Annual Cookie Day

Every year during the holiday season, the girls and I bake tons of cookies; with each of us choosing a particular favorite. We started this tradition to have platters of homemade goodies to share with family and friends, but it has evolved into something we just enjoy doing together. We now wait for Stephanie to come home from Austin so it is usually too late to be practical for gift giving but none of us (especially me) can imagine a year without the racks of cooling cookies.

We baked Chocolate Crinkles (a ball of chocolate dough rolled in confectioners sugar and baked until cracks appear). Peanut Butter Blossoms (peanut butter dough rolled in sugar, baked and then topped with a Hershey Kiss which just starts to soften). Tea Time Tassies (a tiny tart made with a cream cheese dough and filled with a mixture like a pecan pie filling and topped with chopped pecans). Iced Molasses Cookies (a moist molasses cookie iced with a vanilla glaze while still warm). Christmas Toffee Bars (a layered bar cookie starting with a vanilla wafer cookie crust, covered with a toffee, and topped with melted chocolate, sprinkled with chopped walnuts over half for those who have a nut aversion). Chocolate truffles rolled in cocoa and Clementine orange segments dipped in melted chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt. Holiday Peppermint Bark (melted white chocolate topped with crushed peppermint candies).

Stephanie's future mother-in-law, Karen joined us and brought the makings for sugar cookies with special cutters that could be personalized with names or special messages, and all the decorations to make these cookies sparkle and shine. It was the highlight of the day. Kudos to Karen! Karen also brought the makings of candy coated crackers topped with nuts which were also delicious.

After a full day in the kitchen, dinner was Italian take-out from our favorite little corner restaurant, Angelo and Vito's. Salad with their house dressing and a veggie pizza fit the bill perfectly.