Baking Frenzy 2010

First I will start with a quick weekend recap. Friday, I headed out with my mom to find her an outfit for a party we were all going to on Saturday. My mom is not the easiest person to shop with, but we ended up with a cute outfit that I think she liked. I hurried home to get ready for Hub's work holiday party. It was down in the city at a hotel. There were drinks, dancing and I got to meet some people that I hear him talk about quite often.

Saturday morning I went to work and then home for a few lazy hours before we headed out to a family friend's holiday party. Yummy appetizers, drinks and a pretty comical white elephant gift exchange ensued. Her house was decorated so festively {is that a word?}, I may have to "borrow" a couple of ideas for our get together this weekend!

Yesterday was a wonderful, glorious, cozy day at home. We watched a couple of Christmas movies--Fred Clause {which neither of us loved, but it could be because we fell asleep a couple of times during the movie} and the Santa Clause 2 {I think I had seen it once before but confirmed again that it isn't near as good as the first}. Well I started to get the baking itch which was supposed to start today however I couldn't wait.

Before Thanksgiving I was out grocery shopping and found these:

Yum, yum, yum and YUM! Not a lot says Christmas-time to me like mint flavoring. I have been drinking it my coffee and I also found some mint truffle chocolate kisses. So to use these mint baking chips, I just flipped the package over and followed the recipe!

1.Preheat oven to 350. Blend 1/2 cup salted butter (softened), 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 2 eggs.

2. Stir in one 10oz. package of Andes Baking Chips and 2 2/3 cups sifted flour.

3. Chill approximately one hour. Measure out approximately 1oz. of dough, form into a ball and flatten slightly.

4. Raise oven rack up one notch from center of oven.

5. Bake on non-stick pans at 350 for 8-10 minutes, let set on baking pans for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

These cookies are so delicious. A few people have tasted them and I have had great feedback. Just the right amount of mint and a great texture. I am a moron, apparently and haven't taken a "finished" picture of the cookies yet but I will once I take them back out of the freezer. Try 'em, I tell you, they are easy and yummy! More to come after today, I have a great Taste of Home holiday baking magazine {you know, the kind at the checkout at the grocery store that's cover has great-looking recipes and then you look at the price and it's, like $10.99 and you think "10.99 for a magazine?!" but I bought this one because I LOVE Christmas baking and I have been nothing less than pleased with the recipes and I am proud of myself because I have had it for 3 years!} that I will be pulling recipes from and I will post them for you! Happy Holiday baking for you!