Breathe. That is what I need to remember to do this month so I can get things done in a manner that allows me to enjoy doing it all. For the first time since starting a staff job three years ago, I’ll have a 16 day break from work. The finish line feels so far away, but come the end of my work day on Friday, December 17th, I’m changing my Slack status to vacationing until January 3rd.
I entered my cookie baking season with the best of intentions. My list is keeping me very streamlined, and helps tremendously to get back on track when I veer from my self-imposed deadlines but I’m still feeling a little frazzled. I know it’ll all get done, it just may take a week longer than I hoped.
One of my best friends lives in San Francisco, and experience has taught me her packages can take longer to arrive due to how my rural area routes the mail, which is why I aimed to get my cookies baked, tins packed and packages mailed by December 13th. I think (fingers crossed) I can still achieve this goal.
Having been a freelancer for most of my life, it has been a learning process fitting my holiday baking into my schedule around a full-time job. What I’ve decided is next year I’m going to be more strategic with my vacation days and take some time off to do my holiday baking.
There is a very good reason I’ve been quiet here. I’ve been busy working behind the scenes on an e-book, compiling some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Some will look familiar from my old site, In Jennie’s Kitchen, and some are new and recipes i’ve been baking for years but sharing now for the first time. —xo, j.
ABOUT THIS CHRISTMAS COOKIE E-BOOK! I felt like we all needed caps to break us out of that journey I just took us on (if you’re still reading, you’re a saint and I thank you for sticking with me).
While most of the recipes are not new this is the first time they’ve ever been compiled into a book, and this is the only place they can be found right now. They are no longer available at the free site. There is one new recipe, and it’s one people have been asking about for years—my panettone. The recipe in the e-book uses yeast. This year I converted my sourdough starter panettone recipe to use yeast, and I’ve got to say I think it’s a much better baking experience.
While most people fell in love with sourdough in the spring of 2020 under lockdown, my connection to it dwindled. I have a back up of my starter dried and keep meaning to rejuvenate it, but honestly, time has felt at a standstill due to outside circumstances in the world. I just want my bread faster and with less drama. I also keep a very cold house in the winter because heating is expensive in an old drafty house, so proofing times can take 2 to 3 times longer. If enough people leave a comment requesting the sourdough-based version of my recipe, I can put that up here, too, so don’t be shy to speak up below.
And so, without further adieu, I welcome you to click the link below for my Christmas Cookie e-book (it’ll take you to your Google drive where the file will be saved, and you can download it from there). Again, this book is for paid subscribers only, so if you’ve been curious about subscribing, now is a great time to do it.
May the weekend bring pockets of peace and light.—xo,j.