The Holiday Menu

Every year I make baked-goods baskets. It started out when I created what I call Pumpkin Balls (that is a post all its own.). I made tons of these cookies and gave them as gifts. This continued for a year or two. I added a few other things like hand molded chocolates and gingerbread cookies but in general the only thing snazzing up my gift baskets were the hand painted treat bags I did. Once. Those bags were such a headache.

Last year I upped the ante. I didn't make my pumpkin balls. I made sugar cookies and gingerbread. Each cookie was hand decorated and I think I nearly killed myself and my husband trying to get everything together. It wasn't well planned out.

This year I'm making quite a bit more. But I wised up. Everything I can do early - I am. I've been pre-making and freezing my cookie doughs. That way I can just defrost, roll and bake. No more of this trying to do it all at once. I have learned from my psychotic break downs.

On holiday menu this year are: Sugar cookies, Linzer Tarts, Cake pops, a no-bake rum ball cookie, and possibly a powdered sugar cookie I found in the Penzey's spice catalog. For those with dogs I'm also making dog biscuits.

The sugar cookies and cake pops will be decorated, but I'm trying to keep this semi-easy for me this time around.

Speaking of decorating, I discovered while I was making those Turkey Cake Pops that while I'm a lefty, I did all of the detail work with my right hand. Granted, I really only eat and write with my left hand. I throw, cut and do a lot more with my right hand. It still fascinates me, though. I'll be doing more observations like this when it comes to decorating the cookies. Maybe it's only on things that are 3-D that I use my right hand to detail. Experiments to come!!

I'll keep you posted on what's cookin' in FatCat's kitchen as we get closer to Cookie Day!

Thanks for stopping by.

FatCat