This is the post I began last week, when I got derailed by my “pet peeves”.

As I write my kitchen is a veritable Santa’s Bake Shoppe. There are no less than 8 pounds of butter softening on the counter and boxes and bags of cookies that are already completed.

Each year since 1997 I have sent a “cookie tray” to John’s co-workers. Kind of a small “thank you” to them for putting up with him all year long (hahaha). The first time I did it one of the guys asked “Where did the cookies come from?” And when John answered that I had made them the guy thought I assembled the platter and had bought the cookies. That was the instant I knew I was sitting at the “grown ups’ table”. It started with simple drop cookies, and as I aged (and my son aged and needed less supervision) and I became more adept at baking, I added more labor intensive cookies like Checkerboards (moment of truth – I secretly hate those cookies, they are my nemesis. They play with my OCD – I actually use a ruler….). Apparently they have become a thing of legend because coworkers from John’s past STILL talk about them.

Each person has their favorite type of cookies. I range between really chewy and melt in your mouth. John likes crispy, crunchy cookies and anything lemon, and please no nuts in his cookies – he says it ruins the texture. Whatever! On the holiday tray John’s faves are the Secret Recipe Lemon Bars (and before you ask, no, I am not ready to share the recipe – see the note at the bottom) and mine are the Chocolate Dipped Italian Butter Cookies.

Years ago when I was a hard working waitress, the Chef told me he hated baking, but loved cooking (and he was a fine Chef, but a lousy human being). I never understood that until a few years ago. There IS a difference. COOKING allows you to experiment, get creative and work “on the fly”. BAKING is like science – the ingredients have to be measured correctly and in proper proportion or they don’t work. Of course there is room for experimentation, but while getting to an edible product you may toss several batches. With cooking, even an experiment is usually edible.

So here are a few things I know about baking in quantity:
• Have all of your ingredients OUT and ready to use (and yes, those really are my canisters)

• Have all of your equipment OUT and ready to use – those ARE Pampered Chef stoneware baking sheets

• MEASURE carefully – spoon your flour into the measuring cup, don’t scoop or pack it in (your cookies will be tough and hard).
• Make Bar Cookies whenever possible – they are EASY and cut up into LOTS of servings. These are friend Laurie’s faves.

• AVOID like the plague anything that has to be decorated – like gingerbread boys or cut out cookies – too much work. Friend Pam really doesn’t adhere to this rule….
• Use chocolate whenever possible 😉
• Buy the best ingredients you can afford.

These are last year’s trays – no pics of this year’s yet – they aren’t done….

If you don’t have a good arsenal of recipes try Martha Stewart’s Cookies book – it’s one of my faves. Also the internet is an excellent source of thousands of recipes.

Note: I fear if I share my Secret Recipe Lemon Bars that no one will need me to bake them anymore….

This year I was invited to friend Sharon’s for a Cookie Swap and she asked that each participant type and print out the recipe 20 times for the other guests to take home. Well, guess what – the typing would have taken me longer than the baking. So Sister Nancy came to the rescue! I snapped a pic of the recipe with my phone, sent it to her and she had it typed up, with notes delivered verbally, in LITERALLY 1 minute! Thanks Nancy for the typing assist!

Chocolate Dipped Italian Butter Cookies
Makes: 60
Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon corn oil
½ cup finely chopped pistachios (you may use pecans, or other nuts, sprinkles, or any other decoration you like)

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in flour just until blended.
3. Place the dough into a cookie press. Press cookies directly onto cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 minutes, or until cookies feel firm (they should NOT brown). Remove cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool.
5. While cookies bake, put chocolate chips and oil in a small glass bowl. Put bowl over hot water and stir. When chocolate is melted and cookies are cool, dip half of cookies first into chocolate then into the nuts. Place on wax paper and allow chocolate to set.

This week’s Food Memories include a completely screwed up baked brie (don’t ask), a fantastic dinner at Comme Ca with friend Lynn (the sweetbreads were delish), and having my darling son home for dinner since he is home from college!

Until next time, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!