I’ve got the two best boys around, and this year, I wanted to make them their own special gift sets of cookies.

As in, these weren’t leftovers from an order, or a project, or “just to see if this works.” And the cookies weren’t part of a big set they were giving to their classmates for a party, either.

JUST FOR THEM. (Is it obvious yet that they get to eat a lot of cookies, but not ones that are originally for them??)

Oh, poor baker’s kids. 😉

I picked up this cute doggy cutter at Gygi in Salt Lake City when I was there in November for CookieCon. I actually bought two, and then I gave them both away! I was sure it would be easy to order again, but it actually took a few months for them to return to stock, so I *just* finally got it about two weeks ago. (I ordered two again, and I shipped the second off to another cookie bestie immediately.) In other words, it *IS* available, but you may have to be really patient & persistent to get one yourself. 😉

Now, I baked these cookies before fully deciding how I would decorate them. When I looked at the shape, I just couldn’t figure out how to manage the right leg/paw… it seemed too long? Not symmetrical-ish? Too… something? So I had to stop and sketch before I ruined my only two doggy cookies.

I’m not an artist, so please don’t judge me! In sketching, I planned out where the doggy’s spots would go, and which ones would be which colors. And I tried to salvage the weird leg problem. (I’m not satisfied that I did, but at least my boys don’t notice it.) I planned for the doggy to be holding a heart sprinkle in his mouth, and I intended to paint the heart-shaped tag on his collar with silver once dry.

Um, that didn’t happen. He *does* have a heart sprinkle, but I’d planned on a bigger one. I had them, but in the end, it looked best with the one that most closest matched the size in my sketch. And when the icing was completely dry, I got things ready to paint my little dog tag silver… only to find I’m all out of silver luster dust. *sigh* Well, black it is, I guess.

But my boys today! As I presented them with their wrapped gift sets, they looked at me with a special wonder. They gingerly & carefully took the cookie packages from my hands, and Jack even said, “These are for US? Wow, I thought they were for something special!”

They ARE for some(one) special, buddy. Believe me, they ARE. ♥