Making holiday preparations involves a lot of planning. I have learned, however, than one thing is essential to comfort and joy. Yes, I insist that all of my leggings, yoga pants, and elastic waist skirts are at my fingertips! I learned long ago that dressing up for the holidays isn’t as important as dressing COMFORTABLY. Stretchy clothes to the rescue!!! That way you never have to say those sad, sad words, “No thank you. I can’t eat another bite.”

Case in point. These little cookies are irresistible. Tart ba-da-bing cherries (Click here to see them and order from Amazon.com), that are already pitted and still sport that elegant stems crown these chewy sugar cookies, which is also a part of my #fabin40 collection. They’re elegant, take absolutely NO time to make with prepackaged ingredients and the addition of a few sure-fire flavors, and worth all the elastic you can find.

I love how the little stems just tease you. They make this dessert look so sassy and high-falutin. The hint of almond flavor and subtle depth of the cardamom do the trick. No one EVER need know you used a packaged sugar cookie mix, bottled cherries, or that your stomach is flopping freely under your apron. AAHHH. Polyester was never so brilliant.

A mini muffin tin is the secret weapon to bit sized towers of holiday sweetness. Topped with light sprinkling of powdered sugar and you’re off to another holiday party in no time.

​So, if you’ve learning anything, it is to let the others wear sequins. You know better than to show up looking like a model when your food can do it for you.