1/2 of the cookie platters done...

[totoro]

I actually did not burn them and was able to let the girls help make the dough and not bake them...

I made big fancy platters wrapped in festive colored wrap with:

Toffee (Almond Roca) Oatmeal cookies
Anise Tea Crescent (Mexican, Italian, Polish)
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Espresso Crinkles
Spiced Vanilla Cookies

I put Hershey kisses and Almond Roca around the plate and put some of the cookies in Muffin cups with Christmas trees on them!

I was so excited they all came out really good...

This was my booty kissing for the School!

I gave a plate to the Principal, the Nurse, 2 to the front office, the lunch lady, 2 to the Pre-School, K's Teacher.

On Wednesday and Thursday I will make more for the Class parties. Ones with no dye's for the allergic kids, and for K's Social Group....

The School has been so good... they were all so excited. Huge hugs were given to husband and me all around.
I think we got the cookies out first!!! MWAHAHAHAH

 

[Andy]

​

Wait Wait - I'm on my way. Santa asked that I taste test the cookie platter you are making for him!

 

[totoro]

That is funny...
You know what svcks?
I didn't taste any of them!
husband tasted a couple. He claims they were good?
I am on the second round of batches. This is the most elaborate I have gotten.
But I cut way down on gifts and I didn't really buy any gifts for Teachers etc.
So I figured I could bake from the HEART...
I had a bunch of pretty gift boxes that I saved and tissue paper as well as the muffin cups all from LAST YEARS end of the season sales!!!
I just had to buy a few ingredients... really not much because I have a lot of that stuff anyway.

And I like baking. I will save some from this batch!
If we were having a CD Christmas Party (what a great idea) I would bring a bunch.

 

[KTMom91]

I'm glad to hear that N got her wish and you made cookies!

 

[totoro]

Oh that sneaky little kid!

 

[amazeofgrace]

you're ahead of me, I only have bake a double batch of oatmeal raisin and a double of choc chip. I make 8 varities and 4 batches of each, plus 2 types of candy, so I am way behind, ecspecially since I have something everyday this upcoming weekend. Oh and I have to make about 100 bar cookies to be passed out at our church's outdoor Christmas Village on Sunday! I need to get moving and baking! Thank God for my mixer, I wish I had 2!

 

[susiestar]

I have to power up the food processor and find a certain recipe to make jars of cookie mix for teachers. thank you wants to make caramel apples for his teacher (he has since changed from apples dipped in caramel, then in chocolate, then drizzled with white chocolate to my homemade caramel sauce and apples packaged nicely). He also is going to dip marshmallows in white choc and then in sprinkles, and Jess wants to crush up candy canes in white chocolate and put it on pretzels (it is truly fabulous).

I actually bought the red and green candy melts to do with thank you and Jess. But the cookies are a family friend's mom's recipe. Never given out to anyone outside the family, but she (the friend's mom) gave it to ME when I was 11. 1 batch made with everything but the eggs and vanilla fits perfectly into a mason jar. And i got a bunch of free mason jars (not Freemason jars you goofs!) leftover after an estate sale. So I will be giving that away.

 

[totoro]

I am sitting waiting for the butter to get to room temp....
3 more batches to make.
I am trying to make enough so I can have one!

 

[Andy]

Is that like watching for water to boil?

Are you remembering the extra platters? I get one and I am sure there are others here who are expecting their own also?

 

[Marguerite]

I admit I cheat with the butter. I either cut it up into dice and spread it out to speed up the process, or I use the microwave.

I've got two big batches of biscuit dough in the fridge so I can make up a tray every so often. I 'play' with the dough and with cutters so I have multilayered or multicoloured ones with swapped over cutouts. Vanilla stars with smaller chocolate stars inside, with matching chocolate stars with smaller vanilla stars inside.

I have half a batch of mince pie short pastry in the fridge, I might make more tomorrow. husband has been eating his way through my mince pies, plus I've been handing them around a bit "to test them". I think we've finally got the pastry recipe right.

I wait until we have a cooler day, or maybe an evening, then do another batch of whatever I feel like cooking. I'll wait a few more days, though, because I need to package up a few bags of goodies and start distributing them around locally. That will make a bit of room for me to bake more... then once that's all done, everything I bake from then on will be for immediate family consumption.

It's one thing I enjoy about this time of the year - being creative with biscuits & cakes. I have a grumpy Scrooge-type neighbour, I think I will take him some mince pies this year. Or maybe some fun biscuits, so he can smile when nobody is looking. I've been taking him a little something each year; and each year he seems surprised and I think secretly pleased even though he says he hates Christmas commercialism.

I just have to remember to do this for him at other times of the year too.

Marg

 

[GoingNorth]

I don't celebrate Christmas or similar holidays, but I sure do enjoy the baking. I'm raising my hand from Northern WI...I'll take a platter of cookies/biscuits, any day of the week!

 

[Marguerite]

Whether you celebrate or not, this time of the year is full of ideas, and I love playing with ideas. If they're edible, so much the better!

Life is for celebrating, GN. SO you don't have to choose now, especially - just go ahead and celebrate yourself, any time of the year!

Marg

 

[totoro]

I stayed up late last night and baked my, ok well I didn't really bake my behind off... but my feet are tired.

I have extras!!!

 

[KTMom91]

I can be there tomorrow and I will bring teabags so we can have tea and cookies!