Last year a group of intrepid bakers, including myself decided to bake 12 Days of Cookies for the Holidays. Our inspiration was a great spread on Gourmet.com chronicling decades worth of cookies .With the demise of Gourmet ( may she rest in peace) we turned to another Conde Nast publication. I must admit Bon Appetit has never really captured my interest, but their holiday slide show provided just the ticket our growing group needed.

I must be insane to do this again. Last year the cookies built up and overtook my house. I ended up giving them away at a few friends Holiday parties. Certain Someone , at first indulgent, was not amused after a while. He will be away while I bake this year. I knocked out three recipes with him here and he liked one in particular, which is rare as he does not like sweets so much.
The first cookie Im posting is similar to another one I will post a little later. I worried about this, but the taste are way different and each cookie stands apart. What I love about these challenges is I am introduced to new recipe , I might not otherwise bake. So indulge me over these next 12 days. I will be posting a lot this December, as Tis the Season! Bon Appetit!

My first Cookie is the Orange – Almond Lace cookie. I love these butter and sugar based cookies that are mixed on the stove before baking to a deep golden color. If you are scared of butter, back away. The recipe called for finely chopped almonds, but I ran mine more into a coarse almond meal with some sliver chunks remaining. Don’t be alarmed at the batter, it it runny and you drop it by the spoonful inches apart to bake . They spread into a delicate lacy pattern as they crisp up. Addition of a little egg makes then stronger. Dont be afraid that these are turning too brown while baking. The more golden and dark, the more the flavor comes through, as the sugars caramelize. You can find the recipe here.