Christmas Carols and Cookies Abound

It's official: Winter Christmas is coming. In places of retail, carols are played obnoxiously on repeat. Santa has begun making the rounds in shopping malls and Christmas festivals. My little sister is learning Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer like it's a religious hymn. There is a panic in the air; will I buy the right toy? Will it be sold out? When will they get more in?


Yep. Christmas. But it isn't just about the presents, or the horribly remixed Christmas carols. It's about sharing things you love with people you like. Or maybe that's backwards. Either way, one thing I love about this time of the year is the need to crank up our oven and crunch out cookies like a factory. We go through cookies like water in this house, so keeping a steady supply on hand is essential. We'd like them to last til Christmas. We'll be happy if they last til Christmas Eve, really...

And since this time of year means noshing on cookies constantly, I find it necessary to come into the season with a baking game plan. I'm getting into the game late, actually, as it is the third, but I've finally pegged out a short list of cookies to make this year. I decided full-on to focus on simple recipes that can be recreated as needed in case someone gets into a binge and eats them all.

So, without further ado, Itty Bitty Baker's Itty Bitty Cookie List:

1. Peanut Butter Cookies. Yes, the same ones I've made in the past in the blog. These went over so well, I only got a couple out of the two batches I made! Total winner, they have to be made again for Christmas or my Mom and my managers at work might string me from a carriage and drag me through town.
2. Peanut Butter Blossoms. We do blossom-type cookies every year, so I was really excited to see peanut butter ones. My Dad, J, has a soft spot for them, so I'm hoping they'll go over well this year. We'll see!
3. Sugar Cookies. A Christmas staple, shaped into a myriad of shapes and frosted. This year, I'm going to try icing a few myself with a more detailed approach before letting Shaunna go at it with frosting and a butterknife.
4. Chocolate Chip Cookies. As you can tell, there is no linked recipe here. I still haven't found a recipe I'm anxious to try! Woe is me. I'm perusing my usual bloghaunts in pursuit of a proper recipe, but until then, this is a maybe.
5. Black and White Cookies. These are a New York staple, but no one in my family has ever had them! So I'm going to try making some, but these might fall into the week between Christmas and New Year's rather than as a Christmas cookie. 
6. Spritz Cookies. My mom has a cookie press, and she really wants a spritz dough to use in it. So I'm appeasing the Mother with this recipe, and I hope it turns out well.


There you have it, guys. Six cookies and, hopefully, five blog posts from now til Christmas to look forward to! Do you have any suggestions? Any go-to recipes for Christmas? Share the love, guys. Everyone can use more cookie recipes in their repertoire.