Cookie Baking 2011: Family Style

For the first time in two years, I got to spend my holiday cookie baking day with my mom, sisters and nieces. I look forward to this day every year (whether I get to attend or not seems to be on the positive side these days now that I'm back in the Midwest). The best part about this year? It wasn't in my own kitchen. My sister loves when I bake at her house *cough, not really, *cough. Okay, so I tend to make a mess - but I always clean up after myself! There are two best parts about this year - she had snow at her place. Much of the country was missing snow for Christmas this year, unfortunately and darn it, I like snow.

We all brought some of our favorite cookie/fudge recipes and 'had at it'. I only brought two recipes along - knowing that I'd rather help than to have my own projects going on. I made homemade peanut butter cups and attempted to recreate macaroons. The latter didn't go so well. Actually, they ended up in the garbage. I'll get them right one of these times.

I don't have any recipes to share, but a lot of photos. Much of the dough was pre-made before holiday cookie day. This speeds up mad chaos around the kitchen and keeps the children interested in what we're working on.  What are your favorite treats to make for the holidays? Do you have any pre-holiday family traditions?