Chocolate Rum Sablés

After a great weekend in beautiful snowy Amsterdam, I had a rather rough start into the week. I just could not get out of bed, much less be motivated to do something useful. Is it possible that you get hangovers that last for two days, once you get older?
Anyhow, when I knew that this is not going to be one of those super-productive days, my friend and I decided we would do something fun and creative and hopped on to the current DIY-craze. However, soon we realized that even crafting can be definitely considered work too. Very exhausting work, which calls for a lot of concentration and commitment. So, instead we ate the rest of the chocolate rum cookies that I made for my Dutch sweethearts and went to bed early. Today is Tuesday and finally, the week can start.  

Ikea Gingerbread Cookies

Nope, not a typo – I totally did something unforgivable. I bought a ready-made cookie mix. Go on, judge me. But I can explain...sort of. So, I went to Ikea yesterday with a friend and I was planning to buy all sorts of Christmassy stuff, like cute gift wrapping paper and cards and whatnot! However, everything, and I repeat, EVERYTHING I wanted was sold out. At one point I actually attacked a gift wrapping station with a roll of pink and flowery gift wrap.
Left were only weird spring decorated things… and gingerbread cookie dough. I was desperate. I was tired and frustrated. My brain needed something Christmassy to cheer me up.
So, next to a couch, in our cart went two bottles of Glögg (Ikea version of mulled wine) and gingerbread dough. After coming home, I started baking and decorating on the spot. I swear these cookies are only to use as gift wrap decoration and Christmas tree ornaments. I would never eat store bought dough cookies. Munch. Crunch. I thwear.

Instant-Cookie-Mix

 So, I am totally gonna join in, making you stressed out about Christmas gifts. After all, there are only 21 days left. Seriously, time flies by and without warning there is going to be that awkward moment when everybody is like: “Ok, already have everything packed and ready, lying under the Christmas tree!” and you’re just like: “Wait, what day is today!?” And you rush to the city or the mall, and it is super crowded, and the only things you find are Hello Kitty pens and Wham!-Best Of CDs.
I know, I am sorry, that would never happen to you. I offer you a solution anyways. Here is a quick fix to yours and your friends and families happiness: the easy peasy instant-cookie-mix!

Pepernoten

Let’s talk about Pepernoten. Let’s talk about Sinterklaas. Let’s talk about the Netherlands. It is the cutest country there is. I had the pleasure living there for the past 4 years. And I really wanna go back. Especially next week, on the 5th of December, when Sinterklaas is coming to town. He basically is like Santa, just that Saint Nicholas comes from Spain on a boat bringing with him his Zwarte Pieten. Let’s not talk about them though, cause I tried to read into the whole bringing-little-black-face-helpers-with-you-thing and there are various opinions on it. The best, I guess, is that Sinterklaas freed a black slave named Petrus once and that he stayed to help him ever since. And somehow he duplicated. It’s true I saw a bunch of them jumping through the streets, smiling happily at me. Anyway, enjoy your Pepernoten, these little spiced cookies Sinterklaas brings with him. And you don’t even have to be a good kid or wait for them. Just bake a bunch this weekend it’s the easiest thing. I can’t though, I will be waiting at the nearest river for Sinterklaas passing by.

Oma's Lebkuchen

 
This recipe of German Lebkuchen (gingerbrad without the ginger) is very special to me. It belongs to my grandmother, a darling little lady, who passed away this year at the proud age 96. She was the happiest and most charming person I have known and she will be greatly missed.
When Christmas time arrived, granny took up the challenge of baking hundreds and hundreds of Lebkuchen in her wood stove. Now, my father and I have taken up this challenge, sticking to her recipe as close as possible! And ended up on Sunday morning, with sweaty heads and sore hands, filling up several cookie jars (and our bellies) with soft Lebkuchen goodness. Very satisfying, try it!

Peanutbutter Chocolate Cookies

Ok, this is a serious warning. This will probably one of my last posts that will not somehow involve Christmas or Christmassy things. I love Christmas. I really love it. I really really love it. So if you are a convinced Christmas hater, for which reason whatsoever, you really have no business reading this blog, until Christmas is over. I will be annoyingly posting Christmas songs, Gingerbread, mulled wine and trying to decorate everything, including myself, in red, green and gold. So, I guess, you got the point.
For now, just enjoy your weekend with a good batch of all-year-great-tasting chocolate cookies filled with peanut butter. No red, green or gold involved.