Dee, what a wonderful thing to do! You are doing what you love, decorating those cookies, and at the same time helping dogs and cats in need. That is awesome. Perhaps since the holidays are coming up, the humane society might get someone to put up a web page with various items including cookies, and people would choose what they wanted after donating directly to the society. A direct link between you and the humane society would be best I think, in case of an unforeseen liability. (I know, you are talking the very best of life, warm cookies and donations to puppies and kitties, and I'm just an old wet blanket). It may be that the ingredients might amount to a charitable donation, ask a CPA.

I found the Eggnog Snickerdoodles on the cooking forum years ago. I made them last night and they were very good! I couldn't find Brandy extract so I just used cognac instead. I also added a little bit of cinnamon. Eggnog Snickerdoodles 2 3/4c flour 1 1/2c sugar 1 c butter, softened 2 eggs 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp brandy extract 1/2 tsp rum extract 1/8 tsp nutmeg Sugar mix: 1/4c sugar 1tsp nutmeg Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add flour, cream of tartar brandy and rum extract, salt, soda and nutmeg. Mix well. Chill. Shape into 1 tsp sized balls. Roll in sugar mix. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350° or until cookies are lightly browned. Yields 2 dozen. Recipe easily doubles with no problem.

We've been making pfeffernüsse. The kids are making the traditional coin-sized rounds, but I'm getting lazy--I bake the logs without slicing them, and call the results 'reindeer tongues'. They fit very well in stockings. I also made a double batch of Russian teacakes (same recipe as Glenda's pecan meltaways, but my cookbook calls them Russian teacakes, and so did my mother when I was child). They are my niece's favorite, but she had to cancel out on a visit planned for this past week-end. Guess who is eating the teacakes ... me. They are melt-in-your-mouth good, so I might have to make another batch, or two, before Christmas. ETA, I was also lazy with that recipe--I rolled out the dough 1 inch thick and used my pizza wheel to cut in 1 inch square pieces. After baking, I blasted them with my powdered sugar shaker, once while they were warm, and again after they cooled.

My mother (with a family of 7, plus friends, grandparents, aunt...) used to bake scads of cookies for Christmas. We were spoiled for choice! Almond crescents, pecan balls, mini pecan tarts, date pinwheels, hermits, jam thumbprints, cut out sugar (with a touch of nutmeg), a cream cheese pastry dough filled with various fruits or nuts (can't remember the name). Sometimes she would make fudge. I am sure that I've forgotten a couple. Over the years I've made all of these, usually just 2 or 3 in small quantity (almost always including hermits) but as the DD grew up and I became prone to gaining too much weight in November and December, I am down to making just one small batch. This year it is gingerbread.