The end of the long Thanksgiving weekend finds me overwhelmed by work (what better way to avoid it than by blogging?) and wondering how fast I can get myself back into the kitchen to continue baking. I am sort of behind the eight-ball work-wise and my reaction to it is puzzling me. I never used to be the kind of person who would avoid a deadline - time was I was a take-a-deep-breath-and-jump kind of girl and there wasn't a to-do list east of the Mississippi that I couldn't tame. Now, I just want to take a nap or maybe even clean out my sock drawer. Or, even more fun, make some Christmas cookies.


I did end up making chocolate chip and thumbprints, but never quite got around to the tea cakes. Hopefully I'll get these done today. Growing up all of our cookie baking was done out of Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. These days I'm baking from Rose Levy Berenbaum's modern day classic Rose's Christmas Cookies which, although beautiful and well-written is not as comprehensive as I would have liked. Had Rose consulted me, there would be chocolate crinkle and pizelle recipes, as well as snickerdoodles and cut outs (all of which are present in the Betty Crocker book). Also, I think I would have left out the gingerbread Notre Dame. I mean, it's gorgeous and all, but who needs the pressure? Still and all, it's a wonderful resource and I recommend it to anyone who lives with a cookie monster (as I do, along with a cookie monster-in-training).


I haven't yet made up a comprehensive list of cookie baking goals yet, but here's the start of one:

• chocolate chip
• thumbprint
• tea cakes
• chocolate crinkles
• holly cookies
• gingerbread people
• snickerdoodles
• pizelles
• sugar cut outs
• shortbread

Now, anyone free to come help with the dishes?