Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Christmas Cookies!

This week is Christmas Cookie Week at the Matics and McGaugh households! With park time in the morning for the kiddos, my mom and I have had two afternoons of baking, filling our homes with the scent of Christmas, and teaching tradition to Katie and Eric.

Day 1 of our cookie baking took place at my mom's house yesterday afternoon. We made the dough for our decorated cookies (to be cut out and baked off and decorated later this week), dark chocolate-cherry-pepita-pistachio bark, peppermint bark, cranberry-white-chocolate-hazelnut-oatmeal cookies, anise biscotti dipped in chocolate, and almond crescents.

Day 2 was held at my house today. Listening to our Christmas carols, we made gingerbread, jam thumbprints, raspberry bars, neapolitans, and pfeffernusse.

Our Christmas cookie traditions go all the way to my childhood, and many of these recipes remind me of time in the kitchen with my mom. We didn't quite do our usual cookie baking last year, but this year we more than made up for it!

 Buddies with Boppa yesterday evening, while the last of the cookies and barks were cooling.

 Exploring his grandparents' Christmas tree...

 Helping Mommy roll pfeffernusse.

Getting sleepy in his carrier---he loves our Bjorn. I wish I'd had this for Katie!

 Helping Amie make the thumbprints.

 Grandmother and grand-daughter.

Earlier in the day: zesting a lemon.