Peppermint Mocha Cookies
Tallahassee Lassies
Italian Rum Balls
Pumpkin Whoopi Pies
Peanut Butter fudge
Chocolate walnut fudge
peppermint bark
biscotti
Background info:
Several of the cookies can be made well in advance. Both types of fudge will actually improve if they are allowed to "cure" for a week or two in an air tight container. The Biscotti is a very hard, dry cookie that is virtually indestructible and can last for a month. The peppermint bark does fairly well in an air tight container in the fridge (not freezer). These four will be made well in advance, probably during the second week of December.
The dough for many of the other cookies can be made in advance and kept in the freezer. I make the dough, portion it into whatever shape makes sense (balls for drop type cookies, disks that will thaw quickly and roll out easily for cut outs) and freeze them on baking sheets. Once frozen, I can put them into freezer bags to save space. I always mark baking instructions on the bag.
The following dough can be made and portioned ahead of time:
Tallahassee Lassies
Italian Rum Balls
Pumpkin Whoopi Pies
are new to me, so I'm going to have to give them some thought.
The bar cookies are essentially a butter cookie with chocolate and hazelnuts on top. The dough should be just fine in the freezer and they will likely last at least 5 days after being topped.
The Peppermint Mocha Cookies will also be fine if the dough is made ahead. The frosting will be okay in the fridge for at least a week. Once frosted, however, the cookies will need to be served or given in away ASAP.
The Pumpkin Whoopi Pies have quite a bit of pumpkin in the dough, but also a lot of fats and flour. I think that the dough will be okay in the freezer, but the pumpkin content worries me a little. As for the filling, it is nearly all fats and sugar and should be fine in the fridge for a week.
The rum balls are another one where the dough should be okay, but the inclusion of the rum is a little worrisome. Again, these will need to be glazed shortly before serving.
Finally there are the Tallahassee Lassies. These are made in muffin tins and consist of a soft cookie base covered with a butterscotch filling. Since I really don't have much experience with these, the butterscotch will be made just before serving, but the dough should be ok in the freezer.
The Plan:
Ok, so how is all of this going to come together? Lets assume that I want my cookie trays to be ready for December 23.
Week of December 6 - Make freezable doughs for:
Molasses Spice Cookies
Week of December 13 - Make freezable doughs for:
Peppermint Mocha Cookies
Make Fudge, pepermint bark and biscotti
December 20 - make frosting for Peppermint Mocha Cookies
make nut crescents
December 21 - make filling for Pumpkin Whoopi Pies
make any dough that was missed, bake immediately
December 22 - Bake frozen cookies
top Chocolate-Cherry Bar Cookies with Hazelnuts
December 23 - finish baking frozen cookies
Make macaroons
fill, frost and coat required cookies.
So, there you have it. It may seem daunting, but if you break it down, and have reasonable expectations you can make an amazing array of holiday goodies. And remember, if you just can't get to all your cookies it's ok. Don't let one or two (or even 9 or 10) cookies ruin you holiday. If you feel yourself getting too stressed about it all remember that nearly every grocery store has a bakery over flowing with cookies for the buying!
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