Aunt Chick's Santa Cookie Cutter

I have a special, childhood memory attached to a specific cookie cutter. I believe we only made these cookies a few times in my childhood. They were very labor intensive, but oh my I loved them. The little raisin eyes, the sparkly sugar, the coconut "fur"...

By the time I was out on my own my mom's cookie cutter was cracked and fragile. She had given up on making Santa cookies. I searched. I tried various cutters, but nothing gave the molded features, nothing satisfied.

Then three years ago I stumbled across these cookie cutters. They looked like the cutter from my childhood! I ordered one and Hallelujah! Yes, it was that chubby cheeked Santa that I remembered.

Now every Christmas, my children look forward to making Santas. Yes, they are labor intensive. I have to set aside a couple days for these cookies. The kitchen becomes a complete mess. The cookies fly in the face of my goal to keep the nativity our prime focus. But, oh to see the sparkle in my children's eyes! And to know I passed on a special tradition from my childhood. Life is good!

Here are this year's Santa cookies, made yesterday and this morning. We're taking these jolly elves to dance class and Brownies. These cookies are meant to be shared!

Check out the history of the nostalgic Aunt Chick's cutters, recipes, decorating instructions, and how to get your own at Gramma's Cutters.