cookie buckets

Ten little buckets, each packed with about six kinds of tiny cookies ready for friends and neighbors.   Wish I had a catchy way to say that, but I'm about out of sparky words right now.  I don't know how I let myself get on this holiday rush train.  I am waking up each day with a list in my head.
Today I get to take a break and go spin with my friends.  Oh, and deliver a few buckets. 

Cookie Blitz

Shifting gears from madly knitting fingerless mitts for Christmas shipping, Jen, Zoe and I hit my kitchen to knock out two of six kinds of Christmas cookies we have planned for holiday parties and gifting.  First I made Helen Corbitt's Sand Tarts, little balls of butter, powdered sugar, cake flour and chopped pecans.  Melt-in-your mouth sweetness.  My mom used to make these as little crescents, but my current family prefers little balls. 

 Then on to the decorated sugar cookies pictured at the top.  I found these tiny little Christmas cookie cutters of trees, candy canes, ornaments and stars which Jen decided would make perfect little bites for her Christmas Eve Tasting Party with everything small scale.  Wow, a doubled recipe for "Rich Roll Cookies" in the trusty tome, The Joy of Cooking,  p. 711 made acres of cookies! We were icings and sprinkling toppings for what seemed like hours.  Oh, and the kicker is, the icing needs to set for 5 hours before you stack them in a tin.  Guess who got to do that at 10 P.M.??

 Zoe loved really helping this year.  She manned both the big KitchenAid mixers with ease.  Jen's newer model blue baby is much less libel to blow flour around as it is added to creamed butter mixers.  Just FYI, folks, if you are in the market for a new mixer.

 Jen kept checking our math.  We've been off sometimes in previous years with hilarious results.

Zoe loved scraping the  dough off the beater.

 These are tiny little 1 1/2 inch cookies.  So pretty!

Next up, Rachel Ray's fudge ring and Aunt Betty's shortbread.

Sugar Love Affair Continues

Kid's Christmas parties have a new angle these days: a full-on cookie decorating station. Why wasn't this thought of 50 ( allow me the fudge on years there) years ago?

I would have been all over it. Anyway, yesterday right as you enter this fancy Christmas to-do a table laden with cookies and all the fixings was on our left.

I could have just eaten one each of the blanks.

But, dishes overflowing with creamy, colorful icing and little ramekins full of about twenty different choices of cookie amendments.
Zoe was super serious about her creation. That peppermint you see on the side stayed there for a separate treat.
See the little Christmas tree and stars? I want some of those for my stash. Mimi requested her own cookie to have for dessert after brunch. I ate the whole little bell loving every sugary bite.

Sweet!

Per Zoe's request cookie baking day started with the Rachael Ray fudge. She sort of pooped out on stirring the heavy fudge mixture on the stove but scored the spoon after the fudge was done and in the mold.
Meanwhile Jen was at the big mixer making the Joy of Cooking Rich Roll Cookie recipe for sugar cookies for the kids to decorate. She suffered a flour blowback in the process. We seem to have one of these every year. Last year it was me with the powdered sugar for the Sand Tarts.

Jen was sure the kids could ice the cookies before baking. Oops. Not so much! I appointed myself as taster of these bombs. Quite yummy!