THE 12 DAYS OF COOKIES

Happy December 1st! The Christmas Countdown has finally begun!!

What better way to get in the spirit of the holidays then baking! Cookie exchanges, bringing baked goods to the officer, sharing them with your family...there are so many ways holiday baking can be enjoyed!

Food Network has started their "12 Days of Cookies." Today is day 3and for the next 9 days they will be showcasing a different cookie recipe each day! Check it out for some inspiring and delicious cookie ideas!

Todays cookie: Garam-Masala Chocolate Gingerbread

Get the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/garam-masala-chocolate-gingerbread-recipe/index.html

They also wrote an article called the 50 Holiday Cookies -  50 recipes to celebrate! Check it out here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/50-holiday-cookies/pictures/index.html

Knowing a bunch of different recipes and making a bunch of different cookies is a great way to give a "variety pack" of baked goods at Christmas instead of sticking to just one kind. My mom each holiday usually dedicates one full day to baking all her goodies, but I know one of my baking goddess friend Adi likes to make hers ahead of time and then freeze them till she needs them. Such a smart idea!

Get baking! What are your favourite holiday classics to make?! Comment here and let me know!

photo credit: foodnetwork.com

HOLIDAY COOKIES

The start of Christmas is finally here! With my tree in place and decorations all around I thought it was the perfect time to start some holiday baking that I could bring into work!

To start - what better, than a vanilla thing cookie with a royal icing glaze (coloured of course)!

When looking for recipes I always turn to my dessert Guru's - Anna Olsen and Donna Hay. I wanted something really simple but with good flavour. I settled on Donna Hay's Vanilla Snap Biscuit - which I later decorated with icing instead of just icing sugar.

Here is the recipe for easy holiday cookies!

Vanilla Snap Biscuits from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2

Ingredients:

- 185gms butter

- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- icing sugar to dust

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 f
- In a food processor mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth
- Add the flour, egg and egg yolk and process until the mixture forms a soft dough
- Take the dough out the processor and knead slightly bringing it together in ball and wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or between 2 sheets of baking paper until about ½ cm / 5mm thick
- Cut into any shape you want using cookie cutters
- Place cookies on a baking sheet that has been lined with baking paper or silicone baking sheets
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown
- Remove the biscuits carefully from the baking tray and allow them to cool on a wire cooling rack as they have a tendency to carry over cooking and could turn too brown once removed from the oven (I generally cool all biscuits on a cooling rack).
- When cooled, dust them with some icing sugar or decorate as desired.