Easy Christmas Cookies

Let's face it, preparing for Christmas isn't always easy.

And as we approach Christmas Eve, there is one thing we need ~

Cookies!

We're gonna make these easy though

by using a mix. {Shhh! don't tell}

Actually, I use these all the time.

I know, you expected more; afterall I make pancakes and biscuits and bread from scratch.

But let's not make this into a big deal.

Betty's got it all figured out.

Not what I'm using today but these are our favorite!
Yes, Mountain Mama, this is why we have so much butter in our fridge!

All you need is a couple of bags of her sugar cookie mixes,

two sticks of butter, and two eggs.

The rest you probably have in your pantry.

So let's bake!

First, I have to tell you~

there are two tools that I use to make my cookies look perfect~

a cookie scoop and parchment paper.  Girl, if you aren't using parchment paper to bake with, well, you are just working too hard!

Ok, now let's bake.

Mix up both bags of cookie mix being sure to used softened butter and eggs straight from the coop if you've got them.

Divide in half.  Melt 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips in a bowl and add to half of dough with one Tablespoon of flour.

Roll in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

Let's make the pinwheel cookies first.

Roll out half of the chocolate dough on plastic wrap into a small rectangle.

Next do half of the sugar cookie dough.

Flip one on top of the other.

Now, roll up using the plastic wrap to press gently as you go.

Once you have a log of dough,

it goes back to the fridge to chill again.

Next up, snickerdoodles!

Mix up 1/2 cup sugar with one teaspoon cinnamon added.

Scoop up dough into balls and roll in cinn/sugar.

Bake.  Sprinkle with more cinn/sugar as soon as you pop them out of the oven.

Now for chocolate!

This chocolate-sugar cookie combo tastes like Nestle's quik to me.

And if you ask me, that's not a bad thing.

Scoop, bake.

Sprinkle 1/2 with crushed candy canes

the other 1/2 with powdered sugar.



{Note to self: add the candy cane after baking.  It melts.
This is not the first time I have made this mistake.}



Easy, right?

3 down, 1 to go!

Slice the pinwheels.

I use a pastry cutter. 

Reshape into circles as you lay them out on the parchment paper.

Bake.

Ok, that's it!  Didn't I tell you that was easy? Santa will think you slaved away forever.

And I bet he won't leave even a crumb. ;)