I am a cookie making factory!!

[Catscankim]

Every year for Christmas we have a huge party at my friends pool hall. This year is a little different...only 9 of us. This snuck up on me this year, so i wasnt prepared.

My usual “menu“ is pizzelles, chocolate habanero cookies, and rum balls. One year i went all out with the New York Times chocolate chip cookies with all the best ingredients and special chocolate, but so many ppl brought chocolate chip cookies to the party...they went unnoticed. I love making cookies lol. So i have had to put all soapiness aside for a few days...dealing with the kitchen...keeping everything separate and all.

Been making pizzelles since i was a kid. I have a great recipe. I made a tester batch this morning and took them to work. Doc was like, “oh my god YOU are the one that made these last year!!” Literally stuffing them in her face with crumbs falling out lol. Made me feel good.

I usually put the rum balls as as “adult only treats”. There are always a bunch of kids there (some parents gave them to the kids anyway lol). I dont particularly like rum balls, but everybody else does. I guess its the “label appeal” of the liquor lol. It doesnt get cooked out, and they are definitely boozy. Now that i am typing this, i should figure out how to inject a shot in the middle lol.

Chocolate habanero cookies....this was new to me last year. I have this habanero sugar that i bought at a spice shop and had no clue what to use it in. I looked for recipes for sauces and such. Finally just decided to sprinkle it on top of chocolate cookies cause i heard of HOT chocolate. Only did a test batch at first and OH.MY.GOD. Yes.

Like I said, this years party snuck up on me. So i got up early before work, and went to the store and got all my ingredients, made that pizzelle test batch, and just got done prepping everything i need to make cookies tomorrow. The party is at 5pm. So i am going to be boogying tomorrow (later today)

AND i forgot to buy the rum yesterday. Rum balls like to “cure” for at least 24 hours, and even better for days...like salt bars LOL. The longer the better. Gotta start them first. The liquor store is going to be curious that im waiting for them to open in the morning for rum lol. I dont think that anybody at the party is going to notice that they arent cured to perfection LOL

 

[glendam]

I don’t know what pizzelles are, but it seems I need them in my life. I will be googling this next. It sounds like you are a great baker! And I bet no one will notice the rum balls not being “cured” so long they taste boozy.

 

[Misschief]

I'd love it if you could share your pizzelle recipe. I bought a pizzelle iron a couple of years ago and usually make a batch each Christmas but I'm not all that impressed with the recipe I've been using.

 

[Catscankim]

Ok, ready? Super complicated recipe here lol

Pizzelles

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 sticks butter
4 eggs

Anise or vanilla to taste. I do 1 1/2 tsp each.

Melt the butter in the microwave in your main bowl. I let it sit a few minutes so it doesnt cook your other stuff.

Add all other stuff in no particular order and stir with a fork

edit: I use salted butter

 

[KimW]

COOKIES!!!!! Wish I could attend your party!

 

[Catscankim]

If I could stop eating the chocolate habanero cookies as I make them, then maybe I will have enough for the party LOL. Gotta check for consistency ya know? LOL. I either need to make another batch or find a smaller container...

If anybody is wondering where I get the Sweet Habanero Sugar. I am lucky enough to have a local shop in my area. It doesn't kill you with heat, and it is awesome on chocolate cookies.

 

[Catscankim]

Well last night was a weird night. I walked in with all my cookies in hand and a bottle of booze for the white elephant. There was a pool tournament going on in one room, which I knew about, but the party was in the other room. I got there at 5 cause if I am invited somewhere at 5, expect me there exactly at that time lol. The owner (one of my best friends) wasn't there yet...there was nothing set up. So I start scrambling and texting that I can help out. She texts back that she didn't advertise so well this year and there probably won't be a party. Mind you, there were 9 replies coming on facebook, and a few maybes.

People start showing up with their cookies and white elephant gifts. Text her again "ummm...Stacy??" lol. I mean, people were so happy to have xmas in their lives with a nice socially distanced party, and she was nowhere to be found. MORE than 9 people and their kids were already there. Some people left. I am freaking out for her, and start directing ppl and doing some set-up. No Christmas decorations, no xmas music. No santa (which is just our friend, he's not hired). I texted him, he didn't even know there was a party. He doen't have time to dig out the santa suit and get there living an hour away. Kids were all dressed in their christmas outfits. We've been doing this for years. I understand its different this year, but she put it out there and people came.

Her dad was there (part owner) and asked me what was going on. He didn't even know there was a party scheduled.

Finally she shows up like an hour and a half later with a handful of chocolate covered bacon (the rule was at least 3 dozen cookies...her rule). She put half aside for her husband. Then she made an announcement to the pool tournament people that there were cookies in the back. This was supposed to be a cookie EXCHANGE party. I got annoyed and left. I'm not going to take cookies that now 50 people were digging through, even pre-covid.

edit: and do you know what a time suck this was for me?? sorry still ranting. I mean an entire Saturday that I could have worked my other job and declined. Or making soap. Or even just sleeping in!! We even had to bring recipe cards so that others could have your recipe if they liked your cookies, so I spent time doing that.

 

[Guspuppy]

Oh man that sucks!

Many years ago my cousin and I were living in a navy town in California. We decided to host Thanksgiving for all our friends who couldn't go home for the holiday. 15 people said they would come. We cooked for days, and got up at 5:00 am Thanksgiving day to start the bird and etc. ONE person showed up. One! There were no cell phones then either so we had no idea no one was coming. It was a sad day!

 

[justjacqui]

How disappointing. Your friend could have at least let people know that there wasn't enough interest or that she had changed her mind.

 

[dibbles]

Wow. I don't blame you for being

@Guspuppy Hubby and I had that happen a few years ago. Let everyone know, asked for an RSVP. One couple responded. We canceled the party and then started hearing from those that didn't RSVP asking why and if we were rescheduling. Um...canceled because you didn't bother to let us know you were planning to come. And no, not rescheduling. This is a group of people that we see once a year - classmates of my husband. I just don't understand people. And don't even get me started on the number of people we had to call when both of my kids got married. You'd think people would at least make the effort for a wedding.

 

[Catscankim]

yeah but everybody who said that they were coming did. I think it was the owner that lost interest. And the other people were her family and stuff. It was just a weird situation. She ruined her own party.

Then I spoke with her last night and she wanted to know why I left. It's not my place, so I just told her that I didn't feel good. Then she said that her dad said that I had to take the dog out (then why did you ask me?). He was covering for me, so we both had two different stories. "Oh yeah, that too" LOL. I decided to not tell her that I was annoyed with her lack of interest, and then inviting an entire poolroom in to dig through our cookies... Like seriously, who wants them NOW?

My final straw before I left was drunk girl who had a handful of cookies trying to shove them in my face. I didn't know who she was. And at first I was being nice "I know they are good, I made them but thank you." over and over and over. I have such a short fuse and I was being polite. I found myself getting ready to blow, which its my friends place, so I won't do that. Then she said she wanted to take me outside lol "WRONG person girlfriend, you can't even stand. Go over there please I'm talking." Like what's going on here? Am I on candid camera. So then I tried to elicit so intervention from the bartender, and she says "oh that's my wife." Goodbye, I'm out

edit: and to make it even worse LOL.... MONTHS ago I bought $60 worth of christmas candy from her 4 year old for school. I forgot all about it to be honest. She gave it to me Saturday. Like what am I going to do with all of this now?? I guess just dump it in the lounge at work, I'm sure it will go. But that just sucks.