Christmas Cookies

One of the traditions I have embraced each Christmas here in Canada is having a cookie bake-off marathon with my friends.  It started when my friend Monika invited me over to bake cookies to give as gifts for her Polish friends.  Growing up, my idea of cookies are always simplistic sugar cookies, sometimes buttery, sometimes chocolatey.  That first year I came to bake with Monika, she opened up a lot of possibilities for me, baking cookies with cream cheese, apricot jam, orange zest, cranberries, walnut, almonds, hazelnut butter and even rhum!  Ever since that year, we have always reserved a day to do it and we have invited more friends to join in our bakeathon.

Gingerbread Little People from Cupcake Diner

This year was an exception as most of us have moved on to different workplaces and our personal schedules did not get to sync up like it used to.  I could have still tried to bake on my own but looking back, I think I did it for the love of company and not for the cookies.  Monika and I did manage to get a Christmas dinner get-together and I think both of us are regretful of letting our schedules get in the way.  I miss the bakeathon and since that night I saw Monika, I started looking around for a perfect Christmas cookie.

Christmas Ornament Cookie from Isobel & Company

I went to different places and brought home some cookies with me.  It is amazing how looking for a Christmas cookie can lift your spirits up and get you into the spirit of the holiday season.  I found so many and brought home some.  If you are curious where I got them, click on the captions of the images I am posting :)

Snowflake from Madbatterbakers.com

To all of you reading my food trippin’ posts, I wish you a very joyous holidays!  Here’s looking forward to another amazing new year!

Santa Claus Cookie from Isobel & Company