Cookie Fest 2007

Ok, so, we had the beginning of the month where my work tends to take up my blogging time then, once that was done, I realized that Cookie Fest 2007 was this weekend! So, instead of getting back to blogging, I had to clean the house and put up Christmas decorations.

Cookie Fest is a baking extravaganza that my husband's step-mom's family does each year. I guess that makes it my step-mother in-law's family. Anyway, all the girls (there were 6 of us) each pick a cookie recipe and then we all get together and help each other bake them. Once we're done, we divide them up between us and we all have a variety of cookies for the Holidays.

Cookie Fest (that is my name for the event...I don't think any of them has named it, but I felt it needed a name and I like Cookie Fest) began 6 years ago when Liesel, my step-grandmother in-law told her 2 daughters and 1 daughter in-law that they needed to learn how to make her family famous pecan cookies. This first cookie fest was held at her home. The next year, it was held at her daughter's home (my step-mother in-law) and I was invited to that one. After, that year, they decided that since my kitchen was the biggest, we should do it at my house. So, with the exception of one year (we had a flood) we've been holding it here ever since.

It's really a fun day as they are all really cool. I really like my step-mother in-laws side of the family and the women on that side are not like 'typical women' with all the gossip, manipulations, and competition crap. They're just good people who have fun and don't freak out over stuff....my kinda people.

So...back to the cookies! The cookie I picked this year was...

Pumpkin White Chocolate Drop Cookies

2 cups butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tp baking powder
1/2 tp baking soda
1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate chips
1 container (16 oz) ready to spread cream cheese frosting
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda; beat just until well blended. Stir in baking chips.

2. ** Optional ** Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper-lined baking sheets. Freeze about 1.5 hours or until firm. Transfer to resealable plastic storage bags and freeze for up to 2 months.

3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place cookies about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until set and bottoms are brown (16 if frozen). Cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool. 4. Combine frosting and brown sugar in a small bowl. Spread on barely warm cookies.

Makes about 6 dozen.

If you decide to make these cookies, I recommend using 2 containers of the frosting (be sure to double the brown sugar too!) as 1 didn't seem to be enough...but, then again, I like more than a little smear of frosting on them.

Other cookies made this weekend were (I don't have the recipes for these, just the names):

Liesel's Pecan Cookies
Macaroons
Toffee Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Chocolate Haystacks (some nasty Weight Watchers recipe one of them was raving about, ick)
Oatmeal Cookies (another Weight Watchers recipe but at least it didn't taste like cardboard coated in chocolate)