Cookie Baking

I became known as the cookie baker of the family years ago when I made as many as 14 kinds. We had traditional family gatherings on both sides of the family, plus our own smaller festivities here at home, so there were plenty of people around to eat them. And we were all much younger then and could get away with it. I shared them at school and with neighbors as well.

But times change. Now we go with our son to Colorado to our daughter's home. Our son-in-law instructs me to "bring lots of cookies", but they have to go in the luggage. So I had my kids select their favorite out of all of the choices and narrowed it down to two kinds. I threw in a third one that I like. My sister-in-law, Jan, has the same favorites, so she's happy when we get together for our little pre-Christmas before we all go our separate ways.

However, these favorites are the most complicated of the whole bunch. Let me show you what I mean.

Apricot Foldovers are little Danish-like cookies made with a butter/cream cheese dough that is rolled out like pie dough and then cut into 2 inch squares.

The filling is chopped dried apricots that have been "stewed" with sugar and orange juice. This is carefully placed on each dough square. This is a two person cookie and Tom willingly assists me.

The squares are then folded over the filling before baking.

The final step is to pipe icing on each cookie. The Chocolate-covered Cherry Cookies have a few less steps. The frosting covering the cherry is baked in place.

The Filbert (Hazelnut) Crescents are shaped, rolled in egg white and chopped nuts and baked. They are dipped in chocolate to "gild the lilly".

The cookies all get packed up and stored in the freezer to await their scheduled event or journey. We only sample lightly, to make sure they are fit to eat, of course!