Cookie Central
Pounds of flour, pounds of butter, pounds of sugar and dozens of eggs. After two days of baking, Christmas cookies are officially done!
Since this is technically a healthy living blog, let’s start with something other than cookies…
Oops. That’s not entirely correct. There may have been one of Gram’s Pizelle cookies crumbled on top of that Chobani 
We got started around 10 a.m. at my parent’s house for our annual Cookie Day. We bake tons of cookies to use for holiday gatherings and to give neighbors. We stick with a few favorites, but like to try a couple new recipes every year to keep things exciting!
This year’s choices…
Butter pecan cookies…
Ricotta cookies…
Peanut butter blossoms…
Triple Chocolate Espresso Cookie Cups…
Orange Almond Biscotti…
Cranberry Oatmeal Hootycreeks…
Fruit and Nut Rolls…
Gingersnaps…
Unpictured were Gram’s pizelles and Chocolate Crackle Cookies!
The kitchen mess in action; it was quite a production! …
The lunch break… which did NOT involve cookies…
We finally wrapped up around dinner time. No one wanted to even THINK about cooking, so Chinese take-out was the unanimous choice! I had a bit of Singapore Mei Fun and a steamed dumpling (x 2)…
And if you can even believe it, I ended the night with a fortune cookie!
Just for the fortune. I couldn’t bear the thought of eating another cookie …
Also, he who eats loads of cookies cannot walk…period. 
*Rolls into bed*
Have a great day, everyone!
Questions? Email me! aloserforlife@gmail.com
44 comments
I made one batch of cookies yesterday and they were a bit of a flop. Can I have some of your cookies?
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Absolutely! I’ve got plenty…
Loads of work, lots of sugar smells in the air, but the outcome looks beautiful ! Well Done !! ( and I think Chinese should be a legal obligation after a couple of days of hard work in the kitchen like that !
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Thanks, Diane! I’m all for a Chinese food baking rule!
Wow! Those look amazing!! Homemade Pizzelle??!! Nom! They are my absolute favorite. Godson is coming over this weekend for sleepover and we are going to decorate cookies. I can’t wait!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
I know this is blasphemous, but I’m not a big fan of pizelles! Sshhh…don’t tell Gram!
Wowiee!!!!! Those cake balls look incredible. What, Gram’s pizzelles not pictured! Bummer. I made another batch last night, actually two, one with anise, the other vanilla. The second batch with vanilla, I played a little with the recipe by adding 1/8 cup of buttermilk, just to see if I could get a thinner cookie. Well, didn’t work. Didn’t come out any thinner, but did turn out less crispy. Gram have any suggestions on how to make a thinner but still crispy pizzelle?
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Reen, you are a pizelle makin’ machine!!!! I’m not sure about thinning it out. I’ll check and see if Gram has any pointers.
I did an all day Christmas baking day with my sister-in-law and that looks a lot similar to my day! We made the peanut butter blossoms and also the cake balls too.
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Weren’t those cake balls a pain in the you know what???!!!
In a word WOW!!! The cookies look incredible, and what fun doing all the baking together!!! You must have been exhausted afterward!!!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
We couldn’t move!!! So exhausted!
All the cookies look AMAZING!!!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Thanks, Andrea!
Note to self: do not visit Marisa’s blog until after breakfast or you will drool.
Man, those look good. Cake ball and a peanut butter kiss cookie for me, please?
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Haha! Right now I’d love to ship you the whole lot!
WOW! Now I want to know HOW? How can you exist in your home with out eating these? YUM! They all look so wonderful. Torture for sure!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Complete and utter torture! I’ve packed most of them up and fixed trays for my neighbors, so thankfully there aren’t that many left!
Those cookies look amazing! My favorite part of the holiday season is baking cookies – my husband has limited me to 4 recipes + one fudge.
I usually make 7-8 different recipes so this is a drastic cutback for me.
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
We keep saying we are going to cut it back to a few, but every year we see new recipes that we want to try! So hard to decide!
I’m in cardiac arrythmmia from the beautiful sight of that first pic. At first I thought it was a stock photo or something. But NO, you really made dem cookies. WOW!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Yep, we made all dem cookies
WOW.
Just. wow. *jealous and not at the very same time
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Thanks, JBS!
OM G…I went to a cookie exchange yesterday and I am sick of cookies!
Will you be posting some of these cookie recipes?
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Haha Amy! Meeee tooo!
I linked to a few of the recipes. If there is a particular one that you want, email me and I’ll see if I can sift through all our recipe print-outs to find it!
WOW!!!!!! Youkicked some serious butt in the kitchen! Congrats on all your work – they look fantastic!!!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Thanks, Nat!
wow, now that’s what i call an epic baking day! i wish i could try all of those cake balls, they look amazing. peanut butter blossoms are one of my all time favorites though; i made another batch just last night
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
I love those too, Kate!
That is quite the bakery you had going! Just looking at all that sugar kind of makes me feel quizy! That is a good thing I guess.
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Haha! I feel the same way, Tami. Especially after eating them
All of those cookies look amazing and what a wonderful tradition. My family is starting a new tradition this year, maybe we will have to add cookie baking to it as well! Thank you for sharing!
Marisa Reply:
December 13th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
It’s really fun, Katie!
Very impressed. They are so beautiful. Was it hard, or were you like, screw it, it’s cookie day?
WOWZERS!!! That’s a whole lot of cookies!!!!
Jen
Wow! I love cookie baking days
Have one set this Saturday with my girlfriend. Can’t wait for my first peanut butter blossom of the season!
Holy Cow! That is so many cookies. Congrats for finishing them all.
SERIOUSLY WOW.
I have never ever ever seen that many cookies outside a bakery
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