My friend Michelle came over with her boys yesterday and we made some fun Christmas Cookies! They were a little different than traditional sugar cookies. And they were yummy.
Here is a picture. Please ignore my messy counter top.

This is the recipe if you want to give them a try (we got it here):

Christmas Cookies
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange or lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
4 teaspoons milk
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla thoroughly. Add in egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the milk and mix.
Sift dry ingredients together, then blend into cream mixture. Divide dough in half (thirds if you double the recipe), slightly flatten between two sheets of waxed paper, then refrigerate for one hour (or freeze for 20 minutes.)

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer shapes to lightly greased cookie sheet and paint cookies with soft brushes with egg yolk glaze:

Egg Yolk Glaze
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water
2 to 3 drops food coloring

Bake at 375-degrees for approximately 6 minutes. Do not allow to become brown.

Remove cookies from oven, remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Then, using a pastry bag or Ziploc, pipe with white icing to decorate.

White Decorative Icing
1 2-pound bag powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons egg white (optional)

Mix together, ensuring the icing is thick and somewhat retains its shape.

For the record, I really like the fact that the egg yolk glaze provides the majority of the coloring for these cookies. I love the fact that the need for frosting is kept to a minimum. So thank you Pioneer Woman for the great treat!

Here are a few more pictures of us getting crazy with the frosting. . .

Bridget and Josh had a different idea about the frosting. . .