The eastern European tradition is that on the evening of December 5th you put your shoes out for
Saint Nicolas. In the morning on December 6th when you wake up your shoes will be filled with cookies.
Every year I make these delicious spice cookies for St Nicolas Day, this year my kids found themselves filled with the spirit of St. Nic and joined in. To make St. Nic I use a modified gingerbread man cookie cutter, I just bent the top of his head to make the pointed bishop hat and changed the shape of the legs to make his robe. I have several bent up paper clips to stamp the hat line and beard shape. We always make some hands with spirals and hearts on them too. These are great cookies for tea and if kept in a tin will take you through the holidays.
Speculatius
Saint Nicolas Cookies
Mix in order
1 C shortening
2 C white sugar
4 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
4 C flour
4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cloves
turn out on floured board kneed in about 1 cup more flour or as much as you need until dough is no longer sticky and is easy to handle.
Put into plastic bag and refridgerate until chilled and stiff. When rolling out dough keep unused dough refridgerated. Roll dough thinly for small cutout cookies. 1/4 inch thickness for larger.
Bake on parchment paper at 350° until golden-brown.
These have turned into the best portable project. Everything I need fits in a couple baggies. Yesterday, while at my kids teen gathering at the local coffeehouse I stitched three of these. I made one while sitting at a doctors appointment and a few more watching tv with the family. The wool is wonderful to stitch through.
Following up several other blogsters that have been showing their creches, this is the creche I made with my daughter about 12 years ago when she was 4. We made it out of sculpy.
Dick Blick was having a sale a couple weeks back with canvases half price. How could I pass up cute little 4" canvases for $2.50 each? 
