i really was gonna cut down on the number of different kinds of cookies i’m going to bake for xmas, but today i stopped by to see dad and he gave me the recipe for YET ANOTHER COOKIE.  and since he’s the most important person on my cookie-baking list, of course i’ll bake them.  luckily they’re fast and easy cookies, but i do have to go out and buy some butterscotch chips.

these are the sugar and real butter-full cookies i’ve made thus far:

1.  snickerdoodles – mmm, i love them, even if they’re not chocolate.

2.  angel bars – delicious bars full of nuts and coconut

3.  peanut butter blossoms; peanut butter cookies with a hershey’s kiss in the middle.  mmm, one of my favorites

4.  lebkuchen – delicious german cookies filled with spices; they get better as they age, plus there’s the huge added bonus that you’re supposed to let them sit, unrefrigerated, for a couple of weeks.  my freezer space is at a premium right now, and i’m glad i can leave them on the counter.

DAMN, that doesn’t sound like many cookies.

this is what i have left to bake:

1.  seven layer bars – the recipe dad gave me today, involving chocolate and butterscotch chips, coconut, condensed milk, nuts.

2.  pralines – i used to make pralines when i was a teenager; my mom went to new orleans and brought me back a little new orleans candy-making cookbook.  they’re really delicious and easy.

3.  gingerbread – dad just requested this, too.

4.  wedding cakes – dad claims they’re his “favorite.”  he has many favorites, really.

5.  cashew brittle – dad is also anxiously awaiting the cashew brittle.  he bought some the other day when he and mom went to peases’ candy store and he told mom NOT TO TELL ME he bought some, because he was afraid that i wouldn’t make him any.  of course i will, even though i can see the big tub of it he has under his table in the living room.

6.  sugar cookies – definitely the more labor-intensive, plus all my cookie cutters are so big that the cookies are huge and there aren’t very many of them.  i’m tempted to just cut them all into circles and slap some icing on them; does anybody really care if they’re in the shapes of trees and stars and stuff?  somehow i don’t think it would matter to anybody.

7.  bourbon balls – i haven’t mentioned these to dad, but i made them last year and they were a big, rich, chocolatey-bourboney hit.

DAMN, that’s a lot of cookies still to make.  plus i’ve run out of vanilla and must get some more ASAP.  luckily amy just bought a big bottle and is willing to share.

here are the low sugar and fat cookies i’ve made:

1.  pumpkin chocolate chip bars – i made these at thanksgiving and i really don’t see how they can be that healthy because they taste very rich and decadent.

2.  peanut butter cookies – they definitely aren’t rich and peanut buttery, but kevin is very happy with them.

3.  coconut macaroons – kevin LOVES coconut, and i was excited to get another new splenda cookbook that had this recipe in it. i’ve made one batch and will make one more.

i have to make four more kinds:

1.  oatmeal cookies – kevin’s “favorite”

2.  orange ginger pecan biscotti

3.  chocolate chocolate chip

4.  lacy orange oatmeal

5.  one more recipe of coconut macaroons.

hmm, there seems to be a lot of overlap in the orange and oatmeal department.  i’ll have to ask kevin which ones he REALLY wants, in case i don’t get all of them made.

i should really be baking right now, instead of sitting here typing.

ok again.

mrs. monday night hughes.