This past Tuesday was a beautiful day — if not a little chilly! Here in Florida, anything below 60° feels downright freezing, and we started the day in the 40s with a high barely reaching the low 50s. The silver lining? It was the perfect weather for Christmas decorating and baking cookies!

Nathan and I took on one of my holiday favorites — Gingerbread Men (recipe). I love these cookies, but they definitely require a little patience. The dough can be sticky and tricky to work with, but I’ve learned a few secrets over the years:

• Always chill the dough before rolling it out.
• Work with small batches so the dough stays cold.
• Keep the rest in the refrigerator while you cut and bake.
• And don’t be shy with the flour!

After a fun afternoon of baking and decorating, we ended up with 120 Gingerbread Men — all frosted and ready to spread some holiday cheer. Of course, we had to taste a few for quality control purposes 😉, and the rest went into the freezer to stay fresh for next month.

This batch marks the last of my make-ahead cookies for the season! I’ll be baking two more varieties the weekend I prep all the cookie boxes for delivery. The kitchen smells like Christmas, and I couldn’t be happier.