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Bake-a-palooza 2011


This past weekend, one of my good friends from college, Kristi, came down to the Bean Town with her daughter Cora. We hadn't seen each other in 10 (!) months, so it was a wonderful weekend of catching up and hanging out.

Back in college we always used to bake and/or cook together, so naturally we had to spend some time in the kitchen together.


Hello, cookies!
On Saturday, we had a Bake-a-palooza to make cookies for cookie tins & trays... and ended up making 15 varieties. Over 700 cookies! It was intense.



So intense that we had to compile a plan. We made a variety of cookies from this year's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies and last year's 25 Days of Christmas Cookies. Yum.



Funny story:  I actually wrote this list out on Thursday night... and then took it to school with me on Friday. And then I left it at school and almost freaked out. But then I remembered that I had taken a picture of it, so it was fine. Haha!


Once we had everything baked, we packed up all our cookies in little tins and tupperwares to give away to friends and family. 


Here's how I compile my tins:


First, get a large enough piece of saran wrap that it can cover a few layers of cookies. Lay it in the bottom.




The sturdy cookies go on the bottom layer - anything that is flat and solid. No fancy decorations here. 




Then, pull over your saran wrap to make the second layer.




And then cram as many cookies as you can into the top!




We actually got all the cookies baked on Saturday, and on Sunday all we had to do was decorate! We used royal icing, and had fun designing the cookies.




Funny story: I got a new cookie cutter - a mitten. Kristi saw it on my kitchen counter and asked if we were making Michigan cookies. (She is from Michigan.) Heck no! I think if I were to make Michigan cookies here in the land of the Buckeyes, I might be outlawed! Or nobody would eat them, haha.




We also did some more experiments with the ornament cookies. I just love the white ornaments with the holly berries. 




All in all, it was a great weekend. We've decided this needs to be a yearly tradition... a bake-a-palooza a weekend or two before Christmas. Can't wait 'til next year Kristi! It was so much fun.
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Comments

Have Your Way said…
Looks like SOO much fun!!!! Majority of my friends here in Sandusky HATE baking so I dont have friends to bake with. O well!!!
December 20, 2011 at 5:51 AM
Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner said…
The ornament cookies are stunning! They look so professional, I love them!
December 20, 2011 at 11:47 AM
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