Getting into the Spirit Of Christmas

SNICKERDOODLES

I love this time of year. Even self-proclaimed scrooges get into it a bit. The lights, alvin and the chipmunks doing christmas songs, Bob Dylan doing an entire Christmas album, dreaming up gifts for loved ones, receiving a constant flow of holiday cards --sometimes from folks that you haven't heard from since last christmas--, secret santa gift exchanges, and lots of cookies.

Last weekend, our friends, Rob and Alice, hosted a fantastic Holiday Brunch that included both a secret santa exchange and a white elephant gift swap. Needless to say, we came home with some lovely--and moderately useful--gifts as well as a warm fuzzy feeling from the mimosas and company of such a lovely group of friends.

Since Justin and I won't be traveling to either of our "childhood" homes this year, we are filling our home with lots of holiday cheer. Some of this holiday cheer comes from the fact the we spent much of last week scurrying to get gifts and holiday cards ready to be mailed across the country so that they arrive by the 25th. Almost every evening last week was spent by our wood stove wrapping gifts, diverting Scott from opening the freshly wrapped gifts, and writing and addressing cards while listening to Holiday Music Mixes or watching Elf. It certainly put me in the spirit. What also put me in the spirit was watching justin staple the wrapping paper onto a gift for his brother, Dan. (A technique that the post office worker also found amusing) I cannot imagine anyone receiving one of his handwrapped gifts without a huge grin.



Did I say cookies?! Ah, cookies. We've already received holiday shortbread from our friends brit and clay and a scrumptous variety from Justin's mom. All I can say, people, keep them coming. For some reason, this time of year, if it isn't sweet or bready, I don't want it! So, I had to get on the cookie train too.
I've started of by making some snickerdoodles (I am a big fan of making or using things that are just plain fun to say outloud), shortbread (everything's better with butter), and biscotti (I am also a fan of cookies that nearly demand the company of a cup of coffee). For all of the cookies, I have access to wheat berries from Nash's, so I've gotten to grind it fresh for each batch.


Here's recipe for the biscotti, which I really loved:


CASHEW-ANISE BISCOTTI
Preheat oven to 350

Combine:
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. chopped cashews
1 tsp. ground anise seed
Seperately Combine:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 TBS vanilla
Combine wet with dry until dough is somewhat stiff.
Seperate into 2 balls. Roll each ball into a 14 in. log and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten tops of logs and bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325
Slice the logs into 1 in pieces, cutting at a 45 degree angle.
Bake for 30 minutes more--flipping the pieces halfway through the baking.

Serve with coffee, chai, or cocoa.