Okay, I don’t know about you, but I am still in full holiday sweet making mode. I just love this part of the holidays, don’t you? Did you make any of the recipes that we posted about last week? I made a couple of the different breads that we posted about. Unfortunately, since I am gluten free I didn’t get a chance to actually try them, however, I gave some away as gifts and I have received some very enthusiastic thanks from friends and family.

This week we are placing our focus on cookies! I love this part of holiday baking because my kids are out of school for the holiday break and we get to spend lots of time together creating yummy, fun cookies for Christmas! This is definitely one of my favorite holiday traditions, I love it.

Do you know what the secret to the perfect holiday cookie is? Of course, you need a great recipe, but the truth is, everyone has their own favorites, so this can be hit or miss. The real secret to the perfect holiday cookie is the tools you use to make them. Truth be told though, I have different favorite tools for baking with the kids (I like to use their favorite cookie baking kits and cutters), however, my favorite bakeware always remains the same:

Here are my favorite baking tools for cookie baking day:

• 15" round superstone® baking stone with rack - The baking stone isn’t all about pizza, my friends, this stone helps you bake some seriously soft and perfectly crisp holiday cookies!
• rectangular superstone® baking stone - Round, rectangle, it doesn’t matter, they both make amazing cookies!
• superstone® sicilian pizza stone - If you just need to have the “cookie sheet” style of bakeware, this is the one! this stone's shape and depth is perfect for rustic and sicilian style pizzas. also try breads, pretzels, cookies, and other dough-based treats. unglazed stoneware with glazed rim and silicone handle grips. recipe booklet included.
• A good, silicone spatula - A sturdy handle and a thin spatula body is needed to make sure you pull the cookies off the baking stones without messing them up. This is my current favorite spatula for this job.

Here are my (and my kids’) favorite cookie making kits:

• cookie baking kit - our basic baking kits are perfect basics for the budding baker. the tools are sized for smaller hands and the recipe and instructions offer clear directions as well as a fun rhyme. kit includes: measuring spoons, measuring cups, wooden rolling pin, spatula, 6 cookie cutters and recipe & rhyme booklet
• holiday baking kit - our basic baking kits are perfect basics for the budding baker. the tools are sized for smaller hands and the recipe and instructions offer clear directions as well as a fun rhyme. each comes packaged in a suitcase style box. kit includes: measuring spoons, 2 gingerbread silicone cake molds, 6 cookie cutters, spatula, wooden rolling pin and recipe & rhyme booklet.
• deluxe cookie set - our basic baking kits are perfect basics for the budding baker. the tools are sized for smaller hands and we provide all the materials to get started with your culinary creations. kit includes: blue apron, measuring cup, baking sheet, wooden rolling pin, wooden spoon, and 6 cookie cutters
• Cookie cutters - Of course, you don’t have to have a kit at all, but the perfect holiday cookies, do require seasonal cookie cutters!

Okay, now that we go those specifics out of the way, what kind of cookie makes the perfect holiday cookie? This one goes with personal preference, of course, but I do believe that there are some that are better than others. Here are a couple of my favorites:

• Classic Sugar Cookies - This soft, fluffy sugar cookie recipe is my favorite and every time I make them they disappear instantly!
• Lofthouse Cookies - Sugar cookies with a kick! Lofthouse cookies can be made with any decor or any style you choose, they always taste great. You probably see these in your local grocery store often and for good reason.
• Gingerbread cookies - I mean, is it even the holidays if you don’t make gingerbread men cookies? I didn’t think so. They are a wintertime classic!

So now that I have my cookie making bakeware, tools, and recipes ready, please wish me luck! My kids are at great ages, but I think that their particular styles will conflict with one another. My perfectionist teenager is likely not going to want the toddler decorating her cookies and my 11-year-old is probably not going to care about decorating at all, he is more of a “why decorate it when you are just going to eat it” kind of kid. Maybe we will make all three types of cookies this year and let each kid have their own job!

Happy holidays and happy cookie making, my friends!