This is the 3rd year I have made assorted cookies to give as gifts. I have baked cookies as gifts in the past, but not on the scale I do now. I really try to make these cookie gifts special, and then be done with it. No extra buying/making/stressing about gifts for friends and neighbors. I am really into giving consumables for holiday gifts because we all like to eat, right? And who needs more stuff? Also, I feel really comfortable making cookies and it's not stressful. Usually. Update, a double batch of anything in the cuisinart is a bad idea.
So, I have 3 double batches down and about 4 to go. I freeze the dough and then bake them at some point, (usually after the 15th of December) and then freeze the cookies again after they are baked. Then we bag them (fun family time activity, so they sort of look all crazy, but who cares) and give them/mail them— sometimes still a bit frozen. No one seems to mind, they thaw in about 4 hours.
I have my cookie recipe books out here--everyday food is a great go to for cookies I think, but that Cooky Book lurking back there is my favorite. It's been a little dicey this year making the dough with the 3rd baby, but we will prevail.
In other exciting news, this week I am going to a cookie eating exchange at Mariko's. We are not supposed to make a ton for this, just a batch to share and actually eat at the party. Brilliant! I made sinful apricot crumbles with a stupid amount of butter. Just dumb. But they are pure heaven. I add extra ginger when I make these. I have made them more often than I care to admit, with different jams and when we were discussing what I should bring Mariko mentioned these cookies about 10 times, so I took the hint.
