Happy New Year!

As 2011 draws to a close, I can't help but think about... all of the flour I've gone through this year.

Seriously, I've bought a lot of flour.

The other great things I've accomplished? I've created this kick ass blog where people actually come to find cool recipes. I've baked a lot, passed out a lot of Yeah, I'd Bake That business cards, and bribed people with sugary treats until they came to the blog and checked out all the good stuff that's happening here. I know I've said it before, but really, we've hit the big time. 2011 was a great year!

Now I know what a lot of you are thinking, how can we possibly get better in 2012? The answer is, we can't. But I'll make a promise to you now that we'll never plateau. I'll keep posting recipes and poorly taken photos until I have to give it all up. Why? The beginning period of a relationship is one of the best parts. We're learning new things about each other, getting excited to see the other person, staying up late talking on the phone. Why would we want to lose that? Over the next year we'll just prolong that feeling, unless you get sick of me. In which case, just let me down easy.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Wrap Up

Well we did it! We survived 12 Days of Christmas Cookies - it was a success! Below I've put a link for each day's recipe, that way you can forward this post link to your Grandma and tell her to get back in the kitchen! Not in that awkward women belong in the kitchen sense..it's just that Grandmas are normally good at baking.

Phew, it's time for me to take a break.

So here they are! Thanks to everyone for tuning in and checking out my little blog! It really was fun, and I hope we can do it again soon. If I don't see any of you before the New Year, have a Happy Holiday and come back to Yeah, I'd Bake That soon! 2012 holds some great recipes and what I can (safely) assume is more sarcasm.

Day 12: Peanut Butter Toffee Turtle Cookies

Just like all great things in life, our 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Rockette Winter Spectacular is coming to an end.

Right now I'm imagining us all sitting around the table as the man from the Chinese restaurant chops the head off the duck in A Christmas Story. "He's smiling at me". It certainly was a festive countdown, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as me.

Tonight's final recipe is a cookie I've been saving for last, because like all great Christmas movies, this cookie has a little something for everyone. [insert Jingle All the Way quote here].

Peanut Butter Toffee Turtle Cookies.
I'll give you a minute to think that over.

Day 11: Ricotta Cheese Cookies

I’m going to throw this out there for all of you non-believers and say I don’t like cheese. There, I said it! Now, like many of the greatest proclamations, there are a few caveats to that sentence. I like grilled cheese sandwiches (if there is only one slice of cheese). I now eat almost all of the cheese on a slice of pizza (although if the cheese to sauce or pepperoni proportions are way off, things change). I like sausage cups (which, even I can’t explain). And more importantly, and for the purposes of this post, I like Ricotta Cheese Cookies.

The one thing I’ve always had a problem with is why anyone in the their right mind would have combined cheese and cookie batter. Even in my dark twisted fantasy Kayne West mind, I cannot come up with a scenario where I would say “Wow, you know what would make this cookie better? Cheese.”

Day 10: Chocolate Caramel Chews

It's not something that I've ever done, but I've always wanted to learn how to make candy for Christmas time. I've messed around looking for recipes online, and every time I find one I never do it because the recipe calls for roughly half a day. Sadly, I just don't the patience.

What I do have is a quick google finger, so I'm on to the next recipe before I get too depressed thinking about my lack of candy making abilities.

Day 9: Chocolate Rice Cereal Rocking Horses

Today's thoughts on Christmas and cookie recipes are brought to you by Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman's Open Heart necklace. Because if you keep your heart open and wear a necklace shaped like a butt around your neck, love will always find a way in. 

Anyway, today's recipe is described in my recipe book as an old-fashioned favorite among "youngsters". I'm not sure how old fashion it is, but I know rice has been around for awhile so maybe they're right.

A different twist on the regular rice krispie treat, this recipe can definitely add a little chocolate color to your cookie tray.

Day 8: Eggnog Snickerdoodles

A couple years ago I made a joke that it's not Christmas unless the Wells household smells like Southern Comfort. Different people have different ways to spice up eggnog.
Some choose the Raspberry Vinaigrette of liquors - Brandy. Some go whiskey or kahlua. My mom uses Southern Comfort, and the fine spirit has since turned into her Major Award from A Christmas Story. It's not particularly fra-gee-lay, but it's a holiday staple.

Looks just like a snickerdoodle right? Wrong!

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies is a recipe for Eggnog Snickerdoodles that the book kindly suggests you serve with real eggnog or chai lattes.

I say serve with a hearty helping of Southern Comfort!

Day 7: Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Day 7 -- we've more than half way through the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! Hang in there, the back nine of this countdown is all good recipes all the time. It's like the Lifetime Channel. 24 hours a day of Golden Girls. Perfection.

These cookies look like they're made of candy cane clouds.
I should write Hallmark cards.

Today's recipe is for Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies. Candy canes are popular around Christmas time, sure. Every year I try to make a cookie that involves candy canes. Last year I tasked my spouse with chopping all the candy down to a dust like substance so that I could dip my chocolate covered sugar cookies in the candy canes. By the way, I promised in the beginning that I would never share spouse stories, but I'm breaking that promise when I tell you now that he came back into the kitchen with HUGE chunks of broken candy canes. Like a every candy cane was just in 8 pieces. You can't attach a chunk of candy canes to a cookie like that. Come on now.

Day 6: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I've been baking since 6:30. At least I think it was 6:30? I feel like I'm high from all of the cookie fumes, it could actually be midnight, who knows.

Wow. A picture of a picture. Classy.

One thing I do know is that it's National Cupcake Day! So let's celebrate by baking some chocolate peanut butter cup cookies! Today doesn't have to be all about cupcakes. You don't wear a diaper and shoot arrows at kids on Valentine's Day do you?

Don't answer that.

Day 5: Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookies

Day 5 Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookies are brought to you courtesy of my Aunt Karen (the muddy buddy master) whose a veritable wiz in the kitchen. I mean, this lady can make cookies with the best of them, and is always there with a package of Andy's mints when you need it.

Obviously I took this photo. I don't go anywhere without
my camera, orange spirals and carefree raisins.

The last few Christmas cookie posts have been a little time consuming, and involved in the ingredients department. This recipe, however, is built around a brownie mix and could not be more easy or freakin delicious.

If you're a fan of brownies and cookies, and are looking for something to shake up your Christmas cookie tray this year -- this recipe may be for you.

Day 4: Linzer Cookies

My sister and I are pretty bad ass, as evidenced by this photo:

In our shared history together we've attempted a few kitchen experiments. There was the time when we microwaved marshmallow peeps because we watched a bunch of videos of it on youtube and thought it was hilarious. We didn't actually let the peeps explode though, so it was pretty underwhelming for all involved.

Day 3: Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

I just borrowed this. You know the drill.

I'm a big fan of shortbread cookies, but I don't think I've ever actually made them around the holidays. If it's not covered in sprinkles or green icing, is it really even a Christmas cookie? These are tough questions. If a sugar cookie tree fell in the woods would it make a sound? I don't know, but my dog grabbed a sugar cookie tree from the table the other day and I didn't hear it, so maybe.

Whether or not they're Christmas staples, this recipe is a keeper and today is officially the third day of the 12 days of Christmas Cookies. So without any further ado, here is the recipe for Chocolate Dipped Shortbread cookies! 

Day 2: Spritz Christmas Trees

Living in our mini house in East Falls is difficult around Christmas time. Between moving out on our own, getting married and the occasional sidewalk shopping we do we have amassed a large number of  decorations. I think a normal couple would choose a few that mean the most and just display those, but we've crammed all of our decorations into this tiny place.

As was the case with yesterday's post, this picture is clearly just for demonstration purposes.
I just found it on google. Got it?

We even take out the back portions of the Christmas tree so it'll fit in the corner of the dining room. 

Because that's where Christmas trees go.

So while we're putting decorations on top of shelves that are packed with books, hanging hand made stockings and lighting cheap candles that smell like cinnamon - I'm also filling the house with Christmas cookies. It's what I'm best at.

Day 1: Peanut Butter Blossoms

..And you thought I forgot.

Welcome to Day 1 of the 12 Days of Cookiesssss!

^ That logo is just so good, I have to keep using it.

Today is the first day of my personal Christmas cookie challenge, posting one recipe a day for 12 whole days. Since the completion of my grad school finals I've been going over recipes in my head, and today is the day that it all begins.

A Special Announcement

Somehow in the past few days it became December, and the hunt for new kinds of Christmas cookies has officially eclipsed the final I need to finish by Wednesday night. Oops.

I started thinking about what I was going to make and what I would post and immediately I thought of at least 4984 kinds of cookies I wanted to write about. That's a ballpark, but it's pretty spot on. I convinced myself that I would need to post a lot, and often, to get them all out and to the masses so you can make them for Christmas too. That's why I decided to post 12 cookie recipes in 12 days. It's like the Amazing Race, only with less forms of transportation and no tears! (Actually, no promises on the tears).