About the only time of year I bake cookies any more is at Christmas....and I usually bake several kinds and give to my daughter and one of my friends. I make the Pecan Meltaways, a thumbprint with raspberry jam in it, a meringue with black walnuts, and various others except I don't bake peanut butter cookies, because I don't like peanuts, and I don't bake chocolate chip or the usual types of cookies...preferring something that I only eat once a year. I am going to make the three layer cookies with almond paste that are dipped in chocolate for sure.

We always used to make lots of cookies, but I'll only make a batch or two this year because everybody is cutting down on sweets (not just us but all the people we might share them with). I'll make some cut ones, for sure, for the pretty factor. Probably gingerbread.

This is the only time of year that I spend some serious time baking. Last year, I had some of the little neighbors over to make decorated gingerbread and sugar cookies and that's on the calendar again.

I'll also make some mini lemon pound cakes to give away, brownies for Robert's staff, and I'm looking for an intriguing spicy nut mix....I'm wanting to use Wasabi powder in it. I'm going to put together a care package for one of my brothers and will make some of his favorite cookies, I have our mother's recipes.

Rhizo, that's so nice of you. I make the traditional sugar cookies. I used to bake on Christmas Eve because we never have plans. But, it became too stressful because I am still cooking dinner.. Now, I make them two days ahead, let my DH and daughters have a few, and hide the rest for Christmas day.

No, haven't in years, I probably should....

I usually do some....many fewer than in years past. The "sugar factor" and "who Needs Them" is prevalent now days. Same with the fruit cake and fudge etc. etc. etc.

It was a tradition for years, and I was just thinking today how my daughter Gillian and I used to set butter out on the counter every morning leading up to Christmas, before poring over our collection of Christmas magazines to choose our recipes.

But these days it's quite different. I might make a few batches with my granddaughter, as I did last year when she volunteered to bring a platter to her Christmas party at work. And maybe I'll find a couple of healthier cookies to make for my little grandsons.

Sixty years ago, one of the signs of Christmas was the array of six or eight big glass jars on the open shelving in my mother's kitchen. These were the jars that pickles or mayo came in, like the jumbo plastic ones today. They made great (and free!) storage jars for everything, from rice and pasta to oatmeal -- and Christmas cookies. We kids knew that when those jars were washed and sparkling just after Thanksgiving that baking would soon ensue, and all would be filled with beautiful cookies for the holidays. With five kids, we made lots, lol.

I have always made from-scratch cookies for Christmas, tho not in those big jars any longer, and for the past several years I have made them with my grandchildren in my kitchen for them to take home. Such fun, and they love doing it. If not for them, I doubt I'd make many. Oh, who am I kidding? Christmas wouldn't BE Christmas without cutout sugar cookies and cinnamon snaps, spritz, and the infamous Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Brownie Drops! I'll be starting soon, loading the freezer and gathering the grands together!

We pretty much only have sugar cookies. I don't have a lot of patience for baking. The real joy is decorating anyway so we keep it simple.

I probably won't as I have a daughter and granddaughter that make beautiful decorated Christmas cookies. I will be busy with pies. :)

Sue

I was always the best baker in the family, making the majority of xmas cookies/sweets, birthday cakes, etc. For xmas, I'd typically make 8 - 12 different types/flavors of cookies..... some were the favorites that were always requested, and some were something 'new' to try each year. Unfortunately, our family gatherings are smaller now (if they happen at all), and my nieces like to make sweets too, so I have no reason to make/bake so many things anymore. Even more unfortunate is that my nieces aren't good scratch bakers.... there's nothing worse to me than being given a piece of their box cake with canned frosting. blech.

I have in the past, We like the thumbprint with icing colored to suit the occasion at the holidays . In my older days my grandson now 25 would stand on a chair and he would add the flour etc. already measured. Today he still remembers this fun event. I like the cut and bake its fast and easy for me.

I always make cookies & candies for the holidays - over the years I've simplified quite a bit & usually only do 3 types now: a great-uncle's handed-down butter spritz, chocolate crinkles & iced gingerbread.

My sisters & I have fond holiday memories are of decorating homemade cookies: regular sugar & molasses cutouts. I carried on the tradition w/ our kids & my step daughter still talks about how much she loved that. She even did it w/ her kids. We had little bowls of colorful icings, sprinkles, raisins & other small bits of dried fruits laid out on a table covered w/ large sheets of waxed paper w/toothpicks & knives for spreading & racks for drying. I think more icing was eaten than was spread on cookies!

& I always set aside some extra 'clean' ones to serve for company ; J

I like to cook, but it can be so expensive and so few people truly appreciate it (or maybe they just don't express it?. So I'll express it! I did TRULY appreciate the gift someone sent me last year (you know who you are!) and we enjoyed it every evening for quite some time because we'd pick one out of the freezer each day.