1.10.2008

Post-Christmas cookies

Yes, I know Christmas is over. And I meant to get around to making Christmas cookies before Christmas. But it just didn't happen this year. We got a little busy. Besides all the usual Christmas activities (parties, choir events, etc.), there are seven people in our family with birthdays in December. So the month gets crazy, and the non-essentials (cookies) get thrown out. And I've always been sort of a procrastinator anyway. It just worked out for me. I'm that person you hated in college, who wrote the papers the night (or hour) before they were due, and studied for tests when the person next to me said, "Hey, did you study for the test today?" at which point I realized there was a test that day, and pulled out my notes for the minute and a half it took the teacher to take attendance. And I managed fairly decent grades, and usually did better by cramming than I did if I worked ahead of schedule.

What was I talking about? Oh, cookies. So I decided to make cookies, because Wendy linked to a really good recipe on her blog and because I thought Judah would have fun helping. I baked them in the morning and Judah decorated them in the afternoon, and we had a blast.
Here's Judah holding up one of his masterpieces and wearing that funny smile he gets because he can't really manage to keep his eyes all the way open when the flash goes off. And yes, that is a star of David shape. My cookie cutter set, which has like 100 shapes, only has one five-pointed star, and it's big and the points are rounded, and I don't really like that. So we ended up with a bunch of the Jewish version.
The completed collection. I liked the blue ones best, because I got a little happy with the almond extract when I was making the icing and added (read: spilled) too much in, but they ended up tasting so good!
The last three cookies. Instead of dumping on more decorations, I had Judah just turn them upside down in the extra stuff on his decorating plate, and we both ended up loving them. I call them the uglies, like the leftover doughnuts in some book I read (I think it was The Vision of Emma Blau by Hegi, any help here Barbara? My books are still in boxes, too). These were the only ones Judah ended up liking to eat, probably because he could fit the whole thing in his mouth at once.

6 comments:

Barbara said...

I have The Vision of Emma Blau (somewhere in a box), but I haven't read it...so I'm not really any help there. "The Uglies" reminds me of E. Nesbit's Enchanted Castle, which I read recently, but that has to do with broomsticks dressed up in coats coming to life and not so much to do with doughnuts. And thank you for spelling it "doughnuts." Blogger's spell check tells me it's wrong and I hate that.

And: "I'm that person you hated in college, who wrote the papers the night (or hour) before they were due"...ha. That's how we got to be friends...=)

Sue said...

I want to come and live at your house, Kristy.

Sarah said...

hey, i'll come over and help you eat them up. Happy New Year, Kristy and Fam! haven't seen you in about a year's time. But your boys are beautiful and I think judah is still looking like the JCrew catalog model for 3 year olds. fun to see pictures!

Kristy said...

Thanks, y'all.
Babs: See, procrastinating really DOES pay off! And I'm such a nerd, I really did sit here and debate whether I should spell doughnuts right, or give in to current conventions! The rule-follower in me won out.

Sue: Come on over! Heaven knows I spent enough time at your house when I was little, eating your delicious bakings. I can't promise you excellent food, but I can promise you a lot of laughs. Last night Judah told Nathan: "Daddy, I have a plan idea." But wouldn't tell him what his plan idea was.

Sarah: Happy New Year! I'm not telling Judah you said he looks like a model, because his ego will go totally through the roof. :) I'll just thank you for the compliment on his behalf.

Sue said...

"Excellent bakings"--kind words, Kristy, but too gracious. You know what we ate: TACOS!

Lots of tacos.

Sue said...

And PS: I still chuckle when I think of the sleepy Judah, leaving your folks' house on Christmas night . . .

"Good-bye, Thomas."

"Good-bye, Other Thomas."