Christmas Cookies With Kelly

Kelly (my darling daughter) has hosted a cookie baking day at her house every December for the past four years. It's always so much fun. Of course spending time with Kelly is fun, no matter what we do.

This year it was just the two of us. I always take along the ingredients for the cookies I'll bake, and my mixer, cookie sheets, etc. This year I made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and the dough for brown sugar shortbread. Kelly made some wonderful cinnamon spritz cookies, snickerdoodles and some eggnog spritz. I brought home some of the snickerdoodle dough and will bake them here, since we were running short on time. We always split the cookies and any dough that we make, so we each have a large variety for Christmas. Last year we ate all of the cookies that I brought home long before Christmas, so this year I've resolved to freeze them so we'll have some left.

I'm planning another cookie baking day next week at my house to make cut-out sugar cookies with Reece. He loves making cookies. We will probably put up the Christmas tree on the same day.

Kelly's house looked pretty and Christmas-y. She had a star decoration in the front of her house that she made years ago of tree branches from our back yard. I remember when she made it. She had wrapped lights around it, and placed it between two little Christmas trees with lights. I didn't see them all lit up, but I'm sure it looks beautiful. We both tend to like understated Christmas displays.

She had a lovely wreath on the front door, and a red jingle bell wreath on the inside of the door. She has her tree up, and lights on it, but no decorations yet. She had garland with lights here and there inside, little colored lights in her ficus tree and lots of other little Christmas touches. Their home is so inviting. I was warmly welcomed by Darcy and Banzai, too. :o)

There was Christmas music playing softly in the background, and Kelly had made the wonderful hot spiced apple tea that has become a tradition on cookie day. We had lunch (peppered turkey sandwiches, pretzels and diet soda), then proceeded with the cookie baking. Later we took a break to have some of the spiced apple tea and some cookies. :o)

When I went outside to the car and came back in, the house smelled like heaven! It was a perfect afternoon, very relaxing and enjoyable. Thanks, Kel! I love you.

Here's her recipe:

Spiced Apple Tea in a Crock Pot
3 bags cinnamon herbal tea (Kelly used a chai tea today)
3 C boiling water
2 C unsweetened apple juice
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Place tea bags in slow cooker. Pour boiling water over tea bags, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Add apple juice and cloves and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on LOW 2 to 3 hours. Remove and discard cloves and cinnamon stick. Serve in warm mugs.
Serves 4.