Christmas Sugar Cookies real and virtual

As if I have all the time in the world  to not only create real cookies with my "real" hands in my "real" kitchen but to create some "virtual" cookies with my fingers and my keyboard and the help of BHG.  Tonight  I found this really cool way of wasting half an hour icing virtual cookies.  My first attempts were a bit wonky, I am certainly better with a paintbrush, but by the third cookie I had got the hang of it. If you click on my cookie it will take you to the link at Better Homes and Gardens, who thought up this time stealing but fun idea!

You basically choose from a sidebar menu your cookie shape, star, angel, tree, snowman, gingerbread man etc, then you pipe around the edges with your chosen colour,  fill in with icing (again your chosen colour), choose your sprinkles, then your background and voila! a "virtual" Christmas cookie. So after you've read this post and looked at the real cookies, click on the cookie below or "here" and have some fun.  (If the link doesn't take you direct to the page try clicking a second time...sometimes they ask you to join BHG (Better Homes and Gardens), it only takes a few seconds to join and they do have some great ideas throughout the year but if you go back to my link and click again you should be able to go direct to the cookie decorating page without joining.

My "virtual" attempt at cookie icing

I thought I better add some reality so I have found some gorgeous decorating ideas for your Christmas cookies and a fabulous little video showing you how to make your own "real" cookies.

I found these absolutely divine cookies via Pinterest .......they put my "virtual" cookie to shame

Image from Kara's party ideas, a wonderful website with ideas for every imaginable party theme!  I love the frosted look icing.

These beautiful cookies are available for purchase through Rolling Pin Productions - small snowflakes US$4.00 each, standard US$7.50

Sugar cookies in more traditional colours to purchase from The Piece de Resistance  (Worldwide shipping available)

Image reproduced with permission of Red Ted Art's Blog

So...if you still have  time left after decorating your "virtual" cookies or you don't want to waste precious time and go straight to making some lovely Christmas cookies, please use the link "here" to Joy of Baking where you can watch their video for making sugar cookies, their recipe is printed below the video. Its a marvellous step by step video that will guide you to perfect cookies.  I will be making some myself and will share my results next week.

Hope you enjoyed your day, 

try not to stress over the holidays  looming closer...

Make sure you make lists to ease 

the stress of forgetting anything last minute.

Lee oxo

&

Poppy