Starlight Cookies for the last week of Advent

We found this recipe for a gift mix online and adapted it to use as a special Advent cookie. They would make lovely pre-Christmas gifts, made into mix kits, with the following instructions printed out and tied on with a ribbon. You might also want to just commemorate the journey of St. Joseph and Mary with your own family by making these the last week of Advent.

Starlight Cookies

To be made on or for Christmas Eve

in Honor of our Blessed Mother's and St. Joseph's

Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Contained in this jar:

Chopped Walnuts to represent the rocky road the little family traveled on

White chocolate chips for the stars in the sky

Dried cranberries whose tarness symbolize the doors shut to Mary and Joseph

Sugar to represent the snow

Brown sugar for the brown hills of Bethlehem

Rolled oats to symbolize the animals in the stable where they found shelter

Flour for the simple goodness of the shepherds in the fields they passed

To make the cookies:

Think of the preparation St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother must have made for this journey to Bethlehem: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

For the light of Heaven: In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp of vanilla until fluffy.

Add the hardships of the journey to the light of Heaven: Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets

Remember the hardships of Jesus' life on earth and His passion: Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until edges brown.

Anticipate His coming: Cool on baking sheets or remove to cool on wire racks.

Appreciate the joy and promise of His birth: Enjoy eating them!

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

(Makes app. 18 cookies.)

*We made several of these gift jars to sell as fund raisers at our parish St. Nicholas Festival last weekend. To pepare the jar ingredients, layer the following:

1 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour

*mixed thoroughly with*

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

*followed by*
1/2 C rolled oats

1/3 C packed brown sugar

1/3 C sugar1/2 C dried cranberries

1/2 C white chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped pecans

Here's how they looked when we were all done.

Now, you really should run on over to Rocks in My Dryer for all the amazing tips and tricks at Shannon's weekly Works-for- me-Wednesday extravaganza!