Leslie's Baking Show...

I have some friends who post recipes, and pictures of their baking on their blogs. It always looks so good! So -- inspired, I decided to document for you all my first batch of Christmas cookies. I always start with Spritz Cookies. They're easy, yet special...You can see I've assembled the ingredients, and creamed the butter, shortening and sugars...


...You may notice that things are beginning to deteriorate...not quite so orderly at this point...

Here I am putting the dough into my Super Shooter Cookie Press. Randy bought this for me on our first Christmas, and I've used it ever since! See the voids in the columns of dough...yea, those aren't supposed to be there...

...The tube is in the press, and I'm noticing that the drive rod is protruding too far out of the top...Hmmmmm....

Here I am trying to dig out the dried dough that is causing the rod to protrude too far. Apparently, I forgot to clean this area well after last year's use...Hmmm...

This is a shot of the now stuck toothpick I was using...Hmmmm...how to get it out without leaving a piece of it behind...A lot of hand-smacking on the back of the press releases the toothpick, and the dried dough...I really need to remember to clean that before I put it away for a year...

We're in business! This is how the appliance SHOULD look! Yay! Time to press out some cookies...

...and there you have it! Somewhat tree shaped blobs of dough, meticulously decorated with a shake of green sugar...


Here I am applying blue sugar on the flower shaped cookies, because I just realized I forgot to buy the candied cherries that usually go in the middle...(I prophecy that the first comment I will hear is "What? No cherries???" from the boys.)...And why blue sugar you say? Because I don't have enough green to do it all...

...I also want you to note the Half Tree...not everyone can do that, people!! I'm not even sure I can do it again...so special!!!

Here are the completed cookie trays, waiting on the counter because I forgot to preheat the oven....

Here I am, eating a banana, 'cause baking makes me hungry, and I can't do anything until the oven is heated anyway...

Now it dawns on me that I should have made a double batch, so we start all over again...

...in a hurry, I spill sugar on the counter...

...and the floor...

But finally! The end result is, well, special! Note the beautifully baked Half Tree...I've been making these cookies for 30 years, and it's always like this...And my family, who have not ever had high expectations because I have never raised them in the baking department, are thrilled to eat them...even if they have to ask me what shape they are supposed to be. However, I think this will be the last baking blog I do. It's probably better that there are no witnesses...