D-Day

This time of year around these parts, that stands for Dough Day.

(Takin' my new toy for its first spin!  Affiliate link)

I'll be honest, I was dreading getting my doughs together.  I'm in a time crunch as we're going away this weekend and then Monday we get together with his mom for her birthday and Christmas.  I always bake her a few of her favorite Christmas cookies since she doesn't bake anymore and it's just a matter of having a deadline that had me grinding my teeth the night before.  I hate it when I already feel like there isn't enough time to get done what you need to do to fit in the things you want to do.  The trip is a want to do but I haven't been able to plan it because of what I need to do.  Does that make sense?  A dear friend sent me a funny on the 25th saying only a month until Christmas and I thought I was going to faint from stress.  I hadn't even thought of it that way and now, well, we've only got 3 1/2 weeks so yeah.

I've got basically 4 people to bake for this year...two as gifts and two (the mothers) as little extras so it's not the whole mess of doughs but close enough.  I always have a little extra for the chiro and others that pop up.  I've got a co-worker at the Mr's work who is basically just waiting for her father to pass so I'll need to have a dinner or two in mind to freeze and have the Mr give to her because especially if it happens soon, no one wants to deal with making themselves dinner.  So I'm thinking maybe lasagna or something that can be stretched for a few nights.  Sorry...thinking out loud.

Back to the dough.

So I always try to make sure I take a day where I'm making dough after dough so I can freeze them for baking day.  There is nothing like being able to yank like 10 doughs out of the freezer the day before to put into the fridge and have them ready to bake the next day.  Scoop...bake...scoop...bake.  Yes, I said 10.

(Halfway there!)

I make extra of the doughs for cookies I would bake anyway for us and then there are some that I don't care for but others love like snowballs.  I can take them or leave them but for my dude friend and both moms are a requirement.  Then comes the packaging and stuff which is a whole other deal but there is something weirdly calming to me about taking the time to put the wax paper between them so they don't stick, wrap them in plastic wrap and then their pretty bags with my homemade tags on each one that makes me feel good.  It might not at the time but when it's all done and boxed up and ready to go, there's a sense of giving that ultimate gift of love.  I've also done it for friends who had cancer that couldn't bake or people who had just lost a relative that couldn't bring themselves to do it that year.  Sometimes just that gesture of still being able to enjoy an integral part of the season without all of the work that takes a load off of their plate.  The "dude friend's" partner just lost his mother recently so I asked what his favorite cookie was that she made and he said pizzelles.  I don't have a pizzelle maker but I called around and there are several Italian bakeries that do them so I'll get him a box of his own to bring him a little piece of home.  I know it's not the same as baking them myself but mama's got no storage room for another machine!  LOL  So if you know someone who is going through a hard time or even just has an emotionally hard time around the holidays, consider making and freezing 2-3 doughs and bake some love as the holidays approach.  It might add 30-40 minutes to your own baking day but the feeling of giving far outweighs the extra time.

I did have a big victory.  I was making my chocolate dough and my Lord did I want to lick the spatula.  I didn't.  Then I had to scrape it off into the dough log so I had it on my finger.  It wouldn't be that many calories and no one would know...

I'D know and I quickly ran it under hot water before my resolve failed me.  Six doughs and not a single finger lick.  As if that wasn't enough, right after I typed that, I remembered I forgot to add chocolate chips to the dough so I grabbed it out of the freezer and my hands were covered in the chocolate dough.  The only thing that saved me was my pride from not licking anything earlier in the day.  Under the water, they went again.

I can't guarantee I'll do it another day but for today (well, yesterday) I'll take it!

Do you bake holiday cookies?  What are your 3 must-haves for the season?

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