I love Jesus & Easter cookies!

I come from a family of tradition: home-cooked meals at the dinner table, Saturday morning pancakes or waffles, football seasons in Auburn, summers at The Lake House, but during this time of year a few other traditions in particular come to mind.  Growing up, my family and I went to church every Sunday ('but I don't feel good' I would say on tired mornings, followed by a response of 'you'll be ok, you're going').  As a youngin' I never quite understood why I had to go every Sunday, God'll understand this one time, right??  But looking back, keeping with tradition and doing things as a family was important to my parents and I'm glad they instilled that same tradition in me.  I've realized those experiences gave me the ground work to actively pursue what a relation with Christ felt like and how I would apply that to my own life, whether attending church or not. As a Christian, I personally believe Easter is the most important celebration of them all!  This day doesn't celebrate a birth or even a death because any person can achieve those in one lifetime.  Easter is a celebration remembering the resurrection of Christ, after He was crucified to His death on the cross. God's love is so infinite, His only son died on the cross, only to overcome death so that we may ultimately have a better life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. What a beautiful miracle to believe in, have faith in, and live for! Can I get an Amen up in hur?!!!

With Easter Sunday here it reminds me of other traditions I grew up knowing.  My sisters and I always got to pick out a new Easter Sunday outfit. No matter what age, this has got to be exciting! We would get up (super) early in order to be at church for the Sunrise Service. Depending on our age, one of us was singing praises in the Youth Choir (& probably keeping the energy up for the heavy-eyed attenders ;). Following the service we would meet 'everyone' in the rose garden and take excessive amounts of family photos.  My sisters and I were lucky to grow up with a such a big group of my parents' closest friends and their children.  All around the same age, all the kids would huddle together for group shots (this started when I was just old enough to sit up by myself and still continues to this day!) It's so special to look back at these photos and see how we've all grown up, yet still find time to keep this tradition alive.  We would then head inside for 'regular' church, followed by a family lunch at either my parents house or my Aunt and Uncle's.  Everyone would bring their favorite dish (usually a good ol' Southern casserole) to contribute to the feast.

But before all of this began, even before the Sunrise Service, another tradition was made.  For as long as I can remember, my mom has always had this cake pan in the shape of a bunny.  She would 'Betty-Crocker' it right up for my sisters and me to help decorate days before Easter. I remember one year, when the 'Thong' song by Sisqo was popular (don't act like you don't remember). Poor Bunny Cake caught the brunt of the song and all it's one-hit-wonder-hype! That's right, we gave the Bunny Cake a thong bikini with musical notes playing by her head...I think there's even a picture of this still floating around somewhere? Anyway, even though we've all grown up and (some) moved away from home, my mom still gets to bake that Bunny Cake for Easter! Thankfully my oldest sister and her family live near my parents, so my cute niece and nephew are the new generation Bunny Cake makers!
Look at what a good job they did!!

Seeing this picture (sent proudly by my mom) sparked warm feelings of the traditions I grew up knowing.  It also got me thinking of how Geoff and I can create a few of our own.  That's one of the many blessings in a marriage, you're able to bring together your family traditions and create ones of your own.  I may not have a bunny cake pan, but I do have a heart full of memories and the will to create!
So, with my handy Martha Stewart decorating kit and my new Easter/Spring cookie cutters (recently snagged from Target), I'm off to create new Easter memories of my own.

Introducing mini-Bunny Cake: AKA Bunny Cookies, Cott-Style

Back during the Christmas holiday season I made a few batches of cookies to give out to a few new friends I made out here. So I picked up a Sugar Cookie mix by Betty Crocker and loved how they came out! I was skeptical at first because I was used to making the dough from scratch with my mom, but thankfully Betty got the quicker version mass-produced for those who don't really want to go the 'making it from scratch' route.

Look at Murphy, he's one of the best sous-chefs a girl could ask for. :) Always willing to help in the kitchen!

 

After the dough formed in the mixer I placed it in the fridge for about half an hour (the longer the better) to harden, this makes it a bit easier to handle during the 'kneading and cookie-cutter' portion (now that I didn't get from Betty, did I mom?;). While the dough was chilling, I prepped my area with parchment paper, AP flour, and mixed up a few different Pastels for my frosting.

I then rolled out my dough and began cuttin' 'dem cookies!  I repeated this step until all the dough was used, followed the baking directions from Betty, and waited. 8 minutes later they were a perfectly gooey golden cookie! I let them cool and then began my decorating process...

I have to say, they may not be Mrs. Bunny Cake but they suuuuure are a cute mini-version, or should I say the perfectly new Cott tradition. :)

Mmm mmm finger lickin' good!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter! May you continue old traditions while finding new ones to call your own...

Lemons to Love,

Lindsay

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