Christmas Cookie Time...Yum!

 It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas Cookie time! With all the Pinspiration out there I get excited about making Christmas cookies long before the halls are decked. So why not plan a cocoa and cookies party or a cookie exchange. It is a great way to get your friends or your little ones friends together for the holidays and have a little fun.

To get ready for the party I designed some adorable little penguin invites...who doesn't love  a chubby little penguin? You can find these and many more design in my shop.

It all starts with the cookies, picking out your favorite cookie cutters and making the cookies. Sugarbelle has the recipe for the most amazing sugar cookies
. It is the best I have found the cookies turn out perfect and don't spread which makes it easy to identify the shapes. I also used their amazing icing recipe. I prepared the cookies 2 days ahead of time so they could settle, I also used teh royal icing (firmer recipe) to draw an outline so the kids could flood the cookies with ease. We had kids from 2 to 11 attend. Everyone had a blast giving the cookies their own unique flair. I supplied all the trimmings and decorations in small shallow bowls so everything was at their little fingertips.

 I found the cutest polka dot boxes at Hobby Lobby.I added a chalkboard sticker from the $1 bins at Target to personalize each box. The kids each got 6 cookies to decorate and take home. I even bought some Publix plain sugar cookies for them to decorate like ornaments...no baking required.

These are what the cookies look like with just the royal icing outline. Prepare them the night before so they have time to dry.

I never was able to find mini plastic squeeze bottles so I had to improvise. I used mason jars so the icing wouldn't spill, they were great for small hands and easy to hold. Just attach plastic disposable tips to the opening of the jar. Metal tips and plastic collar to seal it up. They worked like a charm!

When making your icing make a large batch. Separate into bowls and then add coloring. I like to add gel coloring found at craft stores for vibrant colors.

Royal Icing by Sugarbelle

• 2 pounds {one bag} confectioner's sugar {907 grams}
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder {approximately 53 grams}
• 2-3 teaspoons oil-free extract or emulsion
• 1/2-3/4 cups warm water

Cookies go great with a  little cocoa!

and don't forget the peppermint marshmallows....yum!

Each little one had their own penguin cup to keep as a souvenir, found these at Joann's on clearance perfect for the party.

 The adults had just as much fun pitching in and icing the cookies as the kids did.

 Ta Da! Look at those beautiful cookies made by our little friends, they had a great time and made a lot of memories with each other a great Christmas tradition.

The kids had so much fun making cookies that we totally forgot about the peppermint cake...oh well!

Join me on pinterest for some cookie exchange recipes and more