Cookie Bake, Take ... 22?

Saturday was our annual Cookie Bake. Deb and I were trying to remember just how many years we've been doing this, but neither of us could recall for sure. A long time, at any rate! Some years we've made more cookies, and some years less, but if you average it out, if it is indeed 22 years that we've been having our cookie bake, just for this one particular event, we've baked nearly 7,000 cookies!! WHEW, I'm worn out just thinking about it!

We laugh now because the year of the very first cookie bake, we had no idea what we were doing. Oh sure, we knew how to bake cookies - that wasn't a problem. What was a problem was baking so *many* cookies ... but first, going shopping, and then ... to lunch, and then ... finally home to actually bake cookies! That first year we didn't finish until 9:00 P.M.!

But, as with most things, the more you practice, the better you get. We've gotten much smarter over the years; we make cookie dough in advance (well, at least some of it) and freeze it; we come prepared with everything we need to just bake the cookies; we don't shop; we don't go to lunch (which is not say that we don't have lunch). In other words, we've learned our lesson!

Anyway, the bottom line is, we came, we baked, we were tired, we each got lots of yummy cookies =) This year's lineup included a few new recipes; on the menu: oatmeal/almond macaroons, the classic sugar cookie cut-outs, mini-cupcakes, molasses crinkles, Reese's peanut butter cup drops, caribbean lime coolers, and cranberry pistachio biscotti. Delicious! Here are a few pictures from the event:Just getting started.The bakers.Well underway. Yummy cupcakes!The happy decorators =)

It was a wonderful day. As exhausting as it is, we both look forward to this fun event every year. Thanks for hosting this year, Deb. Just remember ... next year it's at Casa de Weir!