which gives the a slight tang and a smoother/different/great texture.) I'm not a big fan of those store bought cookies, too chewy or too hard - like a choco chip cookie without the chips -ick. My glaze is just powdered sugar with a little milk and color.

Melissa

I LOVE bars, and "make 'em into a ball" cookies! Those are what I make most of the time.
The pictures we post on CC are the fancy ones because this site is about decorating. I belong to other sites that are more about solid comfort foods, THAT is where the other cookies go.