It
doesn't feel like Christmas for me unless I've made batches and batches
of assorted cookies to be handed out, along with the cashew toffee, as
gifts for family, friends and colleagues. Because I do have a day job
and can't bake at home all day long (I wish!) I tend to stick to cookies
that can be made somewhat in advance. Usually that means I can make
the dough ahead of time and bake them as needed or the baked cookies
keep in airtight containers for more than a few days.
The
cookies that made the cut this year are, clockwise from the left (in
the box): cranberry-pistachio biscotti, coconut macaroons, iced sugar
cookies, checkerboard sablés and walnut snowballs.
I
tried something new with the packaging by using natural kraft boxes and
card stock. The snowflake border on the white card stock was made
using the Aspen Snowflake punch set from Martha Stewart. The tags were
created using pink card stock printed with a greeting I made in Word and
stamped with a cupcake design and then punched out. Everything was
tied together with red and white bakers twine. I was trying to go for
a more "organic and natural" look and I hope I've achieved it.