I am not a Grinch

Before reading this I have a disclaimer: I am not a Grinch. I love Christmas. Bring on the carols in October. Put up the tree before Thanksgiving. In my humble opinion, you can't have too much Christmas. For multiple reasons, this Christmas season just doesn't FEEL like Christmas. I may have even suggested boycotting Christmas this year... but do not despair, I have not given up!

I've done my "Christmas shopping" and sent Christmas cards. In the interest of saving some extra money for an overpriced cocktail, I've made homemade decorations for the office and apartment.

A classic snowflake, an annual tradition. Thank you Ledyard Center School.

 

I tried to make a snowflake out of wrapping paper. Apparently it's not sturdy enough, so when I tried to hang it using some nice mint-flavoured floss, it sadly drooped. Thus it has found it's place on the table.

 

We've been listening to Christmas carols at work. I introduced the Texan to some Sugarland Christmas carols. I've watched It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and Elf. I proudly display my Christmas cards in my room (don't worry if I haven't gotten yours yet, I know it's in the mail and will be here any day now;)).

In one last attempt to get in the Christmas spirit, I tried what never fails to put the holly jolly into the season: baking Christmas cookies. Lots of them. I may have gotten a little carried away. It's been a 4 day baking extravaganza plus three trips to the grocery store (because I kept forgetting things). Four days of baking turns into dinners of a big salad+cookie dough. That's a balanced meal, right? And having the oven on for hours with Christmas carols blasting while sweating during the heat wave made me re-think why Australians may not have big Christmas cookie exchanges...

 

Cookie exchanges are everywhere in the US. Apparently, a plate of assorted cookies is not a normal gift in Australia. At least not according to my Australian culture expert. So I decided to bring the Christmas cookie exchange to Perth, Howie style.

As we grow older, everyone in my family utilizes their talents and has taken over a Christmas task. Dad is in charge of the meat (prime rib, turkey, scallops, shrimp, salmon, lobster, whatever the choice is that year) and fudge. My brother avoids the cooking and sets the table with the fancy china (I do think he 'made' Pillsbury rolls one year). My wonderful sister is in charge of the green bean bake (which does not mean she gets all the leftovers!). My brother-in-law is an expert dinner roll maker. And my mom is in charge of everything else and making sure we're supervised. Over the years, I have commandeered the cookie baking and all things sweet.

Every Christmas I make classics and test a few new recipes in hopes of uncovering the Betty Crocker gold winner to adopt into regular rotation. I've made candy cane cookies, velvet cream cheese cookies, spritz gun cookies, melt in your mouth shortbread, and probably some others. Normally I make rosettes. It's an annual misery tradition. Rosettes are fried cookies made with a liquid batter using a metal iron. As they are best fresh, and I've spent many a Christmas Eve afternoon covered in oil, fighting with a thermometer and iron that's too hot or too cold, batter that sticks to the iron, or batter that won't stick to the iron. I've also smoked out my friends kitchen making them one snow day. So this year, I carried on the tradition, and made some old and some new. All American and delicious too! With a few ingredient substitutes.

Buckeyes: I have no idea why these are a Christmas thing. People should make them year round. But as soon as I tasted one, it tasted like Christmas. And deliciousness.

 

 

 Gingerbread Men: Luckily I was able to find a cookie cutter. Decorated simply with royal icing. Of course they are in tank tops. It's hot out! Not the gumdrops buttons! (Shrek reference?)

Melting Snowmen + Frosted Sugar Cookies: Sugar cookie cutouts are the quintessential Christmas cookie. In my brief hunt for cookie cutters, all I found was a gingerbread man. I got a little creative with my knife skills and cut out some Christmas trees. Apparently, icing sugar is not the same as confectionary sugar so the frosting was nice and extra sweet (and kind of grainy), but it's close enough to work. The marshmallows are fruity flavoured and have a harder, flaky coating. And butter is not unsalted, but lightly salted. At least they look good!

Oatmeal Cookies: In a, they-don't-have-this-in-Australia conversations, the lack of oatmeal cookies came up. So I had to make them. With sultanas. Which are different than raisins. Don't ask me.

Peanut Butter Blossoms: And because you can never have too much chocolate and peanut butter :) No Hershey kisses, but chocolate melts did the trick.

In our cultural cookie exchange of our oh so multi-continent office (aka the America vs Australia CAFAP foursome), Kyla made fruit mince pies. An Australian Christmas delicacy. She even has a blog in search of Perth's finest fruit mince pie! As my first Fruit Mince pie, they have set the bar to which all others will be compared.

In the interest of getting them delivered safely via the Transperth bus, this cookie elf had to use plastic containers instead of festive holiday plates to display her spoils.

Because that's really the most Christmas-y part of cookie baking, the sharing. Luckily I had some lovely people to share them with in my home away from home. Anyone who wants one, there are plenty of extras waiting for you. Though I can't guarantee they will be around for long. It looks like another salad and cookie kind of night :)