Gingerbread . . . Turtles?

A few days ago our grandson called and invited us to help them decorate their Christmas tree.  Who could refuse an offer like that?  And of course, we immediately began discussing what we could take with us that wouldn't impinge on their family traditions.  We chose gingerbread cookies that could be hung on the tree just as Rebecca used to hang them on our tree.  At first I thought of the usual gingerbread shapes mostly men and woman with a few other shapes thrown in for fun. 

 

But wait . . . this is our grandson who has developed a deep interest in turtles (thanks to D, his Papa).  With D and C (grandson) around checking up on me, I didn't dare make anatomical mistakes with my turtles so this afternoon, I checked on-line for pictures of both sea and land turtles. Then I took out a brown paper bag and drew two templates, cut them out, mixed, refrigerated, and rolled out the dough. 

 

I've discovered from past experience that it isn't difficult to cut around paper bag templates as long as the knife is sharp, the dough cold, and the patience in place.  It does take longer than using cookie-cutters, but the final product is personal and, therefore, superior.  If you try it yourself, just make your shapes are as simple as possible to start with.  It makes cutting easier, and also simplifies lifting the cookies from cutting surface to cookie sheet.

 

After baking the turtles and a few gingerbread men and women of different sizes, we let them cool.  The big ones already have the holes which I make with plastic straws before baking for the ribbons (to loop over strong tree branches) and the smaller ones are for eating.  Have you ever hung cookies on the tree?  You know you want to eat them!  So I made some extras just for eating.  The cookies all look a bit strange at this point, but I think you can tell which are the g'bread people and which are turtles.  

 

After dinner I decided to decorate a few while watching TV.  And wouldn't you know it; I just noticed that I took the one physically challenged boy (right foot is missing) to decorate as a Yankee!  Subtle reminder that being challenged doesn't mean you have to sit around for the rest of one's life?  Oh well, our daughter's family will appreciate this Yankee - missing foot and all.  The sea turtle is on the right and the land turtle on the left. 

 

I'll finish the others tomorrow and let you know after the weekend how the cookies are received.