December 21, 2006

If It's Not Snowing, We're Biking.

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I was up late last night baking. My inability to refuse a challenge may have been partly to blame as can be seen in the following conversation between Dad and I:

Dad: Wanna go for a bike ride?
Me: I have 25 dozen cookies to make.
Dad: We’ll just go around the block. (*Note- my “block” is 12km long)
Me: But I just started the cookies.
Dad: Come on, it’s sunny out.
Me: What’s the temperature?
Dad: 5.4°C and it’s going up, and it’s sunny, so it feels warmer.
Me: But the weather network said that with the windchill it’s -1°C.
Dad: Wuss.
Me: Let’s go.

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And so off we went for our bike ride. The wind was angry that day my friends, like an old man trying to return soup in a deli. Dad graciously let me take the lead, and the wind in my face. I felt like I was going backwards. Then when I got home I felt the need to take a break. And I got distracted, (gee, what a surprise) and decided to go turn a wooden bowl on the lathe. I got ¾ of the way through turning my bowl when it exploded. Kablamo! No more bowl-o. Curses, foiled again. So then I was angry and put off making cookies until later. Eventually I got myself back into the kitchen and started to make whipped shortbread, chocolate shortbread, lemon bars, traditional shortbread, chocolate mint cookies, gingerbread men, sugar cookies, chocolate peanut butter cups… it was a lot of cookies.

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My oven is not big enough for a production of such magnitude. Nor do I have enough pans or silpats. I tried to get a system going so that I’d always have a pan ready to go into the oven when one came out. The problem was that I was also trying to make about 4 different kinds of cookies at once. I’ve never been good at following one recipe, let alone 4 of them. I started getting backlogged when the oven was full, all of my trays were in use, all of my bowls were in use, and the sink was full of dishes. A wiser person would have done some of the dishes, organized the kitchen, you know, something useful. Instead, I combined scraps of chocolate shortbread with scraps of traditional shortbread to make striped cookies, thus requiring me to stay up even later to bake them. At one point I even started getting delirious and seeing animals in my cookies.

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Just try to tell me you can’t see the monkey in that picture. What? I think the baking needs to stop. I’m concerned that my oven is going to revolt, possibly explode like my bowl. I think I need to start eating carrot sticks. Let’s not be drastic, maybe I just need a nap. Then some ice cream… That doesn’t require heat. Mmmm ice cream… Stick a fork in me, I’m done.

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26 comments:

Jenny said...

Except the peanut butter part, everything looks yummy! So what is the second cookie (I suspect chocolate mint) and would you mind sending me the recipe so I can add some chocolate cookies to my big pile of various shortbreads? :-)

Rachel said...

I have never seen that many cookies in my life! You must be exhausted.

Anonymous said...

You have been one busy baker / biker. What is that second cookie...the chocolate goodness with the frosting? I love the zebra cookie resemblance too.
Great post!

Julie said...

Brilynn,
I only wish I had baked that many cookies. I love baking for Christmas. You're an inspiration, and your blog is really fun to read! I loved the cookies arranged to look like a zebra!

Anh said...

Brylin, you must have been so hardwroking! Look at all the delicious cookies there!!

Anonymous said...

I love the zebra cookies. Also, I am so envious of your access to a lathe. I've done some aluminum lathework and I absolutely loved it, but I don't have one at home (it'd be hard to fit in my little apartment). Lucky!

Brilynn said...

I've updated links so that there are recipes for some of the cookies I've been making.
The pictures for this post are, (in order of appearance):
-Chocolate peanut butter cups
-Chocolate mint cookies
-Traditional shortbread
-Chocolate and traditional shortbread mixed together
-Lemon bars

Jen the Bread Freak said...

You baking nut you! Wow, I'm impressed. I've only been doing a cookie or two a day...... They look delicious, love the zebra!

K and S said...

cute zebra! and hilarious post! too bad about the bowl, though.

Anh said...

Brylin,

Have a wonderful Christmas celebration!!!

Anonymous said...

You are the cookie Queen girl!!
I've got my eye on that second chocolate. And you maybe done but I'd suggest NO fork.

Edith said...

love all your christmas bakes!!!!!!! Have a Blessed Christmas and may all your dreams come true.

Anonymous said...

Ha, ha....I LOVE the zebra you made!

Gattina Cheung said...

even you gave me 48 hours a day I still couldn't make that many... Brilynn, you are amazing! All cookies look seriously delicious!

Freya said...

Brilynn! You are a powerhouse!
I feel faint after just making one dozen cookies...but then us Brits only make measly size portions!
Have a great Christmas!
Freya x

Lis said...

I now dub you, The Cookie Queen.

That is all.

wheresmymind said...

I'm impressed with the sheer number of cookay makin'!

Anonymous said...

Those peanut butter cups were a staple of my mother's holiday baking. Yours look delicious!

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I love the zebra cookie-collage! Everything looks great & sounds great - except for the bowl-explosion part!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Brilynn, that little break you took in your last post got me just a little worried if you were coming down from your sugar high. But this post makes up for it ;-)

I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the festive time out with you family!
Hugs!

Anonymous said...

what a woman you are! so many cookies for sucah a short day...love the zebra cookie, very creative! Merry Christmas!

Unknown said...

Biking sounds like fun...I have a bike but now need a helmet...and someone to ride with me! All of your pictures are great.

Anonymous said...

I hope you finally got some sleep Brilynn because you're at the hallucination phase of sleep deprivation... went for a good cause though, beautiful cookies!

Happy holidays!

Anonymous said...

Brilynn,

I raise my hat to you! I would have gone to bed after the bike ride.

I'm sure the cookies were all delicious. Happy Holidays and all the best in 2006!

m3rni3 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
m3rni3 said...

hi brilynn

my oh my .. all those cookies just made me drool ..

wishing u a magical xmas!

regards
murnie
one of the BBM participants