Butter Cookies w/ Eggnogg Cream Cheese Icing for Santa & Gift Guide

These butter cookies are Santa-approved because anyone who works hard all night long schlepping gifts around the world could use a hit of brandy, cognac or rum. Included the cookie list should be all Santa’s helpers. How many of you have ever stayed up all night long wrapping gifts and toiled in presents-planning before Christmas morning? We been-there-done-that and by 2 am a platter of cookies laced with rum is a welcomed treat.

We created these butter cookies with eggnog cream cheese frosting (spiked with your choice of alcohol!) for Cooking Channel. Our editor’s request was for something crazy fun or funky in a cookie recipe. To please the fun part, our go-to idea is always booze. For the holidays, everything feels merrier when spiked with your favorite alcohol, so here it is, the Eggnogg icing for added holiday cheer!

Leave a batch of these for Santa or for anyone on your elf-list. If they’re super stressed, try adding a touch more booze for joy. And for the kiddies, the butter cookies are great by themselves so there’s something for everyone here!

Please head on over to Cooking Channel for this cookie recipe.

Gift giving has been very simple for us over the last few years. For family and friends, we send out homemade fudge, full of dark rum, pecans and cranberries. Everyone adores a box of fudge and it’s really one of the easiest ways to I Love You & Happy Holidays. But sometimes there’s some items that we come across that are so special, we’re wanting to share it along with the fudge.

Shopping is always fun and gathering a list of favorite items for future reference, either for holidays or birthdays, is stress-relieving. Even beyond that, we’re collecting these lists for our own “wish list” when we feel that we’ve been good. Sometimes it’s just nice to treat yourself to something simple. We all deserve that from time to time.

The lovely folks at Luvocracy asked us to compile a list of  gifts for “him & her” to share with their community. We’re sharing it with you today, our small but fun collection of items for the special gal or guy in your life. Or if you feel special, then this list is for you too.

Also, from our own photo store, we’ve added more items for photo cards and photo prints! You can visit all our photo collections in our store. As far as the props and unique finds, we’re still always adding pieces here and there, so always check back for these unique collectibles!

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Monday photos: Santa

My stepfather is an accountant. He looks and acts exactly like an accountant too, most of the time; sober suit, serious demeanor, the glasses, the thinning hairline. He does have a wry sense of humor, but he's also a curmudgeon. He never had kids of his own - he inherited my mother's 3 daughters in a sense, two of whom were already grown up when he entered our lives. Despite that sense of humor though I've always thought of him as an essentially serious guy.

So when my mother sent me these pictures, I was totally puzzled. What was some strange guy doing dressed up Santa Claus doing in her living room? (I did recognize her precious toile de jouy curtains, so inappropriate for her modern highrise Yokohama apartment, but a precious reminder to her of her little old house on Long Island that she loved.)

I looked closer, and indeed, it was my serious accountant stepfather. He is serving as an official on the local community governing board (jichitai) this year, and it seems that they needed a Santa for various occasions. Somehow the role fell to him. (My mother somewhat unkindly says it's because his rounded physique filled out the costume so well. But he does look great, doesn't he?) Apparently he's been performing his Santa tasks admirably.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at that though. Despite his curmudgeonliness and gruff exterior, he's generous to a fault and terrific with kids. He's been a real grandfather to my sister's children, who call him "Ketty-chan" (a play on his name) rather than "ojiichan" (grandpa) since he says that makes him feel old. And, all things considered I couldn't have asked for a better 2nd father, and husband for my mom. They have been together now for longer than she was with my father, which kind of makes me feel old.

To all the temporary Santas performing your Santa-ly duties this season: Great job, and Merry Christmas.

(If you're looking for a great Christmas drink to warm you up as you do your Santa thing, try my always popular and dead easy recipe for Glühwein.)

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