Three days of Baking

I have spent three days baking all my Christmas Cookies. I made ten different kinds including three new recipes. The new Cookies are Italian Pizzelles and Date nut cookie. The third cookie was a total accident. I was going for my chocolate dipped lady finger cookies and I added to much butter. The result was these spectacularly crispy and chewy cookies. I like crispy cookies and chewy cookies and now I have the best of both worlds in one cookie. Now if that was not good enough, I added chocolate and nuts to the edges.

This is the result!

The delicious crispy and chewy cookie.

1 cup butter plus 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1tea. vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet Bark Coating
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:
Cream 1 cup butter and sugar. Add flour and vanilla, mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape dough into logs 1/2 inch wide' cut log 2-1/2 inches long. Place on un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. In a Microwave melt chocolate and remaining butter. Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate and then into nuts. Place on waxed paper until chocolate cools and hardens.
Once the batter refrigerated for at least one hour, roll the dough into small balls.

The Second Cookie is the Date Nut Cookie.

1/2 cup butter softened

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of honey
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tea. Baking powder
1/4 tea salt.
1 cup of dried Dates
1 cup of chopped peacan

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, honey and egg together. Gradually add dry ingredients. Blend the nuts and apricots with a spoon. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Once chilled, roll into 1-1/2 inch balls and flatten the tops. Place on an ungreased baking sheet about one inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10- minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Chopped Dates

Chopped Pecans

Italian Pizzelles.  A light crispy cookie.

3 eggs, beaten
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter (melted)
3 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. anise extract

Add and beat ingredients together in order listed. Drop by rounded spoonful onto center of preheated grid (pizzelle maker). Close lid, allow to cook until steaming stops (30-60 seconds). Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container.

A Scouting Christmas Party

Our Annual Christmas Party was a huge success. We had a food drive and everyone had to bring in a non perishable item. We have our annual gift exchange and every child that wants to participate must bring in a gift worth not more than $5.00. Every family must bring in a cover dish. I brought in a very large tray of Lasagna and a Honey Ham.

The Kids played seven different Minute to Win It games. We called it....Two Minutes to Win It because the ages of the children ranged from six to ten, and one minute for some of these games was just not enough time.

After everyone was done eating the children sat in a very large circle with the gift they brought. Our Cub Master then reads a story with lots of rights and lefts in it. Every time he says right, the children pass the gift to the right. Every time he says left, the children pass the gift to the left. It is cute to watch all the children watch these wrapped packages go back and forth.

My Balloon Christmas tree.

They had to put a Christmas ornament on the ribbon and transfer it to each other by rotating around. 

Rolling a ball down a 2x4 without it falling off.

Stack 9 nuts on top of each other with a skewer.  

All the gifts for the gift exchange. 

There were about 60 children.  

This was the script he read.  The Children had to pass the gift to the RIGHT  and LEFT every time the word was said. 

Christmas was almost here and Mother RIGHT was finishing the Christmas baking. Father RIGHT, Sue RIGHT, and Billy RIGHT returned from their last minute Christmas errands.

"There's not much LEFT to be done," said Father RIGHT as he came into the kitchen. "Did you leave the basket of food at the church?" asked Mother RIGHT. "I LEFT it RIGHT where you told me to," said Father RIGHT.

"I'm glad my shopping is done," said Billy RIGHT. "I don't have any money LEFT." The telephone rang, and Sue RIGHT LEFT to answer it. She rushed back and told the family, "Aunt Tilly RIGHT LEFT a package for us RIGHT on Grandpa RIGHT's porch. I'll go over there RIGHT now and get it," she said as she LEFT in a rush.

Father RIGHT LEFT the kitchen and brought in the Christmas tree. By the time Sue RIGHT returned, Mother RIGHT , Father RIGHT , and Billy RIGHT had begun to decorate their tree. The entire RIGHT family sang carols as they finished the trimming. They LEFT all of the presents under the tree and went to bed hoping they had selected the RIGHT gifts for their family.

Now, I hope you have the RIGHT present for yourself because that's all that's LEFT of our story ... except to wish you a Magical Holiday ... isn't that RIGHT?