Cookies

As Mrs. Claus is looking on, lending some friendly supervision, I mixed and stirred and created some holiday goodies. All alone tonight, I set out the lot of my efforts just to enjoy the view before boxing and bagging.

My dilemma of finding no tins for sale in which to distribute my holiday cheer has solved itself. Thanks to all the suggestions on my previous post...... I was able to think outside the box.....so to speak. I discovered a plethora of stockings from Christmases past. No stockings will be hung by the non-existent chimney with care, so I decided to put the cookies in zip lock bags and use the stockings as my "containers".

Mr. and Mrs. Claus stand sentinel over the display as my camera clicks away.... I am, after all, easily amused.

On this tray are my fruitcake cookies. Before you wonder at my choice of recipe, let me assure you that they are yummy, no citron was involved in the making, just candied pineapple and red and green candied cherries. I was able to find them in the local market despite the blank looks on the faces of the young folks working there. There are also ginger puffs and some cookies called dishpan cookies from my friend, Deb. She left a lot more here, along with some peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses. Love of my life satisfied his sweet tooth.

On the plate above you will see my pecan brittle. I made two batches today while baking cookies and preparing a batch of Chex mix. This is some seriously decadent stuff.... highly addictive. And homemade to the nth degree. I picked these nuts up at my Dad's house and shelled them all out myself. And hidden away from love of my life. I made this for my kids.

Flanking the dish of chocolate cookies are my favorite cookies. Date nut balls and crushed nut balls. I seem to like balls. I have heard my crushed nut balls referred to as wedding cookies, too (balls?). I use butter and I crush the pecans in a food processor. I use a two to one ratio of nuts to flour and have totally changed the original recipe. I like nuts. The date nut balls, well, the recipe did not call for nuts. I like nuts.

It is a well known fact among my family that I don't care for chocolate. Yes, you read that correctly. I like mocha flavor in some things and I like really dark chocolate, although it would never be listed among my favorite foods. That being said, the man I love does love chocolate. The gastronomic delight on the plate above is all for him. It is a chocolate, chocolate chunk cookie (with nuts.... he likes them,too). As soon as you pull them out of the oven you smoosh half a marshmallow on top of the hot cookie. Then while the cookie is cooling, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips, add some butter, vanilla and heavy cream, beat it by hand and add enough powdered sugar to make it spreadable and then cover the top of the cookie with this.... I guess you could call it a ganache. No, I have not tasted the cookies, but I did taste the icing. Very rich.

Christmas comes but once a year........... and for that I am most grateful!