Well all the holiday cookies are now baked. PHEW!! We have some for our local fire station, and the ones for J’s station were delivered yesterday to rave reviews. It is this time of year that I’m reminded of two things:
a) that I have a gift for baking. I do not mean that I’m special or better or anything conceited. It’s just, I’m good at baking and I think it’s because I LOVE baking + have spent a lot of time in kitchen + watching food network for my entire adult life. I think we should all focus on things that we are good at and/or love.
which brings me to the next realization…
b) I don’t bake as often as I like and I have a gym membership for this very reason. Irresistable treats + lame metabolism = need for burning calories!!
So I’d like to share with you my newest ideas/loves. This is the second year I’ve made ‘roll and cut’ style sugar cookies and actually found them edible. Why? There’s a secret in the photo…
Roll the cookies out using powdered sugar, NOT flour. It bakes a sweet flaky light layer onto the cookies AND you have cookies that you want to eat right out of oven. Oh, yummo.
My other thing this year has been to use a lot of those meltable candy chip thingies. (what are those called? melts?) Anyhow – instead of molding chocolates or anything I’ve been using it on my sugar cookies INSTEAD of icing that will be either rock hard or gooey & stick to other cookies/plastic of wrapping. Some of them I do a crazy drizzle thing, then sometimes just a smooth (thin) all-over coating.
Today for the first time I used the lollipop sticks I “had” to purchase at the craft store six months ago. I put the sticks in before baking, then after when I did the candy coat it helped to seal in the stick. We’re calling them lollipop cookies (E) or magic wands (B) depending on what you prefer. I’m going to arrange them into a centerpiece I think. *LOVE* the creativity flowing this time of year!!
Speaking of creative time, The girls and I built and shared a gingerbread house. This is my favorite photo because it shows off the various styles. I’m not the mom that believes if it’s not ‘professional’ looking it’s not good. I’m the one that says “heck yes I think you should stick as much on as you can – enjoy!”
So please do – enjoy your weekend and all it has in store for you.
Looks like a real sugar buzz at the Flaum’s!
Great idea on the melts. Bet the girls had too much fun. Hope you have some good photos of them on the job.
what a FABULOUS idea with the powdered sugar!!!! that is great!!! thanks for sharing that!!! cant wait to try it! YAY!!!
roll and cut cookies on my list weekend and will try your tip, thanks
Thanks for the great tip about rolling the dough out on powdered sugar!I will be tying that for sure the next time I make sugar cookies.
Have you ever made painted sugar cookies? The girls would really have fun with that.
Oh, I want to come to your house for Christmas! My dishwasher just died…full of dirty dishes…it has sort of ruined my plans for making tons of cookies, fudge, etc. for the neighbors…that dishwasher holds a lot of dirty dishes and we are down to paper plates etc. for this Christmas. But hey last year we had no power on Christmas!
Thanks for the tip on the cookies! I love baking as well. My grandmother was a self taught pastry chef! Orange Slice Cakes are my thing for this season! YUM!! Love your gingerbread house!! So cute!!
Great idea with lollipop sticks, it looks amazing!
THANKS for the baking tips! Sweet! Hadn’t caught those tricks. Gotta try those next year and write them somewhere THIS year so I can remember! Agreed r.e love of baking and baked goods + lame metabolism – I’m with ya! But you look GREAT! You HAVE lost a bunch – congrats!! Roll in sugar not flour and use meltable white chocolate vs vanilla frosting – agreed, HATE the “drying” needed and the frosting “stick” factor! Merry Christmas!