Day 25: Rugelach

Dum da da DUM! Christmas is here, the 25th day of the cookie bake has come to an end!

It's been a long journey, and almost an increase in pant-size (almost!). This entry marks a temporary end to my baking insanity, however, I'm sure by Valentines day rolls around I will be itchin' to bake chocolate lava muffins.


Nevertheless, rugalech makes a very special holiday treat. What do you get when you roll pice crust lined with apricot jam, crushed walnuts, and sprinkled with sugar?

A delicious bite of heaven.

This recipe was very easy to make. I used my Grandmother's pice crust recipe, instead of what Food Network called for, which was packaged pie crust. Layering apricot game and nuts, then rolling the triangles over, you end up with a delicious little cookie!




Christmas was very fun. I had 2 Christmas' this year, and now after washing dishes (only a total of 1 times today, luckily) this Whitehall Sauvignon Blanc capping off the evening nicely.

I'm very lucky to have wonderful family, friends, and a wonderful home to call my own (filled with two little fuzzy friends, and a great guy).


Today, my dogs made out to be very lucky girls. I'll be posting pics of goodies my sister made for them (All from The California Chi).


But for now, it's time to sit and enjoy some sweets and wine.


A

Day 23: Molasses Creams

Taste of Home's Molasses Creams are my dad's favorite, and a yearly tradition for the last 3 years.

I like to drizzle the frosting as opposed to pour it all over the cookie; it helps the icing dry faster, and is less messy in cookie tins.

It seems all the Christmas prepping is caught up with. Just going to my mom's tomorrow to cooks some things in advance. All of the gifts are wrapped, the house is spic and span, and G is happy that his brother is visiting this Christmas, his fourht Christmas on the west coast.


I made both of the boys stockings with felt cutouts (and the help of my sister's sewing machine and steady hand!), with traditional Christmas icons (a tree, snowman) and some things they enjoy (a steak and football).

I've filled them with fun things I know they both will like, (mini sausages, and chocolates, not together of course!)

It's simple projects like this that make the season fun and personal.

2 Days away, and 2 cookies left :)


-A

Day 22: Gingerbread Cookie Dough

This recipe is actually a doubled version of the original 1996 Holy Grail of cookie compilations!


Gingerbread is the epitome of holiday cookies. Baking is not complete until we've made gingerbread men, houses, and even sometimes doggies.



Gingerbread cut outs are an undying tradition in my home. It's really hard to eat what we decorate, because they're so cute to look at.... but they do all get eaten before January 1st.... when resolutions start!


-A

Day 21: Sugar Cookies

Once again I fall back to the holy grail of Christmas cookies: Better Home and Gardens 1996 Christmas cookie edition.


This dough closely resembles the one I follow, however, I use all butter, and the version I have calls for 1/3 cup of each of the fats (so I use 2/3 cups of butter).

However, for these cookies, my friend Laura followed a recipe called "Be a Star Cookies"

I am not sure of her source, so I am re-posting the recipe:

3 1/3 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 can sweetened condensed milk (or you can follow Paula Deen's recipe here)
3/4 c margarine or butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla



I like how these cookies didn't spread, but rose.

We had alot of fun decorating all the cookies at the cookie baking party. We followed this Royal Icing recipe @ Cupcakes and Cashmere, and used sprinkles and the caramel sauce I made for the Dutch Stroopwafels.

The best part of cookie baking is decorating the cookies. It doesn't feel like Christmas until you bust out the sprinkles!


-A

Day 20: Classic Shortbread (Hearts!)

I have a new cookie love! I took Food Networks Classic Shortbread recipe and turned it into heart cutouts... and jazzed it up with some chocolate dipping!



G ended up taking these to work. He sent me a text in the afternoon saying that the plate was spotless in no time!


The chocolate gaze was all eyeball measurements. I melted semisweet chocolate chips with a splash of cream and a pad of butter. It's a nice buttery complement to the shortbread, which is flaky, like a goooooooood pie crust.


I think these would also make an outstanding Valentines day treat!



-A

Day 19: Lemon Poppy Seed Slices

Lemon Poppy Seed Slices are a new cookie tradition that started at last years Annual Cookie Bake. We soon discovered that they tasted amazing paired with blackberry jam. I like these cookies because they are multi seasonal, and would be outstanding paired with iced tea in the summertime.


It's very exciting to be out of school, though I still feel like I should be studying for something. One more semester ahead of me, then I am a real adult, in the real world. . . . and I wont have to feel guilty about baking instead of opening up a text book!

Yesterday was an amazingly fun day; 12 hours spent with friends, family, and my guy. It's really amazing to have a lot of people you care about crammed in one room together, having a great time.

This is definitely a tradition that we will be keeping :); baking, laughing, and loving.

-A

Day 6: Easy Whoopie Pies

Today, I committed a desert sin. I cheated on cupcakes. I think I have a new favorite desert, but luckily, whoopie pies are just as cute as cupcakes, and super fun to say!

These Whoopie Pies are so easy to make. I never was really a fan of whoopie pies, and have noticed the gradual hype (whoopie pie pans at Sur La Table have taken off to all other department stores). But they could not win me over! Cupcakes are my true passion! Until now....

