'Tis the season to bake non-stop!

Christmas is as good a time as any to spend days elbow deep in flour and parading your floweriest apron (amazingly suitable 21st birthday present!) around the kitchen. I was going to my roomie's house (well, roomies last year. We will always be each other's roomie!) in Navan for a day of tea and fun and decided to bake her 'Love Actually', cookie style. Seeing as we watched it countless times last year, I found it to be more than fitting:)

They were just easy butter cookies dipped in icing sugar and red food dye (2 coats) and then sprinkled with melted chocolate. My mom has a pretty handy collection of baking equipment, so I dug out the letter cookie cutters and you might be able to tell that the only letter missing was 'E'. So I had to delicately press the 'F' and add a leg...

Another seasonal baking day saw me making cookies for neighbors and friends with more lovely cookie cutters. I spread strawberry conserve (mushed up in a mug. I find it spreads easier than normal jam. Available in Aldi) on some of the cookies and then dipped them in melted chocolate for a little surprise come munching time:) Some are sprinkled with coconut though for a little snow effect and a coconut loving friend:)

This Christmas season, my family had a surprise party for one of my aunts. The lady is a reknowned baker and cook and I always semi-regret (practice makes perfect) offering to bake something (or my mom saying I'll bake something) when I know she's going to be tasting it! So I thought I'd go safe for the party and made a platter of plain cupcakes decorated with chocolate butter cream icing topped with a Jelly Tot and sprinkled with icing sugar and bits of Flake. Mmm.