More Holiday Treats

I saw The Nutcracker yesterday. For a story that's sort of just an elaborate fever dream, it certainly makes for some beautiful music and dancing. It was spectacular.

The atmosphere of the holiday season is so fun. As it gets dark earlier and earlier, it's such a welcome sight when the trees are lit and evergreen branches and colorful bows, ribbons and lights are strung everywhere. The ballet had all that: folks dressed in all their most glittery, sparkly, fancy best, dazzling sets and costumes, stirring and triumphant music. Highly recommend.

This weekend's cookie extravaganza:

Almond Butter Balls 
my mom's recipe, one I make every year, stupidly easy, delicious, not too sweet.


1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 cups almonds, or your nut of choice - I often make this with walnuts
sugar for rolling, optional. I use a cinnamon-sugar mixture with a dash of nutmeg. You could also use powdered sugar. 

Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer until very light and fluffy. add salt, flour, and extract. Stir together until well mixed. Fold in nuts. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or so until it's easy to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Roll dough into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes (ovens will vary). When still warm, roll in sugar, then place on parchment paper.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.


4-ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies 
So easy, you'll never make them with flour again.

1 cup smooth peanut butter (Jif/Skippy/Peter Pan, not the natural stuff)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Cream the peanut butter and sugar together until well mixed. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Roll dough into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork, press ball down gently one direction, then again perpendicular to create a grid pattern.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Leave on the cookie sheet about 5 minutes after baking, then remove to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

I'm too lazy to go take a picture of the ones I made, but they look just like this. https://homemadehooplah.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/4-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies-2-800x1198.jpg

Holiday Cooking

I'm undertaking a wellness regimen, starting two days ago. I must be totally mad to attempt such a thing at this time of year. It's the season of Break Room Cookies.

Ah well. The best thing about being an optimist is that you never stop thinking you can try again. And there's nothing like getting a new picture at the DMV - and actually owning up to your current weight - to make an aging gal want to make some changes.

So there's that. As the song says, every new day life's just begun.

I have a few boxes to send out to friends that are really family. Framily? Hey, I made up a word. Anyway, what do you add to round out a care package for a young man? A few things come to mind, but ultimately "food" is always a good idea. And so! Cranberry-orange cookies. These are awesome and a little unusual with the tart-sweet combination. These will be even less sweet than my usual batches, since I inexplicably never realized I was out of powdered sugar and will have to forego the orange-flavored icing. I did do some research to see if you can make it with regular sugar, and you can... if you turn regular sugar into powdered sugar first. Not gonna happen. Ah laziness, thy name is Farnsworth.

Cranberry Orange Cookies