Christmas Cookie—2nd Event—Rainbow RV Resort, Frostproof, FL—12/18/2022

Joan and I have the use of the Clubhouse Kitchen at Rainbow RV Resort in Frostproof FL. It has 2 household stoves, lots of counter top space and a 3 bowl sink for clean-up. Last year (2021) we used the kitchen to make 2 kinds of pasta with 6 friends here. We had scoured flea markets and thrift stores for needed kitchen utensil essentials, even tho it is pretty well stocked. I brought my white Kitchenaid mixer from home, as well as some attachments. (Actually, I"ve set up a nice prep area in our outdoor shed and have been able to make several batches of pasta).

We started in the clubhouse kitchen at 9AM and finished about 4PM. We had Christmas music playing most of the time, but we had to turn it off at about 1PM when the hall of the clubhouse was used to show a movie to about a dozen people. (We worked quietly during the movie, didn't rattle any pots, pans or utensils and passed out chocolate chip cookies to the movie goers).

I made:       1 recipe of Chocolate Walnut Puffs, 1 1/2 recipes of butterballs, 1/2 recipe of thin PIzzelles                and 1/4 recipe of Mom's thicker Pizzelles

Joan made:  1 1/2 recipes of Cornstarch Cookie dough to roll and use with Christmas Cookie Cutters,

1 1/2 recipes of Linzer tarts and 1 recipe of Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Joan did the decorating of the Christmas Cookie Cut-outs. We had Christmas trees, stockings, snowmen, stars and holly wreaths. She use a very thin 10x icing and then sprinkle colored sugars as a finisher. They came out ABSOLUTELY beautiful. I'll see if I can add a picture to the Image Gallery of this software).

I also altered the Butterball recipe a bit. When Denielle made them earlier this year, she had some red and green sprinkles mixed in with the 10x sugar coating. I really like the festive way that looked, so I did it with this batch.

We gave a large tray for the staff here at Rainbow, a smaller tray tot he Park Manager and a smaller tray to the woman who has agreed to dog-sit Annie when we go to DisneyWorld in January.

All the rest are for Margie, Margcie and family whol'll be spending Christmas week with us this year at Horseshoe Cove RV resort in Bradenton FL.

Side Note: as we baked, a call came in from Gina and Geriann. They were making the Basic Dough for Ricotta cookies and had some trouble rolling the dough. (I suggested refrigerating it for a 1/2 hour). Gina also said the filling was a little wet and wondered if she should have drained the ricotta before making the filling. I answered that of course that was a necessary step. She and Geriann said it should be included in the direction section of the Mom's cookbook. I suggested that they write it in by hand as I don't intend to re-do the whole cookbook to edit in the things I'd forgotten). Wouldn't you know it, I got another call later from Maria and Mary. They were having trouble rolling pasta doug. (I suggested letting it rest for an hour or so and then being sure it was in small, flat pieces before putting it through the rollers. Mom used to pinch pieces flat with her fingers. I just roll my pieces really flat using my Grandmother's pasta rolling pin).