Last week I shared quite a list of holiday goodies I wanted to make after my early start with gingerbread pinecone shaped cookies made using a wooden mold and chocolate crinkles. So first up this week, I changed my plan to make cranberry-orange quick bread and made cranberry orange ice box cookies instead that are quite flavorful and will freeze well. On the same day, I whipped up Russian tea cakes which left powdered sugar all over the kitchen and the freezer close to full. As you can imagine, my grocery shopping husband kept baking supplies at the ready and thinks nothing of going to the grocery store every day or even twice a day; crazy dude!
A few days later I went back at it with a vengeance and made peanut butter blossom cookies, soft gingersnaps, lemon drop cookies and finally, mini-pretzel/rolo/pecan bites. All of these cookies and treats were properly packed up and have made their way into the garage for cool safe keeping as the freezer is indeed full. My mistake was trying to go Christmas shopping after 3 hours standing in the kitchen. Needless to say, I didn’t get too far and will need to make a return trip out this week.
After a couple recovery days, I returned to the kitchen to make thumbprint cookies filled with homemade plum jam…yum! I also mixed up a batch of pink and green spritz cookie dough which will stay cool in the refrigerator until my holiday company arrives to help make them. Now if I can just find the cookie press and, if I am remembering correctly, dough temperature is the key to proper cookie pressing. I transitioned to using parchment paper this year which makes clean up a cinch.
I’m finally in the home stretch; last year I made homemade vanilla flavored marshmallows for the first time and today I made pink peppermint marshmallows. They are really easy to make and are a great gift along with hot cocoa mix. I might even throw in a mini-bottle of Peppermint Schnapps to give the holiday libation an extra kick. I didn’t get to the sugar cookie cut outs, fudge or the family favorite pineapple cookies but maybe I will go back at it when my mom transitions from my brother’s house to mine over the holidays.
After several days celebrating with visiting family in Flagstaff we will pack up and head to a lovely time share in north Phoenix to enjoy some warmer weather between Christmas and New Year’s. As such, I’m going dark for a couple weeks but will return in 2023. Happy Holidays All!