Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Second Day of Christmas Baking . . .

I think my husband is happy it is cookie-baking 'season', again! He helped me clear out a space in the freezer for storing them and then went out and cleared yet another space. I think he is looking forward to being part of quality control!

After I cleaned up the kitchen, last night, I realized it was only six in the evening and two hours until my husband returned from work. I decided to make up three batches of refrigerator cookies. I like refrigerator cookies because they have to spend a certain amount of time there and it frees you up for other baking while you wait. I didn't do any more baking but enjoy the fact that I can come home and bake without messing up the mixing bowl.

I put up a batch of very lemon cookies with lots of zest and fresh lemon juice as one of my refrigerator cookie choices. I feel so blessed that we have both a lemon and an orange tree and I can go 'shop' out in the backyard when I need one of either.

I also put together the Chocolate Cookie Covered Wreath cookies, too. It was my first time with this recipe. My only change, next time, would be to divide the dough more in half to insure I have enough of the chocolate dough to surround the fruit and vanilla cookie middle.

The third batch is an annual favorite. It is comprised of two doughs. One is a espresso/chocolate dough. The other one is vanilla with dried cranberries and pistachios. With this recipe, you pack the dough down in layers in a loaf pan - making sure you line it with waxed paper so you can get it back out for slicing. It isn't a difficult recipe so much as detailed but if anyone is interested, I would be happy to post it.

The weather promises to cool down a bit today so it will making baking more comfortable. My husband likes this time of year because I keep out one of each cookie baked for his snack when he comes home from work. The rest are put away for Christmas and Christmas giving.

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