Saturday was Cookie Day! It's just one of the reasons my blog has been blank for a bit.
We've been in this house 16 years, and shortly after we moved in, I invited my sisters and their grown daughters to come for a day to bake cookies for Christmas. We've held a Cookie Day every year for the past 15 years. With organization, we might be able to have six women making cookies. This year there were just three of us, my oldest sister, my brother's daughter and me.
I made refrigerated cookie dough on Friday night, and rose early Saturday to bake sugar crisp. I wanted to get those cookies out of the way before the ladies came to bake, because the cookies can be very temperamental, and they are messy to make. By 8:30 I had four dozen cookies done.
Eldest sis arrived and carried in half of her house. She had a couple of new cookies to try and at least one old favorite: Spritz. We were both baking, waiting for my niece to arrive. She called to say that she was stuck in a standstill on the tollway. It was an hour before she arrived. It should have been about a 15 minute drive.
We each chose what we wanted to bake, and then we shared the results so that we all had about a dozen or so kinds of cookies. Coconut Thumbprints, sugar cookies that had edges garnished with red or green sugar, Spritz, rum flavored Christmas loaves, Haystacks, Sugar Crisp, Iced Pumpkin cookies, Raspberry/Almond turnovers, Junior Mint brownies and Shortbread with caramel, pecans and chocolate were a part of what we cooked.
A few of these cookies will find their way into gift boxes. A platter of cookies will go to my step-daughter's house, and I'll keep a similar platter here.
Elegante Mother makes cookies for the ladies at the salon each year. We have five boxes to fill for them, so we'll make just a few more cookies this week to round out what we baked on Saturday. I think we'll do Russian Teacakes, Fanciful Raspberry Ribbons, Spicy Nut Slices, and EM's famous brownies.
There's one more cookie I really want to try. You buy ready-made peanut butter cookie dough, and cut it into chunks. Each chunk goes into a miniature muffin pan, and is baked. Two minutes before the dough is finished baking you press an indentation into it. When the cookie dough is cool, you fill the indentation with a chocolate fudge frosting. It might be a wee bit messy to pack into a gift box, but I bet it's a wonderful cookie!
We're not quite ready, but making cookies is getting me into the holiday spirit.
Comments (11)
You do such lovely things...
Posted by Blue Witch | December 20, 2005 5:19 AM
Posted on December 20, 2005 05:19
How kind of you, BW! I suspect that you caught that it was the interaction with my family that made the day so wonderful. And, it's always nice to MAKE gifts for those special people in your life. Happy Holidays!
Posted by buffy | December 20, 2005 12:12 PM
Posted on December 20, 2005 12:12
I stopped reading when I read Sugar Crisp were made ~ checking my mail box and much to my disappointment *sniffle sniffle* I didn't get any HUGE POUT ~ something is majorly wrong with that you know!!! LOL
Posted by Jamie | December 21, 2005 2:51 AM
Posted on December 21, 2005 02:51
This sounds like a really fun day. I must admit that I have wondered in the past what it is like to share your kitchen with other women while baking but you make it sound a really nice experience. All that enjoyment - and lots and lots of cookies at the end of it.
Posted by Adele | December 21, 2005 8:31 AM
Posted on December 21, 2005 08:31
Buffy--Sounds wonderful, and I'm sure that the comradeship (I can't spell comraderie) made the cookies that much tastier.
Adele--It's fantastic observing two (or more) people who can share a kitchen--much as if choreographed. There are really only 4 or 5 with whom I've ever tried it--then, not much.
Sharing a kitchen with my mother, daughters, or Elegant Friend has always been pleasant for me (who knows how it is for them?) Sharing one with my sister-in-law is a pain in the butt. We're not synchronized so she seems to always be on my heels or in my face. I love her, and she thinks that she's being helpful, so I encourage her to "rest" while I am cooking or cleaning up.
Posted by Cop Car | December 21, 2005 8:58 AM
Posted on December 21, 2005 08:58
buffy thats so lovely. i am there in spirit.
Posted by bod | December 21, 2005 1:23 PM
Posted on December 21, 2005 13:23
Oh, Jamie....I hate to tell you, but I've failed you again this year. On the other hand, I DID teach Tex how to make them, one year, remember? Sweet talk him into taking the recipe out, hon. Merry Christmas!
Adele, it WAS fun. My niece was having a difficult day, but we shared with her so that she would have some variety, and it was simply nice being together. Your card arrived today. *S* Happy Holidays!
Cop Car, it wasn't difficult with the three of us, but to have 4-6 women, even in my kitchen, takes some organization. It works best if you bring dough that has to be chilled with you. That way there's no delay while you wait on dough to chill, and the ovens can be in use all day long.
I think that one person chopping, one doing the baking and cooling, and one doing dishes would make the production skyrocket, and you could all be talking while you cooked!
My niece suggested that we have a cookie day sometime other than at Christmas, just for the fun of it. I think it's a great idea!
Bod, I'm sorry you can't be here to share Christmas with us. We hope you have a good day.
Posted by buffy | December 21, 2005 7:42 PM
Posted on December 21, 2005 19:42
Nothin to do with your post really, just ran across a link to this http://www.deltaqueen.com/cruises/themes_patchwork.htm thought you might like :~)
Posted by Jessica | December 21, 2005 7:55 PM
Posted on December 21, 2005 19:55
Jessica, what an astonishing blog you have! BEAUTIFUL pictures!
I suspect that you've seen some of my quilting entries, or you're referring to the patchwork star on my blog. What you don't know is that I get terribly seasick. Dear Husband boats, and I'm ill the moment I put foot on his deck. However, we did take a Holland America cruise that didn't affect me at all, so maybe I could get away with a quilting cruise on the Delta Queen. Thanks for sending me the link.
Posted by buffy | December 21, 2005 8:02 PM
Posted on December 21, 2005 20:02
LOL thank you Buffy, I've been so hectic and busy lately, that I didn't stop to think that I have not even introduced myself here at your blog. I've been a regular visitor for a few weeks now, as you are on my bloglines...lol have no clue what path led me to your blog, though I am sure it was through the lovely web fellow journalers... I noticed your affection for quilting, and when I ran across that cruise on one of the travel blogs I frequent, I thought of you. It is such a shame you get seasick, I love sailing. Perhaps some of the new medications they have would make it a joy instead of a challenge for you :~) Thank you for your sweet comment about my blog. You are always welcome to pop by and visit!
Jessica
Posted by Jessica | December 22, 2005 9:28 AM
Posted on December 22, 2005 09:28
Jessica, I've tried everything except the patch, and nothing works. It's probably as much psychological now as physical. Dear Husband sails a 32 foot Bayfield. I do fine on the BIG boats, but the smaller boats bother me even in calm weather. Maybe it's just that I'd rather be quilting.
I hope my friends here come to visit, and see what you've posted. *S*
Posted by buffy | December 22, 2005 10:24 PM
Posted on December 22, 2005 22:24