Cookie Baking

There are so, so many cookies that I love to bake and it seems that during the rest of the year I'm not very creative. I usually just make chocolate chip cookies so this is a time to try some seasonal cookies and some old favorites.

This year I made four different kinds of cookies.

First up...Surprise Package Cookies! This recipe was given to me by Vicki, a lady I worked with during my counseling internship in Grand Ledge. She holds a dessert party each year and this is one of her staples. It's basically a sugar cookie wrapped around an Andes mint. You can also use other candies like candy bars if you want, but for those who love mint it's a pretty good cookie just like this. A few Andes mints drizzled on top doesn't hurt!

The second cookie was an Orange Cherry White Chocolate Pecan (how's that for a mouthful?) I found this recipe online years ago and have pretty much made it each year since. I had to tweek it a little (like using dried cherries instead of cranberries) but it's bursting with flavor.

Third cookie is another surprising favorite -- Linzer with Raspberry jam. I had never eaten a linzer cookie before I took a Christmas cookie class at Zingerman's a few years ago. They didn't look good to me because, well, I didn't know what was in them. But, this cookie converted me. It has finely chopped hazelnuts in the dough and super yummy raspberry jam in the middle. It is really addicting!

Fourth and final cookie was, of course, a butter cookie.  The world is divided into sugar cookie people and butter cookie people. I'm a butter cookie. My mom made these with us as kids and to me you cannot beat the flavor of a cookie packed with butter that's browned slightly in the oven. Pure awesome. This year I made my own frosting and it was soooo gooooood. It was just cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. So good Nathan wouldn't let me throw out the leftover frosting! A few sprinkles and these cookies are good to go. No matter what I make, I make these because they remind me of my mom and my family.

As you can see I had a lot of cookies at the end of all this baking. I kept out some for Nathan and I but mostly I wrapped them up to take to coworkers. I'm sure they have a love-hate relationship with me this time of year :-)  This is the tray - well, trays - I made up for my office. Thanks to my coworkers for eating them for me...