Mommypotamus Cookies

“It’s so easy to get preoccupied with hiding presents and checking off lists this time of year… that we can forget to give our kids the one thing that will last a lifetime: MEMORIES.” Heather Dessinger, aka Mommypotamus

The holidays bring about all kinds of traditions, but our favorite is baking cookies.  Lots and lots of cookies. And often we bake at least some of the same cookies year after year. Even if they're not the most healthy or even tasty (have you ever tried a Springerle cookie?), they're just too nostalgic to let go.

One holiday cookie tradition we’re not ready to give up on are sugar cookies with sprinkles! And, thank goodness, since we found Maggies Naturals, we don’t have to. While conventional food coloring is a petroleum derived product that has been linked to various health issues, especially among children, Maggie's Naturals food colors and sprinkles are made from all natural ingredients and colored with plant extracts.

Having Maggie’s Naturals on hand meant that when MighyNest kids Clio, Olive and Milo got together recently to bake sugar cookies, we were happy to indulge their natural desire to over decorate!

First, the kids rolled out the cookie dough on natural unbleached parchment paper using the new favorite rolling pins, handmade in Indiana from solid sugar maple. We particularly love these rolling pins because they are not treated with any mineral oil or varnish  - just raw maple. We have both the handled rolling pin and a French style rolling pin (which has tapered ends).

After cutting out the cookies, the kids placed them directly on a ceramic baking stone. Baked goods are evenly baked and browned on this stone and the large surface space is room for a good number of cookies. As with all baking stones, it's important to pre-heat the stone in the oven for best results. The sculpted handles also help to carry the stone from oven to cooling rack. This baking stone is easy to maintain and washes up easily, never warping or gunking up like other baking pans.

Making memories can be messy. But your kids won’t remember the flour spilled all over the floor, the frosting spattered on the wall, or that your cell phone almost went into the oven with a batch of cookies (OK, they might remember that).  What they will remember for sure are the sprinkles, the laughter, and the way the four year-old shouted, “Yay, we’re going to eat humans!” when you pulled out the gingerbread man recipe.   If you're in the right mindset (read: not trying to achieve Pinterest-worthy results with perfect looking cookies), making homemade holiday cookies can be a blast.

Pledge to make holiday cookies with your kids this year, and inspire others by sharing your holiday cookie traditions.   What kind of cookies do you make, and what’s the story behind them?