Starlight Cookies for the Last Week of Advent

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

* To print out for the tags:

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 tartness 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 that shined down on them: In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp of vanilla until fluffy.

Consider the difficulties of the journey: Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets

Imagine the long trek across the barren desert: Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until edges brown.

Remember the Holy Family's arrival at the stable; anticipate Jesus' 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.)

* To prepare 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. We capped with a square of Christmas fabric and tied with a bit of ribbon and a scrap of garland, then added our instruction card, like so:

But the possibilities for decorating are only limited by your imagination!

Happy last week of Advent!  May all your preparations for the birth of our Savior be filled with the sweetness of that starlit night.