FALL Leaf Cookies There used to be a very special place, almost a California Landmark, along highway 80 in Vacaville – a halfway point between Sacramento & San Francisco; The Nut Tree.  The kind of place that can’t really be described; you’d have had to visit to understand… but inside there was a “cookie stand” where you could purchase giant frosted sugar cookies.  I don’t re-call the cookie part tasting that great (afterall, I was a kid so sugar cookies were kind-of plain in my opinion) and the frosting part was kind-of like eating chalk (again I was a kid-the kind of kid that would like the frosting off the top of cupcakes & throw the cupcake away), BUT they were the cutest cookies EVER – and I’m sure they really did taste good, too.  Well….when I recently read a blog (ok, several blogs) explaining the “flooding” technique for frosting sugar cookies, I immediately flash-backed to the days of the Nut Tree Sugar Cookies & I knew exactly what I wanted to make. AND, being the FALL season, I knew exactly what cookie cutters I would use.  I purchased these Fall leaf cookie cutters many, many  years ago – not because I had a plan for them, but because I thought they  were cute.  I’m apparently a “sucker” for cute-stuff!! However, this was NOT the technique to use with these cookie cutters… in my mind, FALL leaves call for more of a “changing color” look.  That’s not to say this technique doesn’t work for these cookies, it just was not the “vision” that I had “in my mind”; I already know exactly what I’ll do next year.  Having said this tho’, I sure enjoyed playing with the frosting & sugar – AND – my family & friends enjoyed eating them. I think that they definitely tasted better than they looked; still quite tasty 3 days later!!  Also, the decorating techniques that I used on these cookies will be perfect for the Christmas Cookies that I am planning to make soon.