IT'S COMING...

Well, next week is quickly approaching and I'm getting anxious about baking all of these cookies! How am I going to get it all done between work... packing... tutoring... last minute shopping... wrapping...organizing presents... and errands?!

I.Don't.Know 

But...I'll figure it out!

Now, I'm not one of those people who makes the dough and freezes it in order to make the actual cookies another day. If that was the case I wouldn't be stressing out. I would have made all of the doughs this week.  I'm too afraid doing that will ruin the cookies and they will not turn out the same. I need the fresh, homemade, just came out of the oven taste with MY cookies. There is nothing better than making the dough and seeing the end result minutes later.


FIRST UP (on Tuesday): Chewy Gingerbread & Peppermint Cookies

Both new recipes...wish me luck!

CHRISTMAS COOKIE COUNTDOWN!

I have finalized my Christmas cookie list this year! I'm going to be a busy busy baker! Here is what to expect:

1.Rugelach

2.Chocolate Candy Cookie Cups

3.Marshmallow Chocolate Fudge

4.Snowballs

5.Peppermint Cookies

6.Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

7.Italian Knot

Ritual AJ Visits During The Week Dinner...

Since we started dating, AJ and I try to spend a weekday together...Wednesdays....ahhh...it's "our" day. Anyway, trying to become domesticated...I started cooking dinner for all of us on the night he visits.  Baking can only get me so far...we will all be fat and unhealthy if I do that, right? I realized I HAVE to learn how to cook real food.

Over the weekend his grandma gave me MANY MANY old recipes to look through that she didn't want anymore.  I took some that looked tasty and tried one last night. It was actually very easy and we all ate it...every bite!

The Meal:
*Pasta (any kind will do)
*Tomato chunks (or diced) with light creme and spices (& parm cheese)
*Baked Asparagus cut into pieces... the Bethenny Frankel way
*Baked chicken dusted in Panko (for crunch)

It was REALLY yummy! AND EASY!!!

Thanksgiving Baking

This year I was going to spend Thanksgiving with AJ's family...so that called for some serious baking! I decided to make pumpkin squares (HAD to make something pumpkin) and cupcakes of course. The question was what type of cupcakes to make. It's always such a tough decision.

I decided on cookies and cream cupcakes.  They were easy to make and I couldn't wait to put them on my cupcake tower (that I bought for my mom years ago and she never used...so now it's mine) to look all fancy. For Christmas I picked out a set of 40 or so tips for icing cakes etc (but I won't get it until X-mas :(  ).....so I had to go with the old plastic zip lock bag for this one. They turned out AWESOME!!!

The Sugar:
*Chocolate cupcakes
*Marshmallow filling
*White icing
*Oreo crumbs

The Snapshots:

Next, were the pumpkin squares.  I'm obsessed with everything pumpkin so I knew these would be delicious.  They were definitely time consuming and a lot of work, but ended up being fabulous. 

The Sugar: (recipe from Betty Crocker)

*Crumbly, buttery bottom layer (bake for 10 mins)

*Soft, pumpkin and brown sugar middle layer (add to hot crust)

*Crumbly top layer with pecans (bake again)

The Snapshots:

The top and bottom layers get soft after it cools

 Upon your first bite, the nut flavor hits you like BAM! Then, you begin to taste the pumpkin. It's amazing...

So, after all of the work my final decision is that I would DEFINITELY make both of these recipes again. What to make next....TONS of Christmas cookies!!!!!