Traditions are what makes the holidays go 'round.
There's trimming the tree, singing carols, hanging out in matching PJ's, and of course, baking up a storm.
This past weekend was all about gathering at good ole grandma's for an annual baking day. In between the noise of mixers going, laughing, and Christmas songs playing, there is some stress in making sure to avoid distractions, so that all the hard work doesn't result in burnt cookies. What a shame that would be! And, I have to admit, one small batch of ours did partially end up in the garbage. When you're making 8 dozen cookies, there are allowances for a few to end up too dark, too crispy, and thrown away.
Sometimes though when grandma is dishing out stories from the past, you've got to stop everything to listen, even if it means having a slightly delayed reaction to the buzzer going off on the oven.
Not to mention that you also have to keep your eye on grandpa - he'll move in and grab a pile even before they are completely cooled or before the decorations are done. Step away from the cookies.
Nearly five hours later, and this photographic evidence only captured a small portion of our bounty:
We made oodles of desserts - thumbprint cookies, Russian tea cakes, linzer trees (filled with homemade raspberry jam), and, a necessity, sugar cookies!
By the way, that one cookie (cut out with these awesome word balloon cookie cutters a co-worker gifted to me) says "Poof!" - the icing got piped on a little too hard and now it looks a little like I wrote something else...
Resolution for 2016: spend one whole day JUST baking sugar cookies. That will make it so there is still plenty of energy left to dedicate only to decorating. It's the most fun part, but being over tired made me semi rush those snowflakes. I just slapped on the icing, but was pleased with the fact that the icing on top actually set (the secret, I've learned, is corn syrup). One day I will make cookies that look just like these beauties.
For now, I'm happy with the result and I'll be sitting down with a cup of joe and a cookie. Tis the season.
Until next time.
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