Monday, December 19, 2011

I Love Baking!

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It's time for our holiday cookie exchange at work and I seriously thought about not joining in this year. It's my last week of work...I was laid off on November 1st and I'm still not happy about that, but the truth is I LOVE to bake! I try not to bake too often because I also love to EAT baked goods!


 

This year I made some snowflake sugar cookies with royal icing.  I think I'm getting better at my cookie decorating! Thankfully, each batch I make seems to look better than the last!  That sort of makes me want to bake all the time but I would be 300 lbs if I did! I can't resist cookies!...or any baked goods for that matter!


I also made some White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies from Better Homes and Gardens. The recipe is here. These are really good and I think they would have been even better had I remembered to put in the almond extract!


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43 comments:

Jan said...

Oh your cookies look soooo nice and I wish I liked to bake more. They are just so pretty I wouldn't want anyone to eat them. Thanks for sharing them ...they've inspired me to try my hand at cookies for the holidays now.

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Oh my they look to good to eat(but I would) Wishing you a Merry Christmas!!! Chrissy

Ruby Jean said...

Oh I wish Everything I baked came out looking as Pretty as this...:) I had my first linky party last week and would love for you to join in tomorrows party... http://shoprubyjean.com/2011/12/sew-crafty-tuesday-linky-party1/

Anonymous said...

Your cookies are beautiful, Cindy! I've never tried the royal icing! Yummy. I'm going to bake some snicker doodles today! No icing! :)
Be a sweetie and Merry Christmas,
Shelia ;)

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

I just made them and posted here: http://gratefulprayerthankfulheart.blogspot.com/2011/12/white-chocolate-cherry-shortbread.html

Really pretty and tasty too!
Sending Merry Christmas wishes!

Steph. :) said...

Those cookies are little works of art, Cindy!!! I too would be 300 pounds (can you believe I am dieting during Christmas season...and I am currently making fudge...hello?), but my problem is the cookie dough, not the baked cookies...lol. Hang in there about the job and I am sending you love. XO, Steph.

Katie @ Wildwood Creek said...

Your snowflake cookies are gorgeous!

Unknown said...

These are absolute perfection! How talented you are, lucky recipients!!!

Anonymous said...

These look a*m*a*z*i*n*g! Wishing you a lovely holiday! Xoxoxo

Susan @ Real Girl Designs said...

Your cookies look gorgeous!

Blessed Serendipity said...

Almost too pretty to eat (notice I said almost?)
Yummy!

Danielle

Sarah said...

Those cookies are beautiful, I swear I can smell them through the computer screen too!

Barb said...

They look gorgeous, Cindy.

Merry Christmas.

Barb

love you to pieces said...

Hi Cindy, I live in your area, can you tell me which hardware store you found that at, would be great for my father in law. Thanks so much Kathy H

Diane said...

Cindy. Your cookies look like something out of a cook book! Maybe you should open up your own catering business. I worked in an office for 15 years. I decided five years ago to start my own business and have never looked back....will never go back to an office now. I am in the wedding industry - rent out linens. I know that caterers go very well in this business. Diane

Cindy said...

Kathy, The hummingbird feeder? I bought it at Orchard Supply Hardware on Prospect and Lawerence. It was the last one there but other OSHs may have one!

Anonymous said...

Cindy those are so beautiful! I love how you decorated them, the blue and the silver with white accent of course is perfect for a Cookie Snowflake. They look so good I'd eat at least 2 dozen in one sitting. LOL

I tried to make cut out Sugar cookies yesterday for decorating, and when I followed the recipe and put them into the oven, they became huge and fat and lost their shape. If you have any advice, I'd love to know what you do to make yours so gorgeous!!!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and happy baking!!! xo

Florence said...

Oh I want to make those cookies, myself, and the white chocolate cherry shortbread, how fun! Merry Christmas to you! Hugs! Florence

Anonymous said...

Your cookies look wonderful! they are almost to pretty to eat!I'm now a follower!

Charlene said...

YUM! Your cookies look wonderful!!!! OH NO!!! I hate to here about you being laid off! What are they thinking???? They should be blessed to have someone as amazing as you working for them. Well, I'll be praying you'll find something you love even more in the New Year! Have a merry Christmas. HUGS!
Charlene

Deb said...

How funny is that. I also made snowflake cookies across the pond today with my 3 year old. Only just got the cookie cutter and been dying to try it out. Your photos are what I had planned in my head...but after little hands making the dough hot, and lack of decent size rolling pin they didnt turn out how I had wanted!!! My little one got bored so I didnt do the fancy icing..just xmas coloured sprinkles over white drizzled icing..hahaha..so not glamorous like your ones. I had envisaged putting them in tissue lined boxes (I have 2 tree shaped boxes)..but might have to save those boxes for next year and practise a bit more!!!! Thanks for making me smile (again!!) even though I was a little stressed during baking!!! Merry Christmas..I love your blog x

Miss Char said...

The cookies are beautiful, I love the soft blue. Thanks for sharing.

Elsie said...

Cindy your cookies look too pretty to eat. You did a wonderful job on them. They look like they came from a bakery. They look delicious!!! Good job!!!

Jacqueline said...

Cindy, these cookies are just gorgeous and they match your lovely kitchen. We were just making floated sugar cookies today and I made snowflakes too. Yours look beautiful. So sorry about the job, but you are sweet to participate in the cookie exchange. I am going to pin both cookies!

Unknown said...

My goodness, your cookies look like something out of a Martha Stewart magazine! How do you get the icing so beautiful???
Hugs,
Mary

Dorthe said...

OH I love your cookies-they are little masterpieces- and I love your little glitter house.
xo, Dorthe

shaejus said...

goodness those are gorgeous cookies, yumm

Amy Chalmers said...

prettiest cookies I have seen in blogland!! gorgeous!

Becky from Tennessee said...

Those are BEAUTIFUL, Cindy!
Do you have a special recipe
you use for the cookies and
royal icing? I'm NOT a baker
so here's an idiotic question...
did you use liquid food
coloring to make the icing
blue??

Hope you enjoy your holidays!

Becky

Jill Marcott-McCall ~Feathers & Flight~ said...

Oh My Cindy! I wouldn't want to eat them! You have do Fabulous Work with a Very Steady Hand I might say!!And Thank you for the Shortbread Recipe Link...Shortbread is my Down fall!
Thank you for Visiting Me and your Kind comments about my Winter Tablescape that You Inspired!
Oh! That reminds Me! You Know a Boy named Sawyer too! My Boy Sawyer is almost 17 now. When my husband and were trying to Think of Boy Names we decided to each make a list. His Name was the Only Name on Both Lists. We got it from Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw's Son.
Oh my I have Rambled on ! So Sorry!
Merry Christmas my New Friend!
Hugs
Jill

Taylor Greenwalt said...

Those are the prettiest cookies I have seen. I am sure they taste as good as they look!

Vicki said...

Okay, seriously, is there anything left you CAN'T do? Those cookies look like they should be in a high-end, specialty bakery...they sure would be in my neck 'o the woods! No end to your talents, Cindy! I don't know how you do it all; you must be one dynamite multi-tasker/time-manager!

Lee said...

These cookies are so pretty Cindy, you have done a wonderful job. I am so sorry about you being layed off at work, times are still tough everywhere, even in New Zealand my son who has a Degree cannot get any type of work at all, been looking for over a year :(, its really bad.

I am sure that something will come up, your cookies look amazing, why don't you go into production, set up an etsy shop. The icing looks perfect to me.

Love your blog

Lee

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Cindy, The cookies look great, too pretty to eat. Sometimes the loss of a job is the beginning of a new phase in your life. It will lead to bigger and better things for you. Possibly something you will love to do. I am sending you Light and love and seeing you in the perfect placement. Enjoy your holidays my friend and cheers to the best New Year Ever!
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Unknown said...

Wow! Those cookies are beautiful, Cindy. The cherry dessert looks good, too, but I don't like cherries. However, my kids love cherries, so I'm going to make it for them. :-)

Heirloom treasures said...

You certainly are good at biscuit decorating Cindy. I have just made some sugar cookies and iced them but they don't look like yours. Oh well the grandchildren will scoff them down anyway. LOL
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
xx Jeanetteann

CamomilaRosaeAlecrim said...

Que coisa mais maravilhosa e quanto capricho!
Adorei o Blog e estou de olho em todos os post...tirando algumas idéias!
Um bom Natal e parabéns pelo belíssimo Blog!
CamomilaRosa

CamomilaRosaeAlecrim said...

Que coisa mais maravilhosa e quanto capricho!
Adorei o Blog e estou de olho em todos os post...tirando algumas idéias!
Um bom Natal e parabéns pelo belíssimo Blog!
CamomilaRosa

Anonymous said...

Beautiful cookies. I have those snowflake cookie molds, I must give them a try. Hopefully they will come out just as pretty.

The Tablescaper said...

Your snowflakes are amazing!

- The Tablescaper

Cindy Adkins said...

These are soooo gorgeous!!!

Elle and Lou said...

Sorry to hear about your work situation. You are so talented- these biscuits are something so special. A work of art!
Lou

Jennifer said...

Have you considered an alternative job? Baker and designer? Sometimes we don't get what we hope or pray for because there's another plan/solution we haven't dared to dream of...know what I'm getting at? You're talented and amazing...just DO IT! :) Luv, Jen-