winter

Sweaters for all God’s creatures

Christmas sweaters

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.

French Breakfast Puffs

French Breakfast Puffs

I discovered French Breakfast Puffs while I was in high school. A friend gave me the recipe and I was hooked. To be honest, all she gave me was a list of ingredients and said, “Put everything in a bowl, stir it together and bake.” That was the way I made these for years.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars

Persimmon Bars

This was Mom’s “go to” recipe for cookies to take to a party or have at home during the holidays. It’s a wonderful mixture of fall spices, dates, and nuts with a tart lemony glaze. I’ve had many requests for the recipe and my nephew asks for persimmon bars at Christmas time. Thanks, Mom, for a wonderful treat and for the great memories.

Gingerbread Tea Cookies

Gingerbread Tea Cookies

Most of my family already knows this about me so you might as well know it, too. I am not a tea drinker. The only teas that I like are herbal teas and even among those there are only a few that I will drink. However, if you invite a cookie to the tea party, well, I’m willing to drink the tea too. These Gingerbread Tea Cookies are the perfect companion to any tea, but my favorite pairing for these delicious cookies is Lemon Ginger Tea.

Chocolate-Dipped Snowflakes

Chocolate-dipped Snowflakes
“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.

Easy Shortbread Snowflakes

Shortbread Snowflakes

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.

Snowy Trees

Snowy Trees

Snowy trees are one of nature’s most beautiful sights. Although that beauty can never be entirely captured in a cookie, it most definitely inspires the effort. An added bonus is that if you don’t quite match Mother Nature’s artistry, you can always eat your attempts and share them with a friend..or two or three.