2011 Cookie Baking Weekend 2

Another weekend of Christmas cookie baking excitement!

First up: Citrus Glitters. I made these last Christmas and a few other times this past year. They're soft, buttery cookies with a hint of citrus (thanks to citrus zest) and a sugary shell. They're wonderful.

Next up: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows. Oooooh....yeah! These are probably the best cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and have made many cynical omnivores cry, "I BELIEVE vegan cookies can be good!" Mixing up two separate doughs (the peanut butter filling and the chocolate cookie exterior) and putting them together is a bit of work, but it's not too bad, especially considering how worth it they are. The first time I tried one, with the peanut butter filling still warm from the oven, I nearly toppled to my knees in bliss. And the best part: you can find the recipe here! (Sidenote: I've said this before, but these cookies only work when you strictly follow the instructions. I know someone who tried to substitute regular milk for the soymilk, and they didn't turn out.)

Finally, I made good ole' Roll-and-Cut Sugar Cookies. This is probably the last time I will make these because they were a total pain in the butt! Armed with a giant canister of holiday cookie cutouts I just bought, I was really excited when I first started making these. The buttery vanilla dough is simply addictive. It has to chill overnight, and I couldn't stop going to the fridge and breaking off little chunks of dough.

Then I started to roll out the dough...and remembered how hard it is to get a uniform depth. I couldn't quite get it right, and some of my cookies were a little uneven. And then, of course, cutting them out and transferring them to the baking sheets was an exercise in patience. This year, I did remember to cook them less before they barely browned so that they'd be a little chewier instead of crispy.

I was sick of them before I'd even started decorating them, so I was not in jolly holiday spirits as I mixed up the decorating icing. I did minimal decorating, but even that was too much for me. I think the trees turned out cute. The stockings are a little blah. They tasted very good, but next year I'll leave them off my baking list.