Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Day 16 Matchbox Advent Calendar






Artwork by Beth Ellicot

Last night I went to a Christmas cookie exchange party.

The point being that those who attended would then not have to bake again for Christmas. My friend Gretchen, who invited me, told me to make 13 dozen cookies. A lot of cookies (!), but I went along with it. Hey, I will be getting that many back so my Christmas baking will be done!

I decided on spritz cookies. Fast, pretty and yummy. I began to question the fast part as my dough kept sticking to the cookie press and not the baking sheet. @#$&!! Making cookies was supposed to be a fun activity. I chased Rebecca out of the kitchen and the dog too and got down the to the grim task of making 169 cookies. I am laughing about it now. I got the template flipped around in the cookie press and suddenly the dough released and the cookies came out pretty uniform in size. I cranked out 3 batches of dough in my standing mixer so by the time my older two kids came home from school, the kitchen counters were covered with finished cookies an the house smelled like a bakery. I became the best mom in the world when I allowed the kids to "taste". Two dozen cookies disappeared in no time. Good thing I had made a lot so I didn't have to ration the "tasting". :)

The afternoon of the party, Gretchen asked, "so you got your got your 11 dozen cookies done?" (she was still baking). "Um, yes, I have my 13 dozen made and bagged up". "Oh, sorry. Didn't I tell you two people dropped out?" [laugh] She was very apologetic. I was fine with it. My baking was done!

Now I have my spritz cookies plus 1 dozen each of 10 other kinds of cookies.

Bring on Christmas!

5 comments:

Margaret said...

yum and double yum! when do I get my invite??!!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

The matchbox is lovely, the image reminds me of the Christmas postage stamps I just bought.

How wonderful that your holiday baking is done. I did that a couple of years ago, but things weren't that easy!!

femminismo said...

Lovely story. I could smell your kitchen throughout the tale. Lucky kids. My mother used to make spritz cookies. I wonder where her press ended up? Have a wonderful Christmas! - Jeanne

~*~Patty S said...

It's a Christmas Cookie kinda world! Spritz were always a favorite when I was growing up, I bet they were a hit ... better to make 13 and need 11 than the other way around I guess :)
Clicking on the top of the matchbox that is showing gave a full view, lovely use of that pretty stamp!
Do you still have snow on the ground?
Hoping for a little white stuff on Saturday ... we'll see if the weather guessers are right oxo

Jeanie said...

Hi, Nathalie -- as I struggle to catch up, I'm looking at all the posts with fabulous matchboxes and knowing I must revisit each and everyone to remember ideas for next year -- this year, I fear, has long gone!

But I had to comment on this one! I used to attend a cookie exchange (which I would to this day if the hostess still had it) and yes, 13 dozen - 12 dozen in half-dozen batches ("package creatively, please, there will be a prize!") and one for the table. I did peanut butter bars, shortbreads, all sort of things. And I was nuts -- and I had so many good cookies after, the rest of the season was done! This brings back happy memories for me.