January 2, 2009

Christmas Cookies 2008

Christmas cookies have always been my thing.  I have been baking the Christmas cookies for my family since I was a sophomore in high school.  In my younger days I would bake all night the two days before Christmas Eve.  I can't do that any more.  Now I take the four days before Christmas Eve and bake all day.  I love to turn up the Christmas music and bake away. This year I had some help from my nephew.  It was so much fun.  I can't wait to do this with polar cub in a few years.  

I lay out the ingredients on the dining room table. This does not include all of the refrigerator items: three dozen eggs, four pounds of butter, ricotta cheese, and a pound of cream cheese.



Peanut Butter Balls have been on our family cookie tray since I was in high school.  They are always a family favorite.  This is always the first Christmas treat I make.  Friends from Ohio call them buckeyes, but to us Illinoisans they will always be Peanut Butter Balls.  :)










My nephew Turtle-nose helped me decorate sugar cookies on Christmas Eve.  It was a wonderful afternoon.  All the baking was finished, we had the Christmas music cranked up, it was pouring the rain outside, and I was so happy and content spending the afternoon with Turtle-nose.  (Big Bear and I have called my nephew Turtle-nose since he was a toddler.)

These cookies are a family tradition.  I remember my mom making them when I was little.  Both of my grandma's LOVED when mom would bring them for Christmas. 
 
I can't believe what a hit Snowballs are on both sides of the family.  They are always the first ones gone from the tray.  They are so stinkin' easy.  I always double the recipe.

This was the NEW cookie of the year - every year I try one new cookie.  I saw this recipe on a blogger friend's site.  I wanted to make them for Thanksgiving, but didn't get the chance.  I made them for Christmas.  Turtle-nose was baking with me the day I made these.  He hardly let me take a cookie off the baking sheet before he had to try them.  When he tried these he literally hit the floor.  He fell in love with this cookie.  

I didn't add any sprinkles before baking because I was going to add the lemon glaze that came with the recipe.  Later that afternoon my dad and brother stopped by.  Turtle-nose made them try one of these cookies, and all three said they were perfect just like this.  My brother said he couldn't wait to have a cup of coffee and some of these!  :)

Thanks L for the AWESOME recipe!  These are a huge hit in my family

Christmas Wreath cookies are so easy to make, and they look so great on a cookie tray!


These nuts are a HUGE hit everywhere I bring them.  Big Bear calls them Christmas Nuts.  I usually make several pounds during the holidays!
Cherry Winks have been around as long as I can remember.  My grandma made these, and they are a family favorite on my side of the family.  This is one cookie that will be around for a long, long time.  This year Turtle-nose made these with me.  He tried one, and they are now ANOTHER favorite of his.  :)


There are a few cookies I forgot to take pictures of while baking. I labeled them on the trays below.


These are the two trays I took to my parent's.  The quality is not the best because I forgot to take a picture, so my nephew (Frog-face) took it from his iphone.

19 comments:

  1. OMG, I think you totally missed your calling. I just can not fathom preparing to make all those cookies with all those ingredients, my head would blow up for sure.

    Guess how many cookies I made this year.....?

    (hint: zero) I bummed cookies from the neighbor for Santa. =0)

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  2. Uh...WOW!!!! Can I be a part of your family?? Nice cookies!!

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  3. OMW....
    You always do a WONDERFUL job at cooking or baking..
    I didn't make any cookies either..
    Happy New Year..
    Hugs girly..

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  4. WOW - those look so yummy! I'm with sea star - my head would probably blow up as well :o)

    Hope you had a Merry Christmas and that all your dreams come true in 2009.

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  5. Om my gosh woman!!!! That's awesome!!!! They look soooooo yummy!!!!!

    I love the wreath ones and the white ball ones! I might have to email you for the recipes!!! :)

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  6. WOW!!! Can I come to YOUR house???? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE?!!

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  7. Oh My Gosh!!

    Do you ship????

    Seriously I can't even show this to Hannah or she will be complaining about how I never bake.....

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  8. Well, you Martha you :-)

    Love all the cookies, but the biscotti looks amazing!

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  9. hands down....you are the Cookie Queen!!! They all look so yummy!

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  10. Oh my gosh, you are the queen of baking! Do you share all the secret recipes?? Happy belated Christmas and New Year.

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  11. Oh my!!! This amazing post should have come with a disclaimer as I gained 5 lbs. reading it and have a HUGE smile on my face! So many great cookies!!!

    Are you willing to share any of the recipes? Mmmmm!

    Peanut butter balls are the best! Sonja Hennies were a family fave when I was a kid but haven't made them in years. The wreaths are beautiful!

    Wow, what a great post! Thanks so much for sharing the yumminess. Turtle nose is a blessed kid to have you as his auntie!

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  12. Drool, drool, drool. They look AMAZING. The Nilla Wafers sitting in my pantry aren't looking so good right now. ;)

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  13. Oooh... can you post the Snowballs recipe or is that a deep, dark family secret? Because those look YUMMY.

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  14. Are you sure YOU made those cookies? Those peanut butter balls look like ones I've seen Martha Stewart do. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. =)
    Man, I made a double batch of sugar cookies and I was pooped out. You need to go into business, woman....Those cookies look AMAZING!!

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  15. And I thought I baked Christmas cookies. But I got nothing on you. All hail the queen of cookies!

    PS. Those ARE buckeyes. NOT peanut butter balls. LOL!

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  16. I can remember many many moons ago I did this same exact thing making hundreds of cookies every year. Then I started drinking because of the stress it caused me...lol! These look AMAZING... I'm going to have to steal a few of these recipes from you. But right now, I have to go check my blood sugar levels because I think I just developed Type II diabetes just reading this...lol.

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  17. I make a lot of cookies also but yours are MUCH better looking:)
    Next year I will be asking for your recipes as I love new cookies each year..We are still loving your black bean soup:)

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  18. I don't know how I missed this post....OMG Girl...I thought I baked a lot this holiday.....not even close to what you did.....they all look so good!!

    I am glad the Ricotta Cookies went over so well......they are a fav in our family too and Christmas is just not Christmas without them!! Right now I am paying the price for eating way to many...the jeans are a little tight this month.....hopefully I will shed the extra poundage before Easter rolls around and the homemade candy is out if full force!!

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  19. WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!! What an amazing spread, Stace! I am completely in awe. I know that I'm way behind here, but are there any left?? I'd like to taste the ricotta cakes & the peanut butter balls.

    Nice. xo

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