Mrs. Claus’ favorite Gingerbread recipe is great for kids who don’t prefer the usual spicy, molasses taste of these cookies. Elves love them too! Add bowls of gum drops, colored candies and sugars, icing and some decorating tools and the kids will love decorating these cookies themselves.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package butterscotch pudding mix
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 whole egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until very smooth.
   
2. Stir egg into mixture.
   
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon.  Add this to the pudding mixture to form a dough.
4. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheet.
   
6. Lightly dust working space with flour and roll dough out to approximately 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into Gingerbread Man shapes using a cookie cutter.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool on wire racks.

Every year, Santa eats millions of cookies that are left out for him while he delivers presents to children all over the world. He has tried millions of different Christmas Cookies and Mrs. Claus thought she would share a few of Santa’s favorite cookie recipes:

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.
   
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and pudding mix. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs.
   
4. Gradually stir in flour mixture and in chocolate chips.
5. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 9 1/2 minutes, or until browned.