Now that Thanksgiving is over, I need to start focusing on the Christmas Cookie Assembly Line. While I have my list of delectable delights chosen for this year, I like to collect recipes, for future projects. Since I don't think I'm unique, I know there are others out there who like to do the same, so I thought we could have a sort of DKos Troll House Cookie Exchange.
Here's what I thought, maybe you are just getting started, or in the middle of the process, or have been (disgustingly) industrious and are already finished baking, share your experience with us.
Post a recipe. However, it can not be a plain, old, peanut butter, chocolate chip, sugar, snicker doodle, oatmeal (with or without raisins), cookie. It has to be delectable, holiday delight.
Share an essential tip you use to save time, fix a mistake, create beautifully decorated cookies.
List a resource for hard to find items.
Tell us a story about your best/worst, funniest/saddest, most unforgettable memory of baking cookies.
Explain why you love to bake cookies, no matter what time of year it is.
Last year, it was a spur of the moment decision I made, much too late for practicality, but, in the end, everything turned out fine. This year, I decided to get my act together much sooner. In my search for new recipes I found the following four links by Mimi Cummins (Scroll down to the second bio) that helped me with many of the decisions I finally made.
Hassle Free Holiday Baking
This article is a six-day plan of attack. While I think the plan ambitious, unless you don't work a full time job and/or have kids, or are cosmically incredible at time management, I found the individual suggestions excellent and the overall plan can be viewed as organizational steps, instead of a rigid schedule.
A Cookie Assembly Line
This article sounded good to me, if you have a large kitchen, where you can spread things out. My kitchen is very small and while it has a "dining area," it is disconnected from the preparation/cooking area. My set up makes this plan a bit hard for me to follow exactly, but it is adaptable.
Little Known Tips for Easy Holiday Baking
Christmas Cookie Decorating 101
These last two I found exceedingly helpful. The tips and suggestions offered answered some of the questions I've always had about why a cookie didn't turn out the way it should, or what I should do, if I want to try a new way of decorating a rich, cut out, cookie.
I've downloaded all these articles and have stacked them with the recipes I intend to bake this year. I don't want to have to stop and try and find a cookbook on my shelf, or a link on the internets to answer a question, while in the midst of all that measuring, baking and decorating.
I haven't seen dragees in a grocery or craft store in a few years. But, I did find them at the The Baker's Kitchen. This site also has edible pearls, as well as many other resources for the baker. They also had the best prices I could find, in the limited search I did. (NOTE: Sorry Calif. residents, no one will ship dragees to your state. Something about a lawsuit?).
Now for the real meat of this diary. I'll be posting six cookie recipes in the comments section. Three of them I've made before and three of them are new for me this year. All but one of them are a little labor intensive, but that's part of the reason they are only made for special occasions. I hope you enjoy the recipes and find something of use in the articles, to which I've linked. Happy Holidays!