' tis the season

For baking.

Right?  Don't you have a list of cookies to make this holiday season to share with your friends and family?

I know I do...  It's a beloved tradition.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I did just make a batch of cookies that are a first for me.
A friend *bragged* about having a fresh batch of homemade mint oreo cookies come out of her kitchen on Facebook the other day, and I haven't been able to shake the idea of them since.  I found this recipe, and altered the cream filling ingredients just to make them pepperminty (replaced the vanilla with peppermint extract).
I'm a sucker for anything peppermint - these cookies are no exception.

Here are few tips:

* If you don't have parchment paper (I didn't), lightly spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray.

* Roll teaspoon sized balls, place on cookie sheet, then dip the backside of a 1/4 c. measuring cup in water and press the cookie flat, until it's about the size of the bottom of the measuring cup.  The water is important - it keeps the dough from sticking to the measuring cup.

* These cookies spread, so make sure they really are about 2" apart.

* Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet, once you take them out of the oven, for a few minutes.  Then transfer to a wire cooking rack.

* I got about 21 cookie sandwiches out of the recipe.  I have a few cookies naked of frosting (because there wasn't enough - maybe I was too generous with the others), but they're quite tasty on their own.  Although the frosting definitely makes the cookie.

Yum.

If you love Oreos, peppermint, or cookies in general, these won't disappoint.  :)

What cookies are on your holiday agenda this year?  Do you have any traditional ones?  Any that you are trying for the first time?  What are your favorites?  Do share!

{linking up with gingerbread}

bake-arella

It's been a busy week.  Travis is working 12 hour shifts, 4:30am to 4:30pm.  Callan thinks it's time to get up at 4:30am.  We're up for a a little over an hour, then he goes back to bed for about an hour.

Coffee is my friend.  

In anticipation of Fall, I've been spending some time in the kitchen testing out some new pumpkin recipes (as well as a few non-pumpkin ones).  Baking helps break up these long days.  I'll share my successes and failures with you, probably, next week.

((Now, I know I said I was going to wait until it was officially *Fall* [tomorrow is the first day!], but I couldn't resist.  Here's how I justified it:  I don't want to make "ehh" recipes amongst great recipes this Fall.  I need to weed out the ones that aren't so hot, so I can focus on the delicious ones that I do come across.  I need to bake my way through my pinned pumpkin recipes to find the real winners.  So that's what I'm doing.))

If I counted correctly, I've made 6 pumpkin recipes, so far.  One was outstanding, several were very good, one or two were only kind of "meh".  But that's according to my taste-buds.  You might think differently if you try/tried them.   

My kitchen has looked like this every day this week.

My hands are raw from doing dishes.

Hand lotion is, also, my friend.

Have you whipped up anything pumpkin yet this season?  Make anything ah-mazing?  How about failures?

I've made both.

Here's to nothing but delicious pumpkin recipes!