If you have never experienced a warm whoopie pie sandwich, melting with marshmallow, you need to put it on your bucket list. Yes, it's that toe-curling delicious.

The recipe called for marshmallows, which I misread for marshmallow fluff.... which is a total mess. Also, I am a food snob, and preffer to avoid things with "high fructose corn syrup", but being that I am baking every single day for 19 more days, I do not feel up to making a fresh batch of marshmallows.... yet. So I took this recipe a step further and introduced Nutella in the mix.

Nutella, nutella, silky nutella, mixed with fluffy marshmallows makes a rich fluffy treat pressed between two chocolate cookie cakes.

You'll easily want to make a double batch of these whoopie pies; I am afraid I might eat the whole plate tonight!

Day 5: Chocolate-Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches

I love ice cream sandwiches. I live for ice cream sandwiches. If I was stranded on a desert island for the rest of my life, ice cream sandwiches would be on my list of things I would want an infinite supple of.

Find a cutout cookie recipe, in sugar, chocolate, chocolate chip, peanut butter; whatever you want.

Cut out circles, hearts, squares.

Then, thaw 1 qt of ice cream.

Line a baking pan with plastic wrap, and spread the soften ice cream evenly

Freeze until solid.

Remove from freezer, cut out ice cream with cookie cutter shape, and place on a cooled cookie. Top with another cookie, and behold the ice cream sandwish goodness!

You can wrap them in plastic wrap individually, and store them in the freezer.

For this recipe I chose chocolate cookies, paired with mint chip icecream, and rolled in crushed peppermints.


Home made ice cream sandwiches are deliciously satisfying, even in holiday flavors :)


-A

Day 4: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds

Today was spent cleaning up downstairs, which also meant finishing up decorating.

The tree is up and decorated with blue, gold, and shades of silver balls, and glittering reindeer. Now all it needs is a skirt and a topper.

Finally, when I was done stringing cranberries for the stair case, and hanging lights outside, and wrapping ribbon around banasters, did I get down to cookie making business.

This recipe is from one of my favorite Better Homes and Garden's Christmas cookie editions. I refer to my tatters 1996 edition as The Holy Grail of Cookies and with reason; not only are there traditional recipes in this book, there are loads of unique recipes.

My family has been using this magazine for at least the last 10 years every Christmas, and sometimes in the off season.

Now that the house is clean (except for that mound of dishes in the sink I dare not tackle tonight), I can enjoy a plate of cookies before G eats them all!

Day 3: Chocolate Espresso Biscuits

Today I got home a little late from visiting my family, and hurriedly threw this recipe together in my mix master.

Then, G comes home and peeks over my shoulder at the magazine sprawled open on the counter. "No peanut butter?!"

When I first mentioned my 25 days of cookies challenge, he asked, "Where did you get that idea from?"

"Nowhere, I thought it up myself."

"Yeah? So like, a cookie a day 'til Christmas?"

"Yes, a cookie a day."

"Honey, maybe you should do this next year when you're not still in school..."

"What do you mean? I can totally do this!"

"You don't handle stress well. Remember this summer? You were a lot nicer..."

Ouch. "Yeah... well cooking relaxes me..." And with that I talked him into this project of mine, with the promise that we would give cookies out to friends, family, and coworkers.

So far, this has held true; I took cookies to work and to my mom's place. But I also promised him peanut-buttery chocolate-y goodness. You see, G has simple but particular tastes. Not all cookies have been created equal, and peanut butter reigns supreme, with chocolate chip coming in close second place. Sometimes white chocolate chip macadamia nut can sneak in... as long as it is minus the macadamia nuts.

There's currently a stack of 6 magazines on the table next to me... maybe I'll get started on deciding what will thrill his taste buds within these constraints.

-A

Day 2: Lemon Raspberry Swirls

This was a very simple recipe discovered in the Dec. 2008 edition of Country home. The recipe was actually pretty quick and worth the experimentation. I am a fan of lemon deserts, and jam filled goodies. What do you get when you combine the two? Perfection.



I find that when making sliced cookies, it's much easier to keep their shape by resting them in long glasses.



Then it's as simple as slicing, baking, and eating :)

Day 1: Palmiers

Palmiers are those cute little heart cookies you see at the grocery store, though I never considered them a cookie, but more like a pastry... without a filling.

This recipe, courtesy of The Best of Sunset - 2003.

Sunset currently has only one Palmier recipe up at their recipe site, MyRecipes.com, however, you can adapt this recipe with any type of sugar or spice you like.

25 Days of Cookies

It has been a long time since I've gotten crafty, so I decided to get back to basics and start doing the things I love more; baking.

After thumbing through copious amounts of old Christmas cookie magazines (Sunset, Better Homes and Garden, and Martha Stewart), I realized I wanted to make quite a bit of recipes. While I hold the basics dear (gingerbread cutouts, sugar cookie cutouts, peanut butter, molasses rounds, and thumb print cookies filled with jelly) This year I have decided to make 25 cookies in 25 days, and give them out to friends, family, and coworkers.

Each day that I make one, I will post pictures, and the recipe, and the overall verdict of the cookie itself.


(image credi: gettyimages.com)