'Twas the weekend before Christmas and all through the house . . . sugar and wrapping paper were strewn - everywhere! I realize this is not how the story goes, but it is certainly the truth in my house.
I finally delivered the cookies I had due for our Christmas festival. I only managed to complete one gingerbread creation, but at least I was able to finish the promised 200 cookies, some of which you'll see directly below.
As always, some of Julia's stencils did a lot of the heavy lifting. I'm so grateful I had these gorgeous designs at my disposal because, admittedly, I did not have my act together this year! I felt as though I was in catchup mode before I even started. But all of that's behind me, and now I am focusing on baking for my family and immediate circle. Hence, the sugar is still everywhere, and wrapping paper has been added to the mix. The end is in sight though. I should have everything finished in time to kick back, enjoy the holiday, and have a cookie or two. [EDITOR'S NOTE: WOW, @LisaF, you did a great job with these cookies and my stencils! I am impressed not only with the quantity you pulled off, but also with your extremely high level of detail and quality. Congrats - I bet your Christmas break can't come soon enough! 😀 ~JMU]
Judging from this week's hot list*, I am not the only one who has been baking spirits bright! We have once again been treated to all sorts of seasonal sweets. Let's take a look, shall we?
#1: Santa's Summer Cottage by Sofiya (This delightful creation provides so much eye candy, so to speak. Be sure to check out the comments section under the post because @Sofiya shares a very helpful glimpse into how it all came together.)
#2: Christmas Flowers by Holly Dottarar (The clean lines of these embellishments make @Holly Dottarar's striking design all the more so. Well done! And if I am not mistaken, these cookies mark Holly's first Spotlight, so double congrats are in order!)
#3: Lighting Up Christmas! by Treatfairy (This set is filled with so much unexpected color and fun that Julia and I decided to use it for this week's cover art. Congratulations, @Treatfairy!)
#4: The Snow House - View #1 by Irina (Such a delicious winter wonderland! Great work, @Irina.)
#5: Christmas Candles by Zeena (I think @Zeena's 3-D project would be the perfect addition to any holiday table. Don't you?)
#6: Christmas Cookies in White by Bożena Aleksandrow (What an elegant set with perfect piping! Exquisite work, @Bożena Aleksandrow.)
#7: Christmas Cookies in White and Gold - Set #1 by Bożena Aleksandrow (This set marks @Bożena Aleksandrow's second appearance this week, and it's just as gorgeous as the first! Great job!)
#8: Mr. & Mrs. Claus by Barbara Ells (Barbara's version of this famous duo is just too cute! Absolutely adorable, @Barbara Ells!)
#9: Gingerbread Christmas Baubles - View #2 by Gabriella Russo (These ornaments will surely make a delightful - and delicious - addition to a tree, mantel, or tablescape. Beautiful, @Gabriella Russo, and extra congrats as I believe this Spotlight is also your first!)
#10: Christmas Season Messages Cookie Set by EAC (Check out the terrific airbrushing on this set - there's virtually no underspray or overspray, which is no small task! Nice work, @EAC.)
How's that for some last-minute, high-quality ho-ho-ho?!
Speaking of high quality, as you may have heard, @Julia M. Usher is a finalist in the Cookie Artist of the Year and People's Choice categories of the D'licious Magazine Awards. Winners are selected, in part, by popular vote. Please help me honor Julia for her one-of-a-kind cookie work and all that she does to keep the cookie community connected and engaged by voting here. And be sure to cast your vote as soon as possible because voting closes today, I believe! [EDITOR'S NOTE: I'd be remiss if I edited right past this comment without thanking Lisa for this extra - unsolicited by me - shout-out. It is very much appreciated! Thank you, Lisa! ~JMU]
I guess that's it for me. Wherever you are located and whatever you celebrate, I hope your coming days are filled with peace, joy, and light. And, of course, plenty of moments to stop and smell the gingerbread.
So that no one has an unfair advantage in making it onto a hot list, the algorithm is secret even to site administrators. Only our platform developers know the code, which has been exhaustively tested by those developers and Cookie Connection staff.
All photos shown here are the courtesy (and copyright) of the designers listed.
To check out our other hot lists, at any time of day, visit our Hot Spot, also found in the site's main navigation line.
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Lisa Foss is a hobbyist cookie decorator. After careers in corporate communications and freelance writing, she focused her attention on the nonprofit sector. She spent more than a decade at various soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and prison reentry programs throughout New York City. Lisa’s cookie journey began in 2011 when she started making gingerbread houses. Though she enjoys making cookies for family and friends, Lisa’s main focus is cookies for charity.
For more information about Lisa and her work, please check out her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Byline photo credit: Shutterstock
Note: Saturday Spotlight is a weekly Cookie Connection blog feature written alternately by Lisa Foss and Julia M. Usher. Its primary intent is to cast a spotlight on the week's top-trending cookie posts, as determined automatically by the site algorithms described above. This article expresses the views of the author, and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. To see all of Cookie Connection's past Saturday Spotlights, click here.
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