Holiday Baking 101

We all know the best part of the holiday season is all the baking that occurs. In my house, my Mom and I have always bonded over a big ball of cookie dough and box full of different colored sprinkles. I'm happy to say that this year is no different. Since the day after Thanksgiving, we sat for over an hour at Barnes and Noble flipping through countless magazines planning our baking menu for Christmas 2010. Here is the tentative list...keep in mind that working a full-time job in the medical field is not very conducive to how many things we have our list. Ouff, different story for a different day.

THE list:
-Peanut Butter kisses
-Sugar cookies with candy cane kisses
-Melomakarona (Greek tradition)
-Kourambiethes (Greek version of a sugar cookie)
-Various biscotti
-Gingerbread cookies
-Various Christmas loaves

Let's see what I can actually/realistically accomplish in the next 6 days. It's gonna be tough! Here goes my first recipe:

Candy Cane Sugar Blossoms

1. Preheat your oven to 350 & gather all your ingredients

2. In a mixing bowl, mix together butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and egg.

Mix until you get this smooth, creamy mixture!! So delish.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

4. Mix in to cookie dough alternatively with milk until you achieve this beautiful ball of joy.
5. Using a tiny ice scream scooper or teaspoon, scoop out even balls of dough and place them on a baking pan lined with a cookie sheet.
6. Take each individual ball and roll in whatever festive sprinkles you want!! This part is completely optional but it makes the cookies look really FUN. Caution- the dough is really sticky so you may want to spray PAM in your hands or flour them lightly.

Place your cookies in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes. Mine took exactly 9.5 minutes. DO NOT flatten the cookies before placing them in the oven. While your cookies are baking, unwrap your pepperminty kisses if you haven't already.
These are SOOO good. I may have eaten a handful while the cookies were baking...I don't remember exactly. I think it's called post-massive sugar consumption amnesia or something like that.

Once you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately press a KISS in the center of each cookie. Allow them to cool completely before you move them (or eat them). Your friends and loved ones will absolutely adore this variation to the traditional Blossom cookie.

Make these ASAP!!! I'm hoping that I can manage to make some more this week. Only 5 more days until Christmas. The baking pressure is on!!! Have a wonderful Monday everyone.