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Stockings were hung by the chimney kitchen counter with care….


While the wintery smell of our Christmas tree hung in the air….


The king of the nutcrackers kept guard over all….


While Santa and his reindeer hung out in their ball….

Holiday elves wrapped up each and every gift….


As Jessica slaved away frolicked in the kitchen, enjoying every sift…


The Kitchenaid churned up that cookie dough quickly…


As the oven steadily baked at around three hundred & fifty…
When all was done, the desserts did abound…..


All different types, from abstract to round…

After this weekend, relatives will see….

That being on a sugar high is the way to be.

So, the weekend before Christmas, I did a TON of baking. A ton. So much that I was sore. Yes, I know, pathetic. My back and my forearms/wrists are apparently not up to the rigor that is marathon baking. Just so you know, if you ever want to get into being a baker, those are the muscles you’ll work out. I’m hoping this novice darling poem I composed for you makes up for the lack-of-daylight-i-hate-you-winter pictures. I don’t actually hate winter, just its minimal amount of daylight.

Am I the only person who, after baking a bazillion baked goods, doesn’t feel ANY desire to actually eat any of it? Lordy.

This year, the fiance’s family, down in Atlanta, requested baked goods as their gift(s) from us. So, I took that seriously. If they are asking for baked goods that means they expect them to be good, right? And, to ensure that each person and their varying tastes enjoys the cookies, I had to make like 346783 varieties, RIGHT? Right. I thought so.

So, I began the hunt for recipes.

I used some oldie but goodies that I’ve been making for years that come out of the December 2006 Gourmet Magazine.

Gilded Sesame Cookies

Very delicious, as long as you love sesame! Also, very delicate. For one cookie, I neglected the instructions to let them cool all the way before even THINKING about touching them:


It crumbled, just like that.

Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies

Delicious.

Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

Fiance’s favorite and one of the definite crowd pleasers!

Then, I went to the interwebs. Now, I follow Love & Olive Oil’s Blog, so I was aware that a ginormous world-wide food blogger cookie swap just happened. (If you want to participate next year, just click here to be kept in the loop). I sifted through the entries and chose a smattering of cookies to make.

Molasses Crinkles from MyKitchenAddiction

Oatmeal Yummies from Nutmegger

Cinnamon Spiced Butterscotch Cookies from Healthy Foodie Travels

One of my favorites!

Martha Stewart’s Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies from Munching in the Mitten

Oh so delicious!

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies from thelittlekitchen

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from Nick Stirs

These came out kind of weird in texture, but still tasty!

I also went to So How’s It Taste’s blog and grabbed the recipe for Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies, so I could play with my new cookie press!

Not sure how to keep these from browning on the edges…I’ll have to work on that. Any tips?

I made minor variations to some of them. For example, I made the healthy butterscotch cookies not healthy, and I used butter in the Oatmeal Yummies instead of shortening…which may have been why they didn’t quite work out. They were cookies…and then they weren’t. I put them in a container and now you can’t pull a cookie out, might as well grab a fork!

I decided not to do recipes for these, since, for the most part, I didn’t have anything to do with the recipes! The family loved the cookies and Christmas was a huge success. I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and Happy New Year!!