strawberries in paris

Elizabeth’s Cookie Christmas 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! I can’t believe this is the fourth year I have done this post! I must really like making cookies! But really I love being the secret cookie elf during the month of December and I might love having a table full of cookies to snack on every once in awhile.

This month has been tons of fun. With the trip to Spain, silly fun shopping weekend in Frederick with Bethany, an awesome weekend full of birthday celebrations for Jesica and Kelly, cookbook club at Julie’s house that was teeming with really good food and weeks full of baking and preparing my gifts, it is all culminating to an even more awesome weekend with mi familia!!!   So please go for the jump to see the cookies and some decorations, but first hop over to this Youtube video that Bethany and I are completely obsessed with… I give you Miracle on 42nd street.

This one comes from Miss Paula Deen. Oh Paula Deen. How I love your fried chicken, and your gooey butter cookies. Seriously, I think this is my favorite out of all 6 that I made this year. ~recipe and recipe~

This one is a classic mama recipe. Peanut butter and oatmeal with classic christmas M&M’s. This one reminds me of pure childhood cookie monstering. ~recipe~

This cookie came along three years ago because I had a bounty of candied ginger. But now I realize how awesome it is to have a sugar cookie that is gussied up with lemon flavor and bits of candied ginger. ~recipe~

This next one is a forever Christmas cookie for me. Meaning, I will be making these every year til the day I die. (wow Elizabeth, way to make your cookie post sound creepy…) White chocolate macadamia nut cookies with pink Hawaiian sea salt on top. I wish this batch hadn’t been so crunchy… rather chewy. Either way, they are awesome. ~recipe~

This variety was the new one to the lot. I wanted to make something mint and chocolate flavored and after some searching online I realized I should go to my cookbooks! And I found this recipe in the new Baked book. Totally awesome interesting cookie, a thumbprint of a dark and mint chocolate combination dough with a white chocolate and peppermint extract dollop of buttery goodness. ~recipe~

This last one comes from Miss awesome and funny Joy the Baker. A purely gingerbready flavored cookie, sweetened up with chocolate chips and rolled in pretty sugar crystals. ~recipe~

And now I have decided to show you some shots from our (Jenn and I) Christmas decorating. Lovely fake tree with red and silver adornments and a couple fun stockings to hang from our mantle.  And we have a nice pointsettia and a pretty cookie box atop the table (thank you Kennie for those cookies!)

We turned our jumping picture station into a Christmas Card feast for the eyes! And I strung some twine from the shelf above to hang all of our picture cards. Mom helped out with decorating this table too with the pink sparkly tree cones she made a couple of years ago. Love this table. So many pretty sparkly cards from those we love.

Jen had these lovely angel candlestick holders. They shine so nicely from the lit candle in the window.

And lastly, a scene from the true reason for Christmas.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus was born on this day two thousand some odd years ago to forgive us our sins, give compassion to those who need it and save us from the evil in the world. Thank you dear Lord for all of my blessings this year.

Merry Christmas Ya’ll!