Everyday Ellie: Annual Christmas Cookie Fest

Whew, finished except for the delivery. Fortunately, J and A take care of delivery each year while P and I finish up wrapping and sweep the crumbs off the floor.

The caramels come first, because they are wrapped individually and stay fresh on the cool side porch. Caramels are strictly a P and J affair. They require a lot of patience, standing and stirring. It's the wrapping that is especially time-consuming: little pieces of parchment paper cut into little rectangles, then twisted at each end. A couple of years ago I bought one of those paper cutter things with the swing arm and the measurements on the cutting surface. Indispensable. The recipe for the caramels is from Martha Stewart..

Pictured above you see the cookie sheet full of fudge. The recipe makes 3 pounds.. smooth and creamy. You eat a piece and then head for the ice water, so if you have trouble getting your daily quota of 6-8 glasses in each day, then eat a lot of fudge. Ellie's health tip, free of charge.

The cookie selection this year was rather random: Lime Sables, (Martha, again), Maple Sugar Cookies, Cranberry Pecan Noels (also Martha), and Espresso Toffee Bars, The fudge recipe is one my mom used to make and which my my brother Dan also makes at Christmas time to woo friends, family, and office mates.

Once all the treats are made, they are packaged in little white muffin cups and gold candy cups, then packed away for until they are all ready in tupperware containers.

A cutting rounds of paper for-
yes, the round tins..

Cranberry Noels, lower tight, and the rest are Pecan Balls.

Once we think we have enough stuff to fill the 15 or so boxes, we stop. And then we start preparing the boxes. Each box must be fitted with parchment paper. So, out comes the paper cutter again.

J with the "cutting machine"

the factory..

Finally, it's time to assemble the boxes.. The boxes themselves vary from year to year depending on what I come across, how early I start thinking about it, etc. Some years they have been wonderful, some years sort of ho hum, as in tins from Target. This year its a mix of Target tins, white boxes from the paper store, and some red faux leather-y looking things left over from a batch I bought last year at the flea market for fifty cents apiece. I need to start paying more attention to boxes. The round tins are a pain to tie a ribbon around..