Today is the last day of Hanukkah...I hope all of you who celebrate have light and love both now and continuing throughout the coming year!

Christmas is only four days away including today!  Are you ready?  If not, it's seriously time to implement plans.

There is no snow here but tomorrow there are both snow flurries and rain forecast!  If snow begins in the morning and rain in the afternoon, well, with temps higher than freezing, I doubt that we'll have a white Christmas.  I really hope, though, that it's not an icy one.  

So, I did make all of the ice box cookies including an extra one.  Check out this picture.  Starting from the top, gingersnap cookies, caramel cookies, sugar cookies and caramel/nut cookies...

And here they are baked.  Starting from the left:  Sugar cookies, caramel cookies, caramel/nut cookies and gingersnap cookies...

And all four tasted wonderful!

I shared the recipe for caramel cookies in an earlier post.  For the caramel/nut cookies, all I did was add about 1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts.  

Here's the sugar cookie recipe I used:  3/4 cup softened butter creamed with 3/4 cup white sugar.  Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix.  Add 2 cups all purpose flour and a dash of nutmeg.  When mixed, place on plastic wrap and roll into a log.  Unroll plastic wrap and add sprinkles all around and seal the plastic wrap.

And here's the gingersnap cookie recipe I used:  1 cup butter creamed with 1/3 cup white sugar.  Add 2/3 cups molasses and mix.  In a separate bowl mix together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.  Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix.  When mixed, place on plastic wrap and roll into a log.

To bake, slice 1/4 inch pieces from logs and bake on parchment lined cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

I also made my wedding teacake cookies...

This is an easy recipe:  1 cup softened butter creamed with 1/2 cup confectioner sugar.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour and mix well.  Chill. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  I used a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  I also rolled into balls and then placed them in the refrigerator until I was ready to bake them.  Let them warm up a short time before baking.  When baked, immediately put cookies into a bowl of confectioner sugar and roll to cover, place on rack to cool.  After cooling for about 5 minutes, roll the cookies again in confectioner sugar and store (or eat!).  

Today I am going to make cranberry pudding which we like better than plum pudding and a small batch of fudge.  That will leave only my fruitcake cupcakes left and those I will make on Tuesday.

Plans are coming together nicely without a lot of rushing at the last minute which for me makes for a wonderful celebration...but you know what they say...the best laid plans...etc.!!!

Now, you don't have to make as many cookies, etc. as I have.  Maybe make two different special treats, whatever your family enjoys eating. And you know what...no time for baking...purchase the families favorite cookie.  It will definitely save on time.  

I made several because we are having lots of family and friends visit during the holidays and it's actually cheaper to bake lots of cookies rather than purchasing lots of them.

That's it for today.  I hope you are enjoying your holidays.  Be safe and take care...

Talk with you tomorrow...