Those REALLY pretty holiday cookies...

[Pariah]

I'm not sure if this should go with crafty talk or cooking talk...it seems more appropriate here with other holiday crafting threads.

You know those magazines you see when you're waiting to check out at the grocery store with the REALLY perfect, beautifully decorated holiday cookies? Well, I can't bring myself to spend the money on those magazines so I'm hoping that anyone here can share some good online resources for photos of cookies and maybe recipes, tips on decorating that well, etc etc... One magazine in particular had a snowflake cookie that was so pretty! This was a recent one that I saw in the past month, but I can't find it now...

I know magazines like BHG have some recipes and ideas (http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christma...stmas-cookies/), but it is those one-off magazines that are "from the publishers of..." types that I'm seeing a lot of lately.

Also, if anyone has elegant, pretty packaging ideas for giving the aforementioned beautiful cookies as gifts, that would be great too!

Thanks.

[Noelle C.]

I used to make cookies like those, and the best tip can ive you is NOT to think you're going to turn those things out in great quantities very quickly. They look so perfect because a LOT of time is spent on each one.

Look for a recipe for royal icing (thats's what it's called - it's not frosting, and I've never seen pre-made roal icing available) and piping, and you can tint them to get any color you want. Most of the decorations are right there in your regular baking aisle.

[iowaorganic]

Taste of Home has a lot of very pretty cookie recipes. As for packaging? I am kind of thinking of lining a wide mouth jar with colored tissue and stacking them very carefully in there. Or decorated chinese takeout containers. Usually I go with the holiday tins that are like less than $2. My other idea is to pick up simple plates.

[limette]

http://www.bakerella.com/

i'm pretty sure she has the snowflake ones on there somewhere.