Let the Cookie Extraviganza begin!

This past weekend I started baking. And baking I did!

When it comes to holiday baking, I don't make one or two varieties, nor do I make single batches. Since my baking is my gift to people, and it is my passion, I take it very seriously. Let's just say that our little townhouse kitchen is in full blown "production mode" and we have been eating take-out almost every meal (except last night when baking stopped so corned beef and cabbage smells could fill the space instead).

I never realize how much prep and shopping goes into this annual endeavor and I think it grows each year. I spent Thursday and Friday evenings making doughs that needed to be refrigerated. Since Thursday, I have been to various grocery stores, craft stores, health food stores and kitchenware stores for ingredients and supplies for this year's holiday baking event and gift giving.

Sunday night I ran out of a key ingredient in the decorating of my one decorated number, and last night I went to 5 stores between work and home, to find that my neighborhood Micheal's had finally stocked the shelf. I so should have just gone to the fancy cake decorating place by my work but I knew I would spend entirely too much time and money there as I would not be able to leave with one little bottle of sparkly goodness. Just see here... how drab would these babies be without that extra wow factor?

I still have more baking to do, and then the wrapping of the little precious buttery bites will begin. And sometime between then and Christmas day, when we fly off to visit Eric' sister, I will get out to deliver some tasty treats to my family of friends. Hmm... maybe Christmas Cards will wait yet another year. I think I'm running out of time.


Here is what I've completed so far:

Gingerbread Bites (1"x 1")


Decorated Butter Cookies


Pecan Snowballs (aka:Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes)


Hazelnut & Cherry Biscotti (and one batch without the Cherries because Eric like's them like that, go figure!)


Coconut Macaroons (these will be half dipped in chocolate..maybe)

Still to come:
Pistachio Spice Cookies
Sand Tarts (Eric's childhood favorite)
Amaretti (for my SIL)
Fudge
Toffee
Caramels
more Pecan Snowballs (because the 100 I made went to the office, although I think I ate a dozen on the drive in)
more Biscotti (office. gone. went poof.)

Special thanks goes out to Amy for helping me laugh while we iced those cookies, and to Liz for going through my many photos to pick the best one's for this post.