Christmas baking

When I was a kid, my mom would dedicate about a week to baking Christmas cookies.  We would frost and decorate and generally get in her way.  We gave the cookies to friends and neighbors.  I still do this, although not to the marathon degree that she did, or that even I did.  I once baked- I kid you not- 90 dozen cookies.  All types; chocolate chip, peanut butter ( pre-allergy, which I developed later) oatmeal, lebkuchen ( a traditional German Christmas cookie) and sugar cookies.  I made press cookies too.  Alas, my time these days is more limited ,so today I will be baking- or attempting to bake- the following:

Pumpkin bread
Chocolate chip cookies
Anise cookies
oatmeal cookies
sugar cookies
fudgies
haystacks.


I baked fruit cake and cranberry bread yesterday.   I would have done more, but we went out and got a tree, which we will be decorating today as well!

I will be baking some breads for my office mates.  I hope they are not disappointed, but I think I am going to make My Grandmother's spice cake, as my gift to them this year.  I have no idea why I am always looking at a tighter budget around Christmas time.  Isn't it always the way?

Still baking makes me feel close to my mom and my long ago childhood memories of baking cookies as part of the holiday tradition.

Let me know if you want some cookies!