122411 Coconut Swirl Brownies

A perfect combination of chocolate and coconut! I used bittersweet chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate - not a bad switch!! The recipe was very easy to assemble and I didn't need to pull out the KitchenAid mixer - these yummy brownies are quick to make on a last minute notice! I probably should have swirled the batter more to get a better marble look....people enjoyed them anyways at the Christmas party!

123011 Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I made these cookies with my sister since we had an hour to kill before leaving for the airport. Very quick and easy to make - basic ingredients found in the kitchen. Nice soft, chewy cookies without being too sweet, i.e., just the right amount of chocolate. Simple chocolate sugar cookies which didn't necessarily need to be > 3" in diameter (gigantic!) , but they would make a perfect ice cream sandwich!!

121811 Vanilla-bean Spritz Wreaths

Though festive in color and shape, I don't think I'll be making these any time real soon. The dough was very difficult forming from the cookie press - I'm not sure if it was the cookie press itself (a Pamper Chef cookie press) or the dough ....or both. My hands and wrists hurt after a couple of pans. Even after refrigeration, the wreaths were "sore"to press out. The cookie tasted simple with a very strong vanilla flavor...nice but it's just vanilla. In the end, I rolled out the dough and used a Christmas tree cookie cutter.

121311 Stained Glass Trees

These are by far the prettiest cookies I've ever baked! I used a 3" cookie cutter w/ a smaller tree cutter for the stained glass area. The recipe is a little involved but well worth the effort. It's a typical sugar cookie recipe that requires a 2nd refrigeration after the cracked candy has been placed. I preferred to roll the dough closer to 1/4" rather than the recommended 1/8" thick - otherwise they brown too quickly and break easier. The candy is "chewy" but works well with the cookie - the "glass" candy is so thin that it doesn't allow one to eat the cookie first and then have a "Jolly Rancher" for later (I used Jolly Rancher sour apple and cherry).