As time goes by, we’ve given up some Christmas traditions, but we’re still making cookies on the weekend before Christmas. Here’s some trays of Mrs. Fields’ Gingerbread that we’re decorating with colored icing and candies, one of our favorites.

A closer look at one finished tray. New this year are little pearl candies that make great eyes and buttons, as well as tree ornaments.

Here’s my family favorite, Butterball cookies, from my mother’s recipe. Ellen did all the baking this year, I helped with decorating, washing dishes, and cleaning up.

New this year, another Mrs. Fields recipe Ellen wanted to try called “Party Time.” It’s a drop sugar cookie with chocolate chips and slivered almonds, not meant as a Christmas cookie, but a little colored sugar fixes that. Ellen was disappointed you can’t really taste the almonds, the chips are the main taste, but I like them a lot. The cookie consistency is excellent, no surprise from Mrs. Fields.

Ellen’s family favorite is another ball cookie, Mocha Nut, from her mother’s recipe, made with cocoa, instant coffee crystals (ground to powder) and walnuts. We used Starbucks this year, and they’re a little stronger in coffee flavor, but still great. Not real sweet, but tasty all the same.

That’s it for this year. Recipes for most of these are on THIS previous post.