One of the things I most love to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas is bake dozens of cookies for my friends. We’ve talked about that before. How feeding people is one of the only things I know how to do to show them my undying love and affection.
There’s a delicate balance in creating a bag of cookies for others, though. It takes just the right mix of classic cookies and fun cookies, of cookies with chocolate and cookies without, and flavors that go, but that aren’t too similar. Unless you have hipster friends for days, it’s likely your friends’ palates are not as adventurous as yours, the cookie baker. I find most people are up for a salted caramel anything, but you may have to save other, more adventurous flavors for another day. No chipotle-laced anything here. The Christmas cookie bundle is no place for experimentation.
It is, however, the ideal time to use up the various bags of chocolate chips stashed away in your baking drawer/shelf.
I have no idea what is going in my bags this year, nor do I care to worry about them far enough in advance that I would have them finished in time to share with you before the holidays, dear readers. It’s not that I don’t love you (because oh, I do), it’s that I’m trying to pare down the holiday crazy around here. With only three and a half weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m feeling the pressure. As a matter of fact, in my dream world, I invite all my friends over for cookies this December, eliminating the need for cookie bags entirely.
So here are the ghosts of cookie past, ready to fill any holiday treat bag you see fit.
Classics (include at least 2 of these):
Snickerdoodles (and pumpkin snickerdoodles)
Peanut Butter (Sandwich) Cookies
Fun and different cookies (2 here as well):
Foodie cookies (choose one if you’re feeling adventurous):
Espresso and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
The best cookies (maybe just keep these for yourself):
*I will tell you I am dying to recreate the gingerbread biscotti I made oh-so-long-ago, now that Wooden Nickels has gifted me some cinnamon chips (do you know how hard it is to find cinnamon chips?!?) and my photography skills, though nothing to write home about, are at least better than this.
a glass of milk 
Chocolate chippities, snickerdoodles, and lemon sugar for 110, please. I don’t do peanut butter or fancy stuff. 🙂