Hair pulled back? Check.
Nails trimmed and hands well washed? Check.
Counter-top and sink disinfected? Check.
All of this germophobia stuff is done for a reason. First, Ian hasn't been feeling well. I don't want to serve Christmas cookies with a side of flu to anyone! The second reason involves a memory...
I was invited to a friend's home one evening a couple years ago for dinner. She prepared the meatloaf we were going to eat after I arrived. After she mixed the meatloaf with hands I did not see her wash, she cleaned out the meat that got caught under her fingernails into the bowl! Needless to say, I could not eat anything that night, and I have never eaten in her home since.
Besides. Do I really want to give my Christmas cookies as gifts with a side of hair? No.
So let the Christmas Cookie Baking begin!
I haven't baked Christmas cookies since I moved in here 11 years ago. My counter-top is 30" wide by 24" deep, so I have very little working room. I decided it has been too long, so I got the ingredients and gave it a go. I only burned myself on a hot pan once.
I managed to extend my work space a bit by using the edge of the kitchen sink. Here you see the first batch of cookies ready to go in the oven.
Here, I balance the sheets of peanut butter cookies ready to go in the oven.
Thank goodness for stacking cooling racks! I used the top of my portable dishwasher to stack the racks on. It was JUST wide enough. :)
These are Pastel Mint cookies and Chinese Almond Cookies. YUM!
And my last two cookie recipes of the day, Peanut Blossoms and Peanut Butter cookies. I moved the racks to my counter-top from the dishwasher so they could cool overnight. Then into the freezer they go to await the gift-giving season.
I just looked at the photo closely - seems like somebody snitched a peanut butter cookie off the third rack!
Tomorrow I am going to tackle sugar cookies. I have a set of cookie cutters that have never been used. It's time!
