Let the Baking Begin!!

Today is the big start of baking for the Christmas holiday and this year, I decided to be bold by making five different types cookies as well as at least two different types of candies. Also, breaking with tradition, I won't be making some of the goodies my family and friends have come to expect from me like my grandmother's spritz and chocolate chip pecan cookies. This year I'm going to bake cookies I've been dying to try from some of my most recent cookbook acquisitions. My holiday home baked treat package will include:

- Sour Cream Cutout Cookies decorated with royal icing from this year's issue of Better Homes and Garden Holiday Baking

- Decorated Gingerbread Men/Women from The Good Home Cookbook

- Linzer Cookies from The Cookie Bible

- World Peace Cookies from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours

- Chocolate Espresso Bars from the Williams-Sonoma Cookies

So far today, I've got the cutout cookie, gingerbread, and Linzer cookie dough done and chilling in the fridge. I'll get the World Peace cookies and Chocolate Espresso Bars finished later this afternoon and decorate the cookies tomorrow. Candies will be made over the next few evenings and with a little luck, all this sweet goodness will be boxed up and on its way by Thursday!

What are you baking this year?