Saturday, December 8, 2007

Favorites Friday

I tried all day yesterday to get to this - but I never sat down to relax or regroup until 10 p.m. - with a mug of hot soup and a blanket. At which time I promptly fell asleep next to The Boss on the couch. The last thing I remember was being profoundly upset that I couldn't get the last dregs of soup out of my oddly shaped mug. So anyway, here's my list, better late than never, in honor of some of my favorite women. My Li'l Sis, Li'l Sis-in-Law, Cousin BFF, and Li'l Cousin are all joining me here in about 2 hours for a day of Christmas baking. It's a loosely held tradition that we try to schedule in as many years as we can manage it, and one I look forward to with great joy. There will be coffee, laughing, chatting, sneaking bites, and good old-fashioned female bonding while we bake. And of course, Christmas music. Lots and lots of Christmas music weaving its way through all the day.

My Favorite Christmas Cookies
  • German Christmas Cookie Cut-outs: a brown sugar-based cookie that I got from Stacey G years and years ago - it's become our favorite tradition and favorite treat, reserved only for the holidays! The mess involved with four little Gang members and The Boss all frosting them requires a day set aside just for these cookies alone to take center stage!
  • Coconut Macaroons - my Grandma's recipe. Just making them chokes me up and brings a flood of happy memories of holiday dinners with a big, noisy, crazy Irish clan.
  • Pecan Turtle Bars - a completely decadent, buttery, sugary confection from my friend Amy. I only trust myself to make these in December. If I let me make them other times, I would be as big as the Galapagos Turtles!
  • Mom's Italian Wedding Cakes - also known as snowballs, these little buttery treats melt in your mouth with their nutty goodness.
  • Candy Cane Cookies - by far the most labor intensive, I don't make them every year. But they are so festive with their red and white twisted dough and hooked shape. I fondly remember the gal who shared the recipe with Mom years ago and the kind interest she took in me. I felt like she was my first "grown up friend," even though I was an awkward little 5th grader.
There you have it! If you want any of these recipes, please leave a comment or email me. I love to share my faves :) Happy Saturday to you all and Happy Baking Day to me and my gals . . .

6 comments:

heidi @ ggip said...

THey all sound good, but I just love macaroons, and I don't think I have ever made them before.

Carol said...

Oh my goodness they sound wonderful but if I learn of anymore I'll weight 300 pounds!!!

Hands-Free Heart said...

My husband loves brown sugar cookies... but ours lose their shape too much for cutouts. I'm wanting to do cutout cookies with my boys this year, but I don't have a recipe. Yours sounds like a winner, because I think the brown sugar will make my HotSauce happy too! Can you send that recipe my way?

Say Anything said...

I can almost taste the Pecan Turtle Bars. Please send me the recipe! Yum.

Krazy Klingers said...

THANK YOU so much for your Potato Soup recipe. I tried and everyone in my family and extended family loved it. I've had requests for more.

The Literary Gourmet said...

Oh-oh-me! I love favortie recipes! That way I'm certain they're going to be phenomenal. Could I please have the coconut macaroons (I had them once at your house, and the happy memory still lingers) and the pecan turtle bars? Maybe someday, when I'm pregnant, I'll be as big as a galapagos turtle. I'm looking forward to being able to finish my servings.
Tonight, by the way, I experimented with making a new type of biscotti: graham and bittersweet chocolate. I've only finished one (of three) bakings, so I'll let you know how the finished product rates.
Love love love you and this baking-frenzied season!