perennial favorite christmas cookies

Have you been baking up a storm already? I've only just begun. I've been mostly making and freezing the dough so that when there's an event, I can bake the cookies morning of. As a Christmas present to Brother #3, I'm freezing assorted cookie dough balls so that he can have fresh baked cookies whenever the mood hits.

I was asked by The Chicago BFF what cookies I was baking this year. The list includes these:

Butterscotch Snowballs

Pecan Bars

Cornflake Crunch Cookies

Crack Toffee- this year I'm adding some pretzels on top. 

I like the addition as it balances out the sweetness with its

salty, crunchy presence.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Almond Roca Pretzel Cookies- my new favorite compost combo

(I'm really digging the pretzel crunch and salt, can you tell?)

What's on your list? If you care to share, I'd love to expand my cookie horizons!

candy cane blossoms

I'm always on the hunt for a new Christmas cookie to bake. These looked like they were fun, festive, and fabulous to take to a holiday party.

The dough is pretty much a stiff sugar cookie dough which you roll into balls and smother with sprinkles. The kisses are stuck on after the cookies are baked.

Please be patient and wait the 2-3 minutes before putting them on, or else you'll get something like this—

maple chai tea

I have been enjoying the chai tea concentrate for the past month, 

yet when I saw this recipe, I still had to give it a go, 

pumpkin cream cheese pie

I'm about one pumpkin away from exploding, and you wouldn't know it, as I've posted nothing with pumpkin in it. That doesn't mean that pounds of pumpkin haven't traipsed their way through my door.

I had to revisit my favorites, pumpkin bread with pecan streusel and pumpkin whoopie pies. Then I had to make way for pies. I tried the standard. I wanted more. This recipe, found on foodnetwork.com, caught my eye. With its inclusion of a block of cream cheese, it's not quite a cheesecake, nor is it quite a custard.

wicked witch's hat and broomstick

Wonderfully, Wickedly Simple Witches' Hats and Broomsticks

If you are looking for a fun, easy, festive snack to throw together with or for the kids, look no further.