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Ashley, one of the newest members of the TQS family, has a wonderful story behind her Animal Cookies.

"When I was growing up, start of the Christmas season was marked by the annual tradition of making 'Animal Cookies'. Although I'm not sure why my great great aunt named her recipe as such, the taste of these delicious cookies is as wonderful as the process of making them. Cut-out cookies take a bit of time to make, and then there is the frosting and decorating, but the final result is oh so worth it!

As a little girl (that's 3-year old me in the foreground of the photo) we would devote an entire day to this delicious activity. Mom would fill the house with the irresistible smell of the freshly baked cookies early in the morning, and we knew that we would soon be able to dive into the colored frosting, sprinkles, gum drops, and other decorations. Fast-forward many years, I still uphold this tradition with my son. I pre-bake the cookies so that when decorating day arrives we can get right into the fun part!

My secret for making these cookies more delectable than most cut-outs is to roll them to about 3/8" thick, and trim the baking time to 9-10 minutes. If you pull them out of the oven before they're 100% baked, they will remain soft and rich-tasting. The added thickness will ensure that the cookie is sturdy enough to handle even the most wild decorating scheme! Spend some time making these for your loved ones this year, and know that I'll be frosting away with my 9-year old son, so that he too, can pass this tradition on to his children someday.

Happy Holidays!

Animal Cookies
2 cups sugar
1 lb butter softened (do not melt)
3 eggs
3 T vanilla extract
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
6 cups flour (add 1/3 cup for high altitude)

Mix sugar, butter, and eggs, and vanilla in large bowl. In separate
bowl combine baking powder, salt, soda, and flour. Gradually add
flour mixture to butter mixture, until completely combined. Chill
dough for several hours before rolling.

When the dough is firm, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough onto
floured surface, to 3/8" thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place on
lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 9-10 minutes or until cookies are
set. Remove from oven, let rest 2 minutes on cookie sheet before
removing from pan.

When cookies are completely cool frost as desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 block cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 T vanilla extract
2 lb powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together. Gradually add
powdered sugar until frosting is thick but spreadable. (You may not
need to use all of the powdered sugar). Spread onto cookies, decorate
as desired, and allow to set overnight before storing.