Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

I can safely say that the Christmas spirit has filled me up already this year. It is only December 5th and I'm ready for peppermint, chocolate and candy cane swirls on my Christmas tree. We have already done a few things to help spark the spirit of the season too. Friday night was holiday lights in Washington Park, yesterday Zoe and her Girl Scout troop sang Christmas carols for retired nuns, and we decorated our tree last evening.

I easily have enough ornaments for 2 trees, but the reality is that I have room for one tree in this house. I have moved towards using a primary color scheme for the tree of whites, reds, silvers-with bursts of blues and other colors here and there. I like the winter candy-wonderland look that it gets from this color scheme. A majority of the ornaments on the tree are also of a snowman theme as well. My favorites of these snowmen are the ones where they are baking cookies or wearing a chef's hat...no surprise there, right?

We have a few traditions for the holidays just as everyone surely does. One tradition most everyone has in common though is baking cookies. The types of cookies are likely varied from new fangled hip recipes to time tested family favorites passed down for generations, but the cookies are likely to be universally there.

I used to bake for days and days, so many kinds of cookies, literally 400 or 500 dozen cookies. It was an exhausting process and everyone received a lovely tray of cookies. Now that I am a mom, and my job places more demands on my time I have gotten a little more creative. I mix in some pretzel rods dipped in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles. I whip up a few batches of chocolate bark (that by the way, made at home is a fraction of the cost of the stuff you buy!). Mixing these in with the cookies, cuts time and adds a unique twist to the holiday dessert tray. I can make 4 or 5 batches of chocolate bark in the time it takes me to make 1 batch of cookies!

This year I am going to invite Zoe to help me decorate sugar cookies. I used to make them every year but gave them up a while back because of the time they take to make. Also, I am not known as a baker with a steady hand and I have a friend who can decorate circles around me. I felt decorator inadequate....But this year I have my sugar cookie mojo back. They may not be as perfect or have names on them in intricate detail but they will be made by Zoe and I and with a whole lot of love.

I have always used a simple Martha Stewart cookie and royal icing recipe for the sugar cookies, and because I don't want Martha to beat me up for infringing on her copyright I won't reprint it here...trust me though you can't go wrong with that recipe.

Aside from the sugar cookies, this year I think we will do a few batches of Norwegian butter spritz cookies (another easy one for a 5 year old to help with), almond spice slices that taste great with tea, peanut butter topped with Hershey kiss and chocolate topped with mint kisses. I also think I will do a few batches of fudge and maybe throw in a few other last minute new recipes.

I guess my tradition would be to mix time tested tried and true recipes with new riffs on classics. However you decide to enjoy your baking and eating please accept my fondest wishes for a happy holiday season.