on the 21st day of December my blogger gave to me...

c·o·o·k·i·e

Christmas baking lists abound on the internet. Everyone has "The Ultimate Guide" on what to bake from classic to fancy to international. As for me, I'm thinking the "something borrowed, something blue" approach to selecting might be the way to go...

As in something crunchy (Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti)
something nutty (Mostaccioli -- which unintentionally look like meatballs)
something spicy (Mexican Wedding Cookies with cayenne)
something traditional (Maple Butter Tarts)

(These aren't the actual recipes I used, except for the last one, but the closest ones I could find online. You get the idea)

One thing you WON'T find on this list is anything "oatmeal, flax, bran blah blah blah". I might give books for Christmas gifts but there is no way I'm gonna ruin the holiday baking selection with an oxymoron like "healthy treats". Save those for sober January days.

And the perfect soundtrack to all this kitchen mayhem? The Big Chill Movie Soundtrack. On Vinyl.