Christmas is here, bringing good cheer...

It's Christmas Cookie Season again.  Last year due to some crazy studying, I didn't have time to bake cookies for anyone and I was very sad.  This year I had huge plans to make 5 types of cookies on Saturday and I came close, but didn't quite succeed.  Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing, White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Macadamia Nut, Chocolate Chocolate Chunk with Peanut Butter Chips.  

This year in an effort to reduce hand cramping, I made the Royal Icing thinner than usual.  This had both some positive and negative effects to the decorating process.  Much easier outlining and filling.  Some bleeding of the colors while drying (this was not photographed) and very sad trees (photographed below).  

I had to fight Sean off of the Chocolate cookies and there was a very sad Snowman fatality while I was bagging up the cookies on Sunday.  It happens every year, and often makes me want to cry.  Without further delay, here they are.  

Hello Crate and Barrel nesting bowls, I love you.

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk and Peanut Butter Chip

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Macadamia Nut

These sad looking creatures are supposed to be trees. Unfortunately, the royal icing was too thin and this is what I was left with.  Feel free to revisit Christmas 2010 to see what the trees should look like.  

Love him!

I made two of these for my Dad and my Sister. I am sad to report that my husband was shocked to learn this is what Maine looks like.  He had some other strange image in his head about the state outline.  

Here comes the bride...

I know in my last post I said I was going to try new things, but at the request of my brother-in-law and now sister-in-law, I made repeat cupcakes for their rehearsal dinner.  The rehearsal was held at the location of the wedding at beautiful Ft. Desoto beach.  The location was ideal with gorgeous views of the Sunshine Skyway bridge.  I was quite surprised since I literally went to Ft. Desoto every week during my freshman year of college and quite regularly during the remainder of my tenure at Eckerd and never once turned left at the stop sign.  I had no idea what i was missing.  Now, back to the goodies.  

At the request of the bride I made Red Velvet Cupcakes with that delicious Marscapone Cream Cheese Frosting (which I have had dreams about). For the groom I made Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.  Funny, that's Sean's favorite too.  I had grand dreams of making these really adorable cupcake picks and toppers that were wedding themed.  Alas, I couldn't find my glue gun.  I am not sure I would have had time in the end anyway, but it was no where to be found.  Next time I'll plan a little better in advance, I suppose.  

Congrats to Scott and Jennifer on your beautiful wedding!