Baking in '08

2007 ended with plenty of baking due to the holidays.  Maddie and I managed to make these a couple of days before Christmas and they were quite tasty.  I used Martha Stewart's recipe from the holiday cookie booklet that came out in '06 I believe, but I think this is the same recipe.

I love making cookies and baking bread, but I don't do it as often as I should.  I'm trying to get away from processed food as much as possible, so instead of buying cookies and other sweets at the grocery, I'm going to try to make treats for my family so I know what is going into them, how they are made and can adjust them to make them more healthy.  This will surely help me to accomplish another of my 2008 goal  too -- buy less packaging.  Instead of a box, plastic wrapper and plastic tray -- the packaging used for most foods -- I'll simply put my cookies in a glass jar.  Better for us, better for the environment.

I already made a batch of cookies this year -- Oatmeal Raisin cookies from my new go to cookbook -- Essentials of Baking from Williams-Sonoma.  I can't seem to get enough of this cookbook.  Looking back thruogh the archives, I realize that I haven't even posted about the scones I made using the recipe in this book.  I've made them twice now, substituting different dried fruits and they are *so* good (much better than those dry, stale things that Starbucks sells!)

I also received an awesome gift for Christmas that will help me with my goal of baking more in 2008 -- this super cool Cuisinart Brick Oven.  I've already used it about 5 times for various things and it works like a dream.  Tonight we make homemade pizza in it for the first time.  I'm excited!

More baking posts are sure to come in the near future!

Comments

[Tracey]

I really have to get that book. We have exactly 9,583 Christmas cookies at our house still. Oy, I went a bit off the deep end.

How'd your pizza turn out? I'll bet that oven does a bang up job on pizza.

[knittykim]

Isn't it nice to know what is going in your mouth?? I swear I will never eat another processed brownie again now that I see how easy they are from scratch!!

[rebecca]

wow! what an amazing gift!!
i have started to really cook and bake from scratch lately, too.... although i can never get bread right! i so wish there were a class i could take