Christmas Cookie Crunch

I continue holiday preparations, during the beginning of this week focusing on making my annual batch of cookies. 

The picture at the right is from last year, showing a few dozen cookies after they were decorated.

We, one of my son's and I, made about 64 dozen last year.  Cookie-cutter cut sugar cookies (the recipe is a secret) that we roll out, cut and bake, and then hand decorate individually.  We probably made more than that, but there's a lot of quality control sampling that goes on during the process...you have to be sure of your product!

This year, I started without any help and managed to put up 90 dozen through the oven.

That's a record, sort of an Olympic feat for those of us who are usually challenged by just getting out of bed.  I most likely achieved that amount by mixing dough for four batches, not paying attention and kept preparing dough, when I usually do three...or I rolled them very thin.

So far, they look good.

The baked cookies are presently stored in containers awaiting the arrival of my son and his girlfriend, who have promised to help me ice and decorate them all.  Perhaps that will happen tomorrow.  It's not an easy job, as can be supported by the fact that they have used the excuses of, "Have to get up early to take the car in for an oil change," "Have to return a shirt I got for my birthday," (birthday was in March), "They say that the humidity is rising, with the rain, and the cookies will be too soft," and more.  They protest, but after the whole lot is done they manage to stick around the house more, and for some reason the cookie supply dwindles.  Hmmmm?

At this point, as a true blogger, I should put an Url in to take you to the recipe.  As mentioned, the recipe is a secret.  I can only tell you that we've used for 26 years!  Instead of a link to provide you with that information, below I provide a photo of raw dough cut by a cookie cutter and ready to go on the baking sheet, another of them on the sheet in the oven, and a third showing a group moved to a table to cool:

Maybe next year, I'll have the whole process videotaped and then you'll be able to see an embedded movie, instead of the above mentioned static shots.

Next, we'll decorate them.  Again, this blogger might be expected to share that recipe and show you the process but, again, yes the icing is a secret, another that I've used for 26 years, and it's a no-go on the video for that this year, too!

I apologize, not witty and exciting commentary, but the outcome is pretty good tasting.  I get holiday cards starting around Thanksgiving and many who know of them mention them, as if to say, "Hope I get some."  And, some will.  I have a list of "cookie worthy" persons, much like Santa's "naughty and nice."  Although, by me you can be naughty and cookie worthy.  Maybe that topic should be a blog?

In keeping with the holiday festivities, while I go mix the icing and await my helpers, and you anxiously await the finished treats, I'll share a song that I wrote for last year's family holiday newsletter.  This one came to being as I do have a terrible sense of direction and my wife has hopes that I'll get to wherever I travel, and back (I think).  Hope you enjoy it.

Oh GPS*
*Sung to the tune of Oh, Tannenbaum

Verse I

Oh GPS, Oh GPS
Wife thinks I need one for my aim
Oh GPS, Oh GPS
To me east and west, one in-the-same.

I turn left, when I should go right
I plan lunch at home, show up at night

Oh, GPS, Oh GPS
You’d save many hours from my plight

Verse II

Oh GPS, Oh GPS
You certainly could change my life
Oh GPS, Oh GPS
I’d have fewer stories for my wife

She wouldn’t hear, “I missed the sign
And ended up in Palestine”

Oh GPS, Oh GPS
What to say, but “I’m home on time!”

At this point, being a blogger and having deprived you of cookie information, I am feeling a bit of remorse for holding out on you, so I will share a site that talks about buying a GPS...now that you've read my little ditty, you might be inspired to buy one for yourself or for someone you don't want to get lost:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/144125/how_to_buy_a_gps_device.html

I might add that as far as I know they haven't come up with a device to deliberately get people lost, but one time I did change the language in my GPS to Italian (I was studying the language and wanted my own little form of language immersion) and that caused a few wrong turns!!!  But, I didn't end up in Italy, darn.

Oh well, more on the cookies as they develop....happy pre-holiday!