Bake-A-Palooza: Day 1

Five straight hours of baking. Five hours of sugar and 80's music. This was the beginning of the Christmas baking season. Today I managed to knock out three varieties of cookies and some brownies. I had two pans of brownies, but sadly, the second pan didn't turn out well. I scalded the chocolate, therefore giving them that burnt taste. In my (careless) defense, I was on the phone at the time (multi-tasking!). I started out with a full batch of these pecan sables that I have made previously. I did add some chopped pecans in addition to the ground pecans. Made a big difference flavor-wise. The end result all wrapped up and ready to go in the mail (the picture was an afterthought):

I had my cookie agenda planned out last weekend, but on an impulse last ngiht I decided to try the Rumnog Cookies from V-con. Only I had no rum. So they are more like Rum(less)nog Cookies. I briefly toyed with the names, "Noggies" and "Nookies." Both sound kind of dirty. The cookies are pretty though, and have a nice spice to them. Instead of plain ole s'milk, I used Silk Nog, and also used it in place of the rum.

Preeeeeety. Now, this is the point in which the phone rang, and I was distracted during the entire time I made the Ginger Sparkle Cookies from VWaV and the brownies. Only the brownies suffered. I made the Ginger Sparkle Cookies earlier this year for my co-worker's and they sucked them down. I expect more of the same this time.

Here's another pic of my multi-tiered cooling racks; a must-have when you have no counter space.

I had already started wrapping the cookies up in clear plastic wrap when I remembered that we had colored wrap from the previous year. I know blue and pink aren't Christmas-y, but it will have to do. The "Noggies" waiting to be packed away.

The gang altogether. Ignore my trash can. Please.

Brownies fresh outta the oven, pre-cut. These were the only survivors. They weren't so pretty when I packed them up in foil though. These are the the same as the brownies I posted before. Once I find something I like, I tend to get in a rut. A yummy rut.

Slightly underbaked. Maybe by a few minutes. It just makes them fudgier.

I had planned on making two more types of cookies today, but I went out this afternoon and didn't feel like making anymore today. Tomorrow there will be more. Oh, there will be. There can't be a Day 1, without a Day 2.