What