Christmas is over, the presents are unwrapped, we are on a hiatus from overindulgence until New Year’s Eve, gym memberships are being activated, and the landfills are groaning with the excess influx of tissue paper and wrapping paper and no-longer-necessary packing materials.  Here in central PA, my cookie materials are packed away for the time being.  For now.  I mean, I have plans for cookies I want to experiment with throughout the year for next year’s bakestravaganza and will get to that sooner rather than later.  And I like baking cookies, so it won’t be all that long before I’m back in the kitchen, standing behind my thousand-year-old mixer, whipping up something else.

But.

So I had one of each tray, for both mine and George’s families, plus whatever else was given away individually to friends and urban family.  What can I say?  I’m a giver.  A friend of mine, a professional baker, started asking me about what I was making and let’s face it–flattery will get you everywhere.  Really, person who does amazing constructed theme cakes and icing art?  You want to know what I’m baking?  Me?  Really?

D’awww, shucks.  Oh…Okay!

Presenting!  The 2012 Christmas Cookie Bakestravaganza and Candification Explanator.  Broken down by tray.

I’m starting with the lighter brown cookies to the left (cookies at 9:00!) and going clockwise, and if I’ve blogged about it, I’m linking to it.

Pumpkin Cookies

Chocolate Sables

Peppermint Palmiers

Two-Tone Cinnamon Cookies

Molasses Snaps

Polenta Biscotti

Little Dippers

And here comes Tray #2.

Starting with the pink squares at 12:00….

Bailey’s Irish Cream Marshmallows

Apple Cider Caramels

Italian Fig Bundles

Cinnamon Marshmallows (use the same recipe for the Bailey’s marshmallows; just substitute cinnamon extract where the Bailey’s should go)

Caramel Corn

Cherry-Lemon Shortbread with White Chocolate Drizzle

If anyone has any questions about anything I haven’t linked to (or anything I have, really), please feel free to ask!

So.  There you have it.  900,000 calories later, is it any wonder I feel so desperately in need of Zumba?  I think I have eaten twice my weight in these things, which then becomes a real conundrum as the weight goes up…must…keep…eating…

I hope you are all having a safe and happy holiday season, and that you’re ready with shiny new gym memberships come January.  :)

XOXO ***  Peace *** and Joy *** from Paisleyland