BLOGGERS Cookie Exchange

Or something like that. Susie's great idea!

I love poring over my Christmas cookbooks. I read and reread recipes for appetizers, side dishes, crafty things, gifty things, and cookies cookies cookies. Most of my time is spent on the reading and fantasizing about making things. It's fun.

For reals though, I make two or three kinds of cookies to freeze and bring out. And one or two nice breads to slice then freeze.

These have become a must. Love them, from one of those spiral church cookbooks where everyone puts their favourite recipe. You just know you will find a 'tuna salad casserole delight' in there. As well as '7 layer overnight salad' and 'Ambrosia'.


Ginger Sparklers

3/4 c. butter or marg.
1 c. br. sugar
1/4 c. light molasses (not blackstrap)
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. gr. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
Cream together marg. (butter), brown sugar and molasses. Beat in egg until light and fluffy. Measure dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir into creamed mixture until well mixed. Shape into 1 inch balls. Dip in sugar, place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven 375 deg 8-10 min. Make 3 doz. cookies
NOTES : This makes soft yummy cookies, that are mildly spiced! I go heavier on the spices, even throw in allspice, cinnamon, whatever I have. So, so good with tea. Or right out of the freezer. Or anytime, anyplace, anywheres.

My sister Jen makes the most best Belgium cookies you ever did see. She has been the Queen of Belgiums since we were kids. I remember her at thirteen rolling out the dough on our kitchen island, allowing me to perform low pressure tasks like getting the jam out of the fridge and wiping her brow. Heh.

My mom makes pretty much everything great. Lately she has been into mereingue type things. Since the poor lady can't have anything with flour! Wouldn't you just DIE.

My sister Siobbhan is a good baker too. She has made a million pies with real pastry crust. Like, not from the freezer section that you let sit on the counter to thaw for ten minutes. Like, she has a pastry cutter and everything. It's scary. Here is a wish for her to bring a pie to my parents on Christmas Eve.

(wish)

My parents have done a do on Christmas Eve for about 20 years. It has gotten smaller since they moved out of the city, used to be 60 people, family and friends dropping by, staying late. The food didn't even get out till 10:30 sometimes. But it has changed. It is more of a family thing, now that everyone has kids (my mom and dad are soon to be grandparents of EIGHT precious precious little gelflings) It is an earlier night but just as special. We sing and eat and yack and their house always looks like a million christmas bucks. I am hoping to get Sam to play violin this year. If we play our cards right, we could enjoy some nice entertainment into our older age, with the eight offspring all performing different events for us. Hey, my sibs and I used to do an entire rendition of The Sound of Music in the front hall when we were kids, complete with Jen dragging Siobbhan upstairs while she pretended to be sleeping. We also did some pretty heavliy choreographed numbers to The Village People and The Beatles Red Album. Oh and Clap For The Wolfman.

I am not sure what we are doing Christmas day this year. The morning is always just my little family at home (with my MIL who lives downstairs), I don't get out of my housecoat (sorry, ROBE) until noon. SO fun to watch the kids unwrap everything, bring it over to me, "MOMMY!" whilst I sip my tea with Baileys. Lucy is going to be a riot this year, she kind of 'gets it' and I can't wait to see her running around with her loot. And then Jay makes a mother of a breakfast for us all. And then the house is that mostly contented new toy late night before quiet for a couple hours. With the Christmas music in the background.

Alright, well, time to go make supper and maybe see what's what.

Happy Cookie Exchange!

A.