Startling Realization

Pat's mom was here this weekend. We were casually discussing holiday plans as if we have all of the time in the world before the holiday season is upon us. But a quick check of the calendar revealed that we only have 1.5 weeks until Thanksgiving. How can this be?

This has me thinking about holiday treats. I do not usually bake a lot in conjunction with the holidays, but the youngest female in this house is really eager to be of assistance in the kitchen these days. It seems like borderline abuse to not let her indulge in some Christmas cookie baking/decorating.

Last year, I did experiment with a few different sugar cookie doughs. I had never been satisfied with others that I had made. Alton Brown's recipe is my favorite to date.

Even harder to come by is a good recipe for icing. I usually just skip this step, but last year, I really wanted some bright, festive cookies. This recipe was the one I liked best. It looked great on the cookie (a gel or paste food coloring worked better than the liquid varieties), but the taste could use some improvement.

Anyone have the perfect sugar cookie recipe? Or perhaps one for the icing/frosting?