Christmas

Winter means putting on layers of clothing to go outside and taking off some of those layers when you are inside. Sweaters are so important that we have memorialized them by throwing “Ugly Christmas Sweater” parties this time of the year. Making cookies shaped like sweaters is my homage to this time-honored — dare I say “required” — article of winter clothing.

P.S.: Never shy away from the “puffy” look that results from wearing so many layers. Being warm trumps looking svelte!

Mittens vs. Gloves

I recently discovered that mittens are warmer than gloves. Apparently, mittens allow your fingers to snuggle together and provide warmth to each other. On the other hand, when you wear gloves, it’s each finger for itself. I also think that mitten cookies are easier to decorate than glove-shaped cookies. There’s nothing cuter than mittens, right? Gloves just can’t compete with mittens in the “cuteness” department. Think about it!

Christmas trees! Christmas ornaments! Christmas Cheer! It’s time to bring out all the decorations and decorate everything in sight. More importantly, it's time to fill the house with the smell of fresh-baked cookies. Chocolate is one ingredient that’s at the top of my holiday baking list. And what could be a better treat to start the season than these dark chocolate sandwich cookies filled with white chocolate ganache. Yum. These pretty trees and ornaments are one of my favorite treats to bake and they’re a cookie that my whole family loves to eat.

Every winter, I’m obsessed with staying warm so adding sweaters to my cookies was a natural complement to the layers I was wearing myself when I made these Christmas goodies. Sweaters, hats, scarves...every cookie (even the alpaca) had to have at least one cozy item of apparel. The cats were the least successful but I refuse to take the blame for that. Like real cats, the cookie cats refused to cooperate.

Today is the twelfth day of Christmas. All the decorations will soon be tucked away until next Christmas. White Christmas Tree Cookies are a yummy treat to munch on while we take down the tree, write thank you notes, and eat turkey soup made from the leftover Christmas “beast.” It’s time to ponder the memories we’ve made and all the lives we’ve touched during the past several weeks. Let’s also lift a mug of hot cocoa to the new year. May it be filled with joy and may our hopes be realized beyond our wildest expectations.

I have a friend who used to sew matching pajamas for herself, her husband, and their 3 kids every Christmas. The fabric was usually flannel and covered with Santas, snowmen, reindeer and other Christmas-themed designs. I’m fairly certain that no one in my family would have wanted matching pajamas so I didn’t even think of going there. But I always thought that was a fun idea. In my own way, I adopted her tradition, but for me it was Christmas slippers. Every year I buy a new pair of holiday slippers.

One of the first Christmas decorations that goes up is the wreath on the door. It’s first because decorating the door only involves two minutes. But once the wreath is in place, the holidays can begin. The wreath says “Come inside...Christmas is happening in here!”

Since I didn’t have to clean my house for company this year, I baked up a storm and mailed a variety of cookies to those I love. These Raspberry-filled Christmas Sandwich Cookies were a big hit with everyone. The homemade raspberry jam filling was the perfect tart complement to the sweet, buttery cookie. Yum. Double yum.

“Happiness is a plate of chocolate snowflakes... and someone you love to help you eat them.” Kasha

I had some left-over ganache (both dark chocolate and white chocolate) so I decided to experiment with it and find out if dipping cookies in chocolate ganache would be successful. The dark chocolate ganache,which was 3:1 chocolate to cream ratio, worked perfectly and the dipped cookies set up nicely. The white chocolate ganache was more of a challenge, as it remained a bit sticky.

I’m fascinated (aka obsessed) with snowflake cutout cookies and this is a quick-and-easy way to decorate them when I have no time or have run out of “cookie decorating steam.” Yes, there are occasions when even I don’t want to spend all day decorating cookies. Sometimes I want (or need) to bake, decorate and package my cookies all on the same day.