Christmas Delights! And the Lemon Krinkles Recipe

Three delightful Christmas things going on in the house today - the color of this poinsettia - the plant breeders get more creative every year.  Last year, I had two gorgeous ones in dark peachy tones and I kept them going all winter and spring and planted them out in pots with other annuals and they kept going for half the summer but eventually petered out - I got my money's worth out of those two.  And you know how I mentioned we don't have many decorations out this year, as in no tree, well every time I do the dishes, I am in the middle of a Christmas tree farm - I am loving doing the dishes and you know I'm a hand washer.  Check out this delicious dish soap by Meyer's -

The scent fills the kitchen - it's glorious!

And although this isn't your typical Christmas candle scent, it smells like a happy kitchen, which mine certainly is right now - the ginger is heavenly - Yankee Candle's -

I finished all the cookie baking today, just eight kinds, and we will make two of the deliveries tonight.  Here's what went on the plates:

Triple Chocolate Iced Peppermint Brownies
Gingersnaps
Chocolate Crackles
Cowboy Cookies loaded with M&Ms, pecans, coconut, and oats
Double Chocolate Dried Cherry Drops
Snowball Cookies
Butter Cookie Sandwiches filled with homemade Dulce de Leche
Lemon Krinkles

Brownie batter is beautiful.  

This brownie batter is composed of both cocoa powder and melted bitter chocolate and then more chocolate chips and this peppermint stick deep dark chocolate have been chopped up and added.  Then frosted with vanilla buttercream.

This rich chocolate cookie dough is loaded with plump dried cherries, 60% dark chocolate chips, and cherry infused milk chocolate fat M&Ms - the combo is wonderful.

Cowboy M&M, World's Best Butter, and Double Chocolate Cherry Drops cooling  - Do you see that box of Cracklin Oat Bran cereal?  That's for my son Heath - he is heading out to WA State today and we wanted to make sure he got his annual box of Cracklin Bran - it's been a tradition that all three of my kids got one next to their stockings - they love the stuff but it was and is so expensive, almost 5 bucks for a little box and they could eat an entire box in a couple bowls full growing up so it became a once a year treat.  

The Lemon Krinkles were the 1st place winner in a cookie contest The Lion House of Salt Lake City Held about 5 years ago - I've been making them since I found the recipe and they are so lemony, tender and chewy and a favorite of men, young and old especially.  Males seem to go for them before any other, I have discovered (except my husband Dan who loves Chocolate Chip cookies more than any other cookie and food on earth). 

Lemon Krinkle Cookies

1 cup softened unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

1 t vanilla extract

2 t lemon extract

2 eggs

2 t lemon zest

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 t salt

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

3 cups flour

1 cup powdered sugar for rolling

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; whip in extracts, egg, zest and lemon juice.  Scrape sides and then add the dry ingredients.  Pour powdered sugar on to a large plate and roll  heaping tsp size balls liberally in sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake at 350 for 9 - 11 minutes until just barely beginning to brown.  Makes 5 dozen

I just love looking at cookie close ups.