This happens only once a year thanks be to geebus ! More than once Sean has requested that I spread the baking out over the year but I prefer frenzied exuberance and lavish display. Otherwise what’s the point?
Nothing exceeds like excess I always say . . .
Anyhow, here’s the roster of cookies for this year.
These are a new addition for me – Lime sable sandwiches – very fine rolled shortbread made with lime extract in the cookie . . These are from the Martha Stewart special issue cookie publication of 2001. This is probably my favorite source.
lime curd in the middle . . .
& sprinkled with icing sugar before sandwiching so the color shows through the window.
These are chocolate crackles also from Martha’s 2001 Holiday Cookies special issue. The bonus with these is that they look hard but are much more like brownies – a soft surprise and very chocolatey – they have bar & powdered chocolate, both.
They are rolled in icing sugar before baking and crack just before removing from oven – very Christmasy!
This is another favorite – Catherine Gibson’s Gingerbread Squares – from Taunton’s Christmas cookies – edition 2004 – soft, nothing like gingerbread cookies. A real find. At this point I was in full blown Martha mode – unapologetic, I fancied myself very clever to use my large ruler to make the perfect cut.
Look how perfect!
This year I have finally gotten the famous Raspberry Linzer Cookie down. This version is made with pulverized hazelnuts and a bit of lemon rind in the cookie. Again from Martha Stewart and one of my Christmas staples. Fabu!
Then cut again and baked
Filled with raspberry jam – no seeds please!
Again, dust the tops before sandwiching. These may be the quintessential Christmas cookie.
Again I used Catherine Gibson’s gingerbread recipe as above to make these small ginger girls & boys.
Some fruit jumbles. This was from allrecipes.com. I substituted cranberries for half the raisins. They are really soft and delicious not at all bland.
I bought mint chocolate chips on sale so I made – what else – mint chocolate chip cookies. Recipe on back of package.
Safely stashed until time to wrap.
In the white oval plate are walnut snowballs and next to them cherry macaroons with white chocolate. So it looks like I have nine types in all. So what’s the big deal aside from being exhausted and gaining 8 pounds !??
It was fun photographing them all together.
Here’s my collection of wrapping accoutrements:
And here they are in plates I got from the Kitchen Store and Pier 1 Imports – about to be wrapped in cellophane and tied with a big glitzy ribbon.
Here’s another one.
Last year we were not settled or organized enough for me to bake so this year I really enjoyed making these for businesses in the community with owners and employees who always go that step beyond and make this place so special.
I forgot to take pictures of the final product because I was so exhausted by all the baking. O well!