Holiday Baking

Being invited to a cookie exchange got me excited about holiday baking as well as Eric and Jesikah picking up two holiday baking magazines completely full of new recipes.

These are the spoils that I brought back from the cookie exchange.  My favorites were the cranberry ones made by Elke.  I made the pecan fingers in the top left.

The kids had two snow days with no school on (Monday and Tuesday) December 13th and 14th.  This was the week before Christmas break.  I was afraid school would be cancelled the rest of the week, so we baked all day Tuesday in order to have goodies ready for the teachers, bus driver, etc. by Wednesday in case school was closed Thursday or Friday.  Jesikah loves baking and really wanted to help with the baking, so all the kids(except Alex) pitched in to help.   Making the snowmen cookies were their favorite part.  I made sure they washed their hands very well before they started, and their help forming all those little balls was invaluable.

Jesikah making her snowman

The girls' friends came to help too.  Divya was SO excited to help cook she kept asking if there was anything she could do.

Our first pan of snowmen ready to go into the oven.

Jarem loved it too!  Next to him are the snowmen noses (cut up orange gumdrops)

Here's what the goodie plates looked like by the end of the day. (lemon poppyseed bread, homemade caramels, chocolate-caramel surprise, meringue candy canes, snowballs dipped in white chocolate and crushed candy canes, and the cream cheese sugar cookie snowmen).  I was disappointed with how empty the plates looked after spending the entire day baking.

Another view

Another day, we made these peppermint swirl cheesecakes to give away to friends and neighbors.  We kept one for ourselves and they were rich, but good.

I tend to forget what holiday goodies that I make from year to year.  I took these pictures this year so I could remember what I made when the holidays come around again. :)