Christmas Stocking Cookie Tutorial

        To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about these cookies.  While I was making them I didn't like them.  Not at all.  Then was I finishing them up with the details I started liking them a little more.  So I don't know if I was just in a weird mood or what.  Really, how can one hold a grudge against cookies?  Regardless I like the idea of them, even if I'm not crazy how they turned out.

 To make stocking cookies start by picking any cutter that would work for a present like a teddy bear or a doll, a car, a square for an iPad or whatever strikes your fancy.  Also, grab a stocking cookie cutter while you're at it.

1. Trim the toy with the stocking cutter and piece the two shapes together on your baking sheet.  Once the cookies are baked and cooled they will be strong enough to hold together.
2. The decorating here is pretty basic, just piping and filling while letting one section dry for a bit before adding the next section
3. It's in the details where the decorating starts getting fun.  I used a small paintbrush and food color to draw the stitching lines but you can use food color markers if you prefer.  The amazing cookie artist LilaLoa can show you how to make a white food color marker if you don't like to use a brush.

1. You could use a present cutter instead of a stocking to make cute gift cookies too.   I liked the idea of putting a puppy in the box but oddly enough there aren't very many puppy face cookie cutters out there.  For some reason sets seem to come with a kitty face and the full dog.  Odd.   The bottom of this Wilton snowman makes a good puppy face though.
2. Use the long edge of the gift cutter to cut the top off the snowman and to cut the lid off the present box.  Piece the puppy face to the bottom of the present box and the lid on his head.  
3. Again the decorating is pretty basic.  The red dots were added wet-on-wet and then the little white dots inside were added with white food color when everything was dry.

This would also be a good project for making cookie ornaments!
I hope your Christmas season is going well!