Christmas Cookie Baking 2011

I did all my cookie-baking within about 36 hours this year. At the top, gingerbread from a recipe of 1831 that I'm supposed to master (with a wood oven) as part of my training for the historical cooking program at Fort York. Right: Scandinavian Sand Cookies from Dede Wilson's Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies. They're made from an eggy Swedish recipe that calls for dipping them in sugar, cardamom and cinnamon, like rather sophisticated snickerdoodles. Bottom: Pecan Tassies from The Joy of Cooking. A great recipe: tiny pecan tarts with a shortbread crust. Left: The wonderful Mayan Chocolate Sparklers from Robin Hood. Centre: Roberta Schiff's Thumbprint Cookie recipe, published in my own book and featuring raspberry jam made with berries I was given for an appearance at the Markham Fair. And now to package them up to hand out to my friends and relations!

PS: My mom's making the shortbread this year.