Christmas Cookies

Every year at Christmas, I make cookie plates for our closest friends. I pack them full of about 5 different kinds of cookies (heavy on each family's favorites!) and also some of my famous chocolate chocolate chip mini cakes - regular and peppermint! This year's cookie plates also included the previously blogged about Peppermint Pinwheel Lollipop Cookies.

This year, I made 32 dozen cookies and about 4 dozen mini chocolate cakes. The leftovers went home with us to Pittsburgh for the Fleming family to munch on.

Lemon Coconut Cake

The Flemings love that I experiment when I'm with them (or at least that's what they say!!!). I made this towering 3-layer Lemon Coconut Cake with fresh lemon curd (which Chris helped make!) for Christmas dinner in Pittsburgh. The general consensus was...it was pretty good. :)

Gingerbread Men

I made some "blank" gingerbread men for my co-worker Marie. She took them home over the holidays and the kids in the family decorated them. They turned out so good!

And the artists!

Peppermint Pinwheel Lollipop Cookies

These yummy, fun cookies made the Christmas cookie rotation this year after a brief hiatus. And I have to say it was all because of a little boy named Matthew who kept asking his mom, "When is Aunt Melinda going to make those lollipop cookies again?"

And here's Matthew (on the right) and his twin brother Jack, enjoying their cookies yesterday. Love you boys!

Happy National Cupcake Day!

Not to be confused with National Chocolate Cupcake Day or National Vanilla Cupcake Day. :) I wish it didn't fall the week before Christmas, because I am too busy with cookie baking to devote extra time to cupcakes, just for National Cupcake Day! I wish I could, but even this crazy amateur baker has limits!

I mixed up my final cookie dough tonight. I have a triple batch of sugar cookie dough in the fridge for use on Friday night and made a double batch of Peppermint Pinwheel Lollipop cookie dough tonight - which I'll make on Saturday because they are so labor intensive. Once those are done, the cookie plates for friends will be assembled and delivered.

Oh - and I guess I have to bake one last time before we leave for Pittsburgh - a couple of co-workers need mini cupcakes for the holidays! I'll be baking in Pittsburgh too...making a gorgeous (hopefully!) Lemon-Coconut Cake for the Fleming family for Christmas dessert!

Cookie plate pictures to be posted soon!

Candy Cane Cookies!

I may bake a gazillion cookies for the holidays, but the one I don't make - just came via mail from my mom. These are my all time favorite: Candy Cane Cookies. Sounds kind of boring, but wait...they have almond extract in them. Pure. Pieces. Of. Heaven. I love them. Thanks mommy!!!

(And I do believe it is the first sighting of a WHOLE candy cane that made it via mail - ever. They are very fragile and always break, so this is noteworthy!) :)

Wyatt's 3rd birthday

Here is my mischievous little friend Wyatt, who ordered the chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting and sprinkles.

Sweetest Thing Cupcakes (Newberg, OR)

My best friend Heidi, took me to the Sweetest Thing Cupcakes in Newberg, OR while I was in town over Thanksgiving. I neglected to take a picture of my cupcake - which was chocolate pretzel with a peanut butter center. Oh my.

This was the cinnamon cupcake I brought home for Chris, it was also delicious.

Garrett's 10th Birthday!

My first foray into edible images! I ordered some for my nephew Garrett's 10th birthday. They worked well, but I do think they'll look better on lighter colored frosting after they've "absorbed" the moisture. Overall - I'd use them again.

The birthday boy!