[Thank you God!]

Well, cookie exchange really - never done one of these before, but I have to make 7 dozen and these ladies get VERY creative! I typically make 10 or so varieties of cookies each year, but with my new lifestyle/diet changes, I just can't be doing that this year. so i'll make the one type for this exchange and come home with 6 dozen different ones and that will be our supply this year.

But anyways - does anyone have any yummy creative ideas that aren't super difficult? I'm talking no rolling out of dough or a million steps...I need easy, yummy, and pretty/original! There's a prize at stake too! Any ideas welcomed!

[Krazieblond1]

melted snowman cookies!!!!

[Jilly*bean]

Okay so here's a cheat one, but you said "easy" so here ya go...

Buy a roll of Pillsbury sugar cookies (or however many you need for 7 dozen) and lay out the dough (yes you'll have to roll it), roll it out and using some cookie cutters cut into christmas style shapes. After you lay them out on your pan add a couple of drops of food coloring (red, green and yellow look great for the holidays) to each one. Using a straw blow the food coloring drops around on the top of the cookie and create an artistic design - bake according to directions and voila!

Or, you can make a butter cookie recipe (again, you're going to have to roll out some dough) and cut into fun shapes. Chop up some jolly ranchers (green and red always make things most festive). Cut out a space in the center (I've done triangle trees with triangle cut outs) and while your cookies are in place on the baking sheet (I always use a silpat mat for this one - available in any store with baking stuff) sprinkle some of the jolly rancher pieces in the cutout area. Bake just long enough for the candy to melt and the cookie to be done - otherwise you might get some bubbles in the candy. They look like stained glass in the center!

[Thank you God!]

oooh, thanks girls! i'll have to lookup melted snowman cookies. Yes, I'm thinking of involving some sort of cheating step. got a bunch of ideas online last night too - but simple and creative is key. Thank you! Jill yours sound VERY interesting!

[Krazieblond1]

omg...jolly rancher cookies are SO good!

[Thank you God!]

I just googled the Melted Snowman Cookies....so neat! unique, and easy! I'd love to make my own sugar cookies from scratch cause they're awesome but I may go with premade to save time. And Todd being the artist can help me decorate. Thanks Crystal!

[Thank you God!]

Wow, spent like 6 hours on Friday night making the Melted Snowmen. Had to make them from scratch, my sugar cookie recipe is just too good not too. But darn that was a lot of work. But they look pretty cute.

And Jill thanks for your text this morning I was at church - but I will check out the Cooking Light issue ideas!