Christmas season is upon us. Once again I was amazed by how quickly Christmas lights went up in my neighborhood and empty parking lots transformed into impromptu Christmas tree farms. My local grocery store and every radio station are playing Christmas songs. Even my husband was bitten by the Christmas bug, and started reading the Nativity story to our son.

Considering that it’s the fourth day of December, we NEED to discuss cookies. All Christmas parties and family reunions seem to require a plate of cookies for admittance. Then there are those family members who need Christmas cookies to get into the holiday spirit.

There’s also the simple fact that Christmas cookies are an American tradition. Our first published Christmas cookie recipe is found in American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (1796). German immigrant’s popularized gingerbread cookies. And cookie cutters came into vogue in the early 1900’s and with them the sugar cookie.