Bake-a-palooza 2010!

Break out the butter and pull out the parchment paper...Christmas is next week and it's time to get your bake on! Know what's more fun than spending a Saturday mixing wet ingredients in a Kitchen Aid? Having someone else sift the dry ingredients!

Last year my friend Crystal and I decided to double-up on our baking efforts and spend a Saturday rolling out dough a deux. Let me tell you, baking with a buddy is so much more fun that solo sifting and we were able to churn out three different goodies in only a few hours.

 

 We called it "Bake-a-Palooza" and we just celebrated our 2nd annual tradition.

 

The Roster

I like to have everything set out before she comes over so I'm not fumbling through cabinets with flour-coated fingers. I always make sure to pull out the eggs and butter about an hour before we start baking so the butter will be softened and the eggs will be easier to crack open.

 

If you're going to be doing a lot of baking next week, I can't speak highly enough of Sur La Table's brand of bakeware. This was my first time using my new professional aluminum baking sheets (2 for $20!) and they are phenomenal. Everything baked incredibly evenly and you don't even need a spatula to lift cookies off the sheet. Get you one! (PS: No one paid me to say that. When I find something really great, I like to spread the word!)

 

I wrapped up all the cookies in tiny clear bags, then tied on a label and a bag of tea or hot chocolate. Stay tuned all week for Christmas cookie recipes!