Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Saint Louis, MO

I wanted to bake cookies for my kids' teachers this year. I had visions of stacking perfectly browned cookies on cute holiday plates and wrapping it in festive green or red plastic wrap before topping it with a shiny bow and gift tag. It isn't happening.

My three year old triplets, like most kids, love cookies. One of my sons often wakes up in the morning and looks at me with sleepy eyes, yawns and asks "Cookies?". I don't give him cookies for breakfast but he still keeps asking. In fact, there usually aren't any cookies in our house at all but a kid can hope.

This time of year, I make exceptions to my "no cookies" rule. Sometimes I just pick up pre-made, refrigerated dough from the grocery store (I particularly like the gingerbread dough) but we often make them from scratch as well. I let the kids crack eggs, pour ingredients into the bowl and take turns stirring and scooping the dough onto cookie sheets. It gets messy but it keeps them busy and happy. The reason we never make enough to hand out? They seem to get devoured around here before they ever make it out of the kitchen. I could stay up late baking and deliver the baked goodies while the kids aren't looking but I honestly don't have that much time or energy.  We'll keep making a few dozen cookies at a time and one day when the kids are older, we will make enough to satisfy my cookie monsters and still give home baked gifts.

Here are two of my favorite cookie recipes:

Gooey Butter Cookies

1 18.5 oz box Yellow Cake Mix
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter (not margarine)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Add yellow cake mix and stir until smooth. Roll into 1 inch balls and then roll in powdered sugar. Place 1 inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Makes about 24 cookies.

Peanut Blossom Cookies (the ones with the Hershey's Kisses!)
1-1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 8 oz pkg of chocolate kisses
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 F and remove candy wrappers. Beat butter and peanut butter together until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add milk, egg, vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and slowly beat into peanut butter mixture. Cover and chill for 5-8 hours.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in sugar. Place 1 inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown (8 to 10 minutes). As soon as you take them out, press a chocolate candy into the center of the cookies. Let stand for 3-4 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to remain cooling. Makes approx. 48 cookies.