I don’t celebrate Christmas, but one friend of mine who is in full Navidad force has a wonderful cookie exchange every year that she always lets me taste tag along for. While I love to bake, especially cookies, there’s one brand I could never walk out of Whole Foods without buying/opening/stuffing my face with even before I got to my car. I love love love Dancing Deer Bakery Co., especially their Sugar Cane Lime and Molasses Clove cookies. They just ooze homemade-ness, and the clear packaging screams to be opened. Believe me, they scream…I dare you to NOT click to see their cakes…

For the holiday, nothing can be more rewarding than a cookie house you can build and eat with your kids later! The Sweet Home Gingerbread House Kit contains everything you need to build a little house, including the house template (ie, the box), gingerbread mix, icing mix, a piping bag for the icing, girl and boy cookie cutters, a special house cookie cutter and step-by-step instructions.

Dancing Deer certainly isn’t “sweet” for nothing. While Dancing Deer is neither organic or allergen free, their line of “Sweet Home” products is Dancing Deer’s wonderful philanthropic commitment to help families move permanently out of poverty. Whenever you purchase a “Sweet Home” cake or cookie gift (including the above Gingerbread House), Dancing Deer will donate 35% (!) of the price of the item to education, job training, child care and housing through the organization One Family Inc., a Boston-based non-profit helping to keep Massachusetts families off the street. This year, Dancing Deer employees and volunteers visited 25 family shelters to help spread a little joy and cookies to those in need. Home Sweet Home, indeed!