Christmas is for cookies and brownies and other luscious sweets. In my house this has traditionally meant all different kinds of cookies, but none were ever really a true Christmas tradition. None were seasonal, none were specific to the holidays and I suppose most of all, none were mine.

This year I set out to remedy that and to do something that I absolutely never do. I stepped out of my comfort zone completely and modified a cookie recipe to reflect what my kids love to eat and to enhance the flavors that I like.

I was terrified.  I was uneasy.  I was sure it wouldn’t work, because I’m a cook, not a baker and i was sure to screw this up.

I didn’t. It was wonderful! The cookies were perfect, tasty, sweet, tangy and speckled with tiny glimpses of cranberry and white chocolate.

This is a modified version of my wife’s famous Cowboy Cookie recipe, but with a few twists however, a cowboy cookie has a traditional set of ingredients.  This recipe is no longer a cowboy cookie by definition, so I decided in the spirit of the season to dub these “Reindeer Wranglers”, both because the tiny speckles of cranberry reminded me of Rudolph’s nose and because I figured that Santa’s reindeer crew would probably enjoy these a great deal.

Now our family has its very own Christmas cookie tradition, invented in our own kitchen and made with love. It makes me happier than it should, I think.

What are your Christmas cookie traditions?  Is there anything that jut HAS to be baked every year? We’d love to hear about it.

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‘Tis the season once again.  with that comes the call for cookies, candies and other sweets to thrill and delight both young and old. (And not-so-old, as well.)  This year I’m trying to focus on the flavors of the season with a highlight on seasonal fruits, berries nuts and whatever else I can find that fits well with winter fare.  These cookies fit the bill for all of these things.

Cranberries are everywhere at this time of year, both in their plump and tart ripe state and in their dried form.  It was the latter that inspired me to make this recipe, which is adapted from one I found at Baking Bites and yet another I found somewhere else, but can’t remember at the moment.

These may not be traditional Christmas cookies for most people, but I think for my family they have just found a permanent place on my “must bake for the Holidays” list, along with my Aunt Thelma’s Tea cookies and my mothers peanut butter cookies.  they are crisp, light, pack a ton of flavor into every bite and were adored by my kids (and the neighbor’s kids).  Anything that gets the whole family rummaging at the cookie jar is a surefire winner for me, especially when the batch makes 48, so there is no need to double the recipe.

C’mon, put a little seasonal love in your holiday baking.  make these cookies.  Do it now!  I’ll continue when you get back…

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Summer is here and as much as I love chocolate in all its many incarnations, warm weather calls for treats that are a bit lighter and brighter than my favorite winter fare.  The higher temperatures also mean we’re less likely to gravitate towards large treats, preferring instead to savor smaller bites and brighter flavors.  This dessert fits that bill in all ways and more.

These may be mix based, but I guarantee that you’ll overlook that once you’ve gotten a taste of these little explosions of flavor. There is simply nothing here not to love. Every bite is an immersion in all that is wonderful about lemon.  Tart, sweet and tangy with just a hint of saltiness in the glaze. Eating one of these bars is sort of like drinking lemonade mixed with rocket fuel.  It’s an unforgettable experience.

Simple, wonderful and light.  Perfect for the summer no matter where you are.  Please give this recipe a try.  And if you make something like it, feel free to leave a link in the comments.

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O.K. I know I’m late with this one, but I swear it’s for a good reason, which I’ll get to at the end of the intro…

This round of the 12 Days of Cookies takes us back to 1977.  The radio and 8 tracks all over the country were playing Barracuda by Heart and Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith.  The top draw in theaters was Close Encounters, Disney’s The Rescuers and a movie that broke all the rules without breaking any at all, a little number called Star Wars.  We all crowded around the Television at night to watch such wondrous entertainment as Laverne and Shirly, Happy Days and M*A*S*H. Gourmet Magazine proclaims the Irish Coffee Crunchie it’s top pick cookie from all the recipes printed that year, they have good reason to do so.

These little bites are absolutely fabulous.  They are über crunchy, slightly sweet and have just the slightest hint of the whiskey that went into their making.  They’re sure to satisfy both young and old, but I think an adult palate will appreciate them more.

(Yes I said young and old.  With a total of 4 tsp. whiskey used in the recipe and 1/2 of that baked, you aren’t looking at enough in the way of content in 18 cookies to bother with.  Worry about the sugar, not alcohol.)

Will I make them again.  Oh, yes!  Often.

Now, as for why this post is a day out of sync…  Last night as I was waiting for the icing to dry I got word from my wife.  We’ve got orders.  She’s going on a 15 month tour in Turkey by August of next year.  The kiddo and I will be heading for California for at least the time she’s gone. (Hopefully we’ll have a follow-on there so that we only have to do the move once, but we’ll see.)  It’s bittersweet news, but it’s definitely time for us to leave this place, so even with the imminent separtation, we’re both very happy.

I promise that I’ll get caught up this weekend.

Now go make these cookies… And don’t nip on the Jameson until you’re done with the bakin’!

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Day three of the Twelve days of cookies finds us in the 80’s again, but this time in the late 80’s. The charts were rockin’ to The Escape Club singing Wild Wild West, Bobby McFerrin released Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and Bon Jovi (Who rocks, occasionally) released Bad Medicine. The Big Hair Craze was fading into the mullet, and The car of choice for most people ws beginning to look something like the modern SUV.

According to Gourmet magazine, the best cookie of the year was the pistachio tuile.  They had this to say…  But they were wrong:

What petits fours were to the well-heeled in the 1950s, tuiles were in the 80s, garnishing every dessert plate in the land. Still, the potato-chip-thin cookie studded with pistachios is a combination that will never go out of style. Drop level tablespoons of batter, then spread into a thin 3-inch round and bake at 350° F for 6 to 9 minutes.

Umm, that was supposed to be teaspoons, not tablespoons, people… Geez.  Of course, that’s not the only thing they got wrong.  Like “not everyone loves Amaretto.”  I’m one of those people, and these things taste like Amaretto, so not my favorite thing ever…  Not by a long shot.

My wife loves them however, so they have redeeming qualities.  In all they’re pretty simple to make, taste like half a tiramisu (add a little cream and you’re there).  For me, any other extract in the world would probably make these things good, but the almond extract flavor is just too much.  Perhaps with hazlenut extract I’d love them, but that wasn’t the recipe.

So if you like amaretto I’d say give them a 9.  On my personal scale they rate a solid 4.

But they are pretty, aren’t they?

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Day two of the Twelve days of Cookies finds this home paying homage to the Pecan.  (Honestly, you can’t be a Texan if you aren’t making something with pecans.) The cookie of the day?  The Pecan Tassie, from the era of big hair, heavy metal, Depeche Mode and Cindy Lauper.  Gourmet Magazine’s top cookie pick for 1985, and with good reason!

Gourmet stated that these little gems reminded them of pecan pie.  I don’t get that when I taste them, but what I do get is a mouthful of wonderful.  The texture and flavor of these cookies is a bit surprising.  The dough is a bit cake-like, but the topping is very crunchy.  The contrast between the two is wonderful.

The downside?  These cookies don’t hit their stride until they’ve had a chance to sit overnight and cool completely.  I tried them last night when still warm and honestly, I didn’t like them much.  But this morning… Ah, I’m singing a different tune altogether now..  How bout “Just can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode.  It’s fitting for the time, and I like the song!

So, my thoughts on these…  A definite thumbs up for us. We’ll be making these again, I guarantee it.

Now go make some.  Do it now so that you can enjoy them with your coffee in the morning!  Resist the urge to try them warm!  They’re soooo much better the next day it’s just unbeleivable.  Trust me on this.

And don’t forget to check out the other members of our crazy little group.  We’re all making the twelve cookies we thought we’d like most, so you can be sure that there are other great recipes out there for your cookie indulgence.  The list is at the bottom of the post!

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It’s Christmas time again, and what would the season be without mountains of cookies?  The weather here in North Texas has finally begun to show the season, with temperatures in the 40’s and of course, gusty winds that make it feel like the 30’s, so the weather is perfect for baking, so when I was asked if I wanted to get together with a few fellow food bloggers and try out 12 recipes from Gourmet Magazine’s list of all time favorite cookies, I jumped at the chance!

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Christmas cookies I think of gingerbread men. They just scream Christmas cookie, so for the first of my 12 batches, these little guys were the obvious choice.  I’m glad I chose them, too.  This is by far the best gingerbread recipe I think I’ve ever come across.  Which is as it should be.  They really knew their gingerbread in 1959, though the way recipes are written has (very thankfully!) changed a lot.

I’m not alone in making 12 different cookie recipes this month. Joining me in the fray for the 12 days of cookies are a list of very talented bloggers and cooks in their own right.  So please take the time to visit my partners in crime for this event. (Once you’ve read and printed out this recipe, of course!)  I have no idea what they’ve chosen to make today, so don’t be surprised if several of us have the same recipe posted.

The insane bunch that decided to taste test Gourmet’s top picks:

• Kelly of Sass & Veracity
• Ben of What’s Cooking
• Judy of No Fear Entertaining
• Claire of the Barefoot Kitchen
• Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
• Courtney of CoCo Cooks
• And Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes, who first thought of inviting us in on this little blog party.

I’ve got to say, these are the best example of a perfect gingerbread I’ve ever had, but the dough is a little difficult to work with.  Instead of rolling them out and then moving them to a cookie sheet, we ended up rolling the dough out directly on a half sheet pan with a smooth sided glass and simply pulling the excess away from the cut shapes, thus preventing gingerbread men with serious and crippling deformities.  The dough is rather like glue as well, so copious amounts of butter flavored cooking spray should be employed wherever possible.

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My wife entered a cookie contest last week.  These bad boys won first place in the chocolate cookie recipe category, as best chocolate cookie recipe.  So when I tell you these are more than good, I have a panel of judges to back me up.  These bars are sweet, succulent and definitely something we’ll be making all year long, but they are perfect for a Holiday buffet, so don’t pass this recipe up when you are planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas cookie baking!

This is a simple recipe, an even though I usually shy away from anything that uses a mix, in this case I’ll gladly make an exception.  They make in a snap, don’t cost much and are suited for the novice baker (read: me).  The results are fabulous, the oooh-and ahhhh factor is pretty high on the list.  Just place a pretty pyramid of these on a shiny platter and back out of the way.  But I suggest you make two batches if you want any for yourself!

I could talk forever about these, but I think I’ll just let the recipe speak for itself.  It’s that good!

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‘Tis the season for giving, cheer, gifts, and cookies with a resemblance to snowballs. Today I present you with a double helping of Holiday cheer, from our home to yours. Both of these cookies are guaranteed to warm your heart, and one will warm your tummy as well! Don’t let the resemblance fool you. These cookies may look alike on the outside, but the differences between them are like night and day. (Or chocolate and vanilla, as the case may be.)

Though I’ve posted My Aunt Thelma’s Tea Cookie recipe before, I really can’t do Christmas without them. They are a Holiday staple in my household, as they have been for the past 25 years and I doubt they will be going anywhere soon. These little treats are the ultimate in decadence, and should be eaten without remorse for what they will do to your waistline. It is Christmas, after all!

Be warned, the Brandy Balls are intended for mature audiences. These are a no bake cookie, therefore they hold about 90% of the alcohol content they were originally given. The flavor is intense and eating too many before driving is discouraged by both the management of this blog as well as state troopers anywhere in the country, not to mention M.A.D.D.

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The Holidays are the time for indulgences, meaning pastries, cookies, cakes, pies and what have you. In that spirit we’ve dusted off our baking gear for the season to bring you a slew of great recipes for you and yours.

So as the dulcet tones of Twisted Sister’s “Twisted Christmas” waft through the house along with the smells of fresh-baked cookies, I bring you the first of twelve cookie recipes for your Holiday gatherings, or just for noshing with family around the TV for the Rudolph marathon.

(I know. I know. I’ve dated myself horribly but in my defense I also listen to the classics, like Bing Crosby with David Bowie doing “Little Drummer Boy”, The Andrews sisters, and one or two Elvis Christmas Albums. Then there’s Manheim Steamroller, TSO and Amy Grant. I just love Christmas!)

This recipe is inspired by Alton Brown’s Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie recipe, but done the quick and dirty way, minus the peppermint, which I am not a fan of in anything with dough. (In hot cocoa fine, but not in a cookie, please!)

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