How did it get to be December already? Am I the only one who just noticed that Christmas is now less than a month away? Good thing I’ve started Christmas baking. First of all, let me share with you my big baking news for 2013. Every year for as long as I can remember, I have baked dark fruit cake for Christmas. I think the most I baked in one year was 70 cakes, and these were regular sized cakes – not Gulliver’s Lilliputian sized ones. However, this year, I am not baking cakes. As much as I think people enjoy them, I doubt that anyone will be too disappointed, and I will have saved myself days worth of work. Now, if I could only figure out where those days have gone…
But back to the baking. Every Christmas season I bake with my good friend, Lois. We bake a number of recipes which have become our family standards, and then try one or two different recipes as well. On a recent Sunday we spent about seven hours baking. We baked gingerbread snowflakes and stars, two types of biscotti and loads of magic toffee. It was a great day. Then the following Friday we baked for nearly 10 hours. This time we baked gingersnaps, mocha slices, pecan crunch cookies and some green tea shortbread. We still have one more baking day scheduled together, along with our special invited guest baker, Barb, from Just a Smidgen. I wonder if she knows what she’s getting herself into!
Here are a few photos of the baking so far.
Must point out a couple of thing. Note the sleeping cat in a box (supervisory position) above the cookie assortment. The green tea shortbreads were bright green before baking, but the color was more mellow and golden after baking. The recipe was for green tea shortbread leaves, but after struggling with 2 or 3 leaves, I decided that we should bake green tea shortbread coins. Much better. The taste of macha tea was subdued after baking and quite delicious.
I’ll post more photos after our last baking session. Perhaps I’ll arrange them on a pretty plate for the photo shoot. (Actually I will prepare a plate for an upcoming Christmas gathering.) I don’t like to do cookie platters until I have a full selection of baked goods to choose from. It just doesn’t seem right to put together a “partial” plate. Time to get back to work on some of the baking I do by myself. It’s not as much fun as baking with a friend, but I still love it!
Time To Be Inspired 
This was so much fun, Terri! It was an honor to bake with you cookie baking pros! I have to tell you, my arms and shoulders are “shaky” after rolling that cookie dough today. I’ve got your fabulous ginger cookie recipe and can’t wait to make a batch or two at home. This was such a fun get together and a great way to celebrate friendship and Christmas with you and Lois! Thank you so much for including me!! xx
LikeLike
Our pleasure having you join us. You might want to try icing those shoulders (with ice – not icing). Next year I’ll fill you in on some conditioning exercises before the baking begins!
LikeLike
That’s a plan!
LikeLike
Oh my cookie goodness!
LikeLike
I oohed and awww’d and gasped with each photo – what a delicious accomplishment! Whoever gets to enjoy these treats is lucky, indeed!
LikeLike
Good heavens Terri what a bake – a – thon !
Fabulous selection of goodies .
LikeLike
Thanks, Poppy. I think they look extra nice when there are dozens of them. Personally I’ve never understood a recipe that says, “makes 18 cookies”. What are you supposed to do with 18 cookies? Hardly seems worth getting the kitchen dirty!
LikeLike
Poppy *giggling all the way to swipe a few off the virtual cookie plate 😉
LikeLike
If your cookies were a person they’d be Scarlett Johansson, they’re so sexy, Terri! Do you have a link to the recipe for the green tea shortbread? I ‘m sharing this post with my sister in the hope that my niece, Sweet Pea a.k.a., the family holiday cookie baker, might try out some of your recipes when we get together later this month.
LikeLike
Thanks, V. I’ll post a link and the recipe. In the next day or so. I never thought about the cookies as sexy looking…
LikeLike
Those cookies look delicious – especially the ones in the second picture.
LikeLike
Just wiping away the tears after reading your very sad blog on the demise of the fruit cake. End of an era – a very delicious one at that. Thanks, thanks, thanks for all the yummy fruit cakes of Christmas’ past – they were stellar and are fondly remembered. Cookies look divine – well done to both you and Lois…
LikeLike
What a lovely idea to do baking with a friend. They look wonderful. 🙂 And did you really say 70 cakes? :O
LikeLike
Oh yes, and the cakes were well soaked in liquor several times, wrapped, boxed, shipped etc. so I’m enjoying that time off. Social baking is really fun – an excellent chance to catch up with a friend. I highly recommend it!
LikeLike
Those cookies look so yummy.
LikeLike
Thanks, Ranu. I don’t bake much during the year so I don’t mind going over the top at Christmas!
LikeLike
Unbelievable! You are such a pro. These all look and sound fabulous–I’m getting a sugar high just from being here! 😀 If anyone is lacking in motivation and inspiration it truly is Time to come right on over here and stock up on them.
LikeLike
Thanks, Kathryn. Baking would be somewhat easier if I didn’t feel the need to bake such huge quantities, but I like being able to share my favourites! Think I need a little taste of something sweet right now – for energy of course!
LikeLike