So...this is what was in my cookie baskets, I'll post a pic of them when i find it.

Chocolate biscotti with choc chips
Cranberry Almond biscotti (made with all brown sugar and TONS of almonds, truly delish)
Cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla biscotti
Brownsugar,choc chip, pecan biscotti
Chocolate crinkles dusted with candy cane dust
peanut butter fudge with choc on top (not great, didn't cook long enough)

Also this weekend, I made dinner for my inlaws and parents consisting of roasted chicken, mashed taters, squash, rolls and punkin pie

Oh you might like my punkin pie recipe. Everyone seems to enjoy it

Take one can of punkin filling
and one can sweetened condensed milk
add a couple of tablespoons molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg and cloves
2 eggs? I'll have to double check that. Mix all together and bake at 425 for 15 minutes then 350 for 40 minutes, voila!

OK for xmas morning I made FANTASTIC cinnamon rolls. I've never had them come out so well before. They are from Joy of Cooking

Combine
1 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp warm water

Permit theset ingredients to stand until dissolved, about 10 minutes.

Scald
1 cup milk (I use whole)
Add and stir until melted
7 tbsp lard (I used 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter)

Allow milk to cool. Combine and beat well
7 tbsp sugar
3 beat4en eggs
1 tsp salt

Stir into the cooled milk mixture and allow to cool to 85. Stir into the yeast mixture and add
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Beat the dough about 5 minutes. Place in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight (or allow to double at room temperature)

Divide dough into 3 parts. Roll each into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick and generously brush with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll up rectangle and slice into 1 1/5 inch thick rolls

Bakes in greased baking pan. The recipe says 425 for 18 minutes, but if you have them packed together this doesn't seem to work very well. So if they are all packed into a pan you might want to try 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Good luck

Oh, if you want to glaze them.....

Combine 2 tbsp REAL butter with 1 cup conf sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix as much as possible then add cream or whole milk a couple of drops at a time until you have the consistency you desire.

Serve these to your mother in law. She'll be really impressed.

Ooo LA LA. 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

It wouldn't be christmas without them. These are SO good and chocolat-ly - a little piece of heaven coated with confectioner's sugar. Amy and I invoked the spirit of Aunt Gertrude and it REALLY worked. You might want to do that too if you're making these. If your unsure of the baking time, err on the side of slightly underdone.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts
1 cup cholate bits

1 cup confectioners sugar to roll balls in

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together all ingredients except confectioners sugar. Chill at least 1 hour. Roll into 1" balls and coat thoroughly with confectioners sugar. Place 2" apart on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.

**Note: I usually use a little mint OR mint chocolate chips when I make them. You don't want to go everboard with the mint, but it does add an extra dimension to the flavor. I don't usually put nuts in.

The classic sugar cookie, expertly decorated by Maddy, Isaiah and Amy. 

Basic Sugar Cookies

Martha Stewart's recipe from Everyday foods:

Basic Sugar Cookies

Makes 32; Prep time: 90 minutes; Total time: 2 hours
Use flour on utensils to keep dough from sticking: Dip the cookie cutters, and dust the spatula before transferring uncooked dough to a sheet. Rolling dough between two sheets of floured parchment will keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. You can store cookies in airtight containers at room temperature, up to 1 week.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Assorted candies, sprinkles, or colored sugars, for decorating (optional)

1. In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes, or place in a resealable plastic bag, and freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 325°. Line baking sheets with parchment. Remove one dough disk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out 1/8 inch thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. (If dough gets soft, chill 10 minutes.) Reroll scraps; cut shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.

3. Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 to 18 minutes (depending on size). Cool completely on wire racks. To ice cookies, spread with the back of a spoon. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes. Decorate as desired.

Note: To make icing, sift 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, water, or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, whisk in more sugar; if too thick, add more liquid.

**Another note: I prefer a little nutmeg in these, but that's just me.

Holiday Baking

My holiday boxes this year will consist mainly of biscotti. Here is my basic recipe:

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon (5 grams) pure vanilla extract

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

To that, add 1 to 1/5 cups of extras

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, let cool 10 minutes, slice, bake again 8-12 minutes depending on how cruncy you like them.

So far I have made cappuchino pecan chip