Cookie Day!

One would think that with just two adults in our household and few visitors expected over the holiday season that i would cut back on the Christmas "doing" and i tell myself that i have.  

Well, i still put up wreaths, and a tree, and decorate, and invite a few friends for Christmas dinner.  That seems to pretty much cover the major items, doesn't it?

But the other thing that i simply haven't been able to give up is making Christmas cookies.  It's just too deeply ingrained. 

We don't eat them, of course.  The last thing that we need is dozens of tempting sweets around the house.  So, i make them and send them to my brother's family!  With teenagers and young adults in the house, i assume that they have enough traffic during the holidays that there will be plenty of folks available to devour whatever i send.  And, i tell myself that it means as much to my brother as it does to me.

I have cut back to only three favorites:  Ginger snaps because Mitchell loves the soft ones [not like the hard, crunchy ones you buy], "Janet's Christmas Cookies*" and the sugar cookie-based recipe that came from Grandmother and is made with a cookie press.  

[Small commercial here:  having worn out both my cookie press and Mother's, i had to get a new one a couple of years ago.  The Williams-Sonoma brand is excellent!  Even easier to use than the old ones and it seems to hold up well.  No financial inducement was given for that recommendation.  i really do love it!]

Over the past week i reviewed the recipes and made a shopping list and then took Friday off to bake.  Mixing, pressing, decorating, baking, and packing up to go!  I was a  whirling dervish in the kitchen and it was a wonderful day.  Good smells, good tastes and lots of fun.

So, maybe i did keep a few for home consumption ... with a cup of tea.

Hope you are caught up in whatever you enjoy most about the season - and not stressing too much about it!

*Janet's Christmas Cookies are candied cherries surrounded by a wonderful dough with pecans and orange rind and iced - delicious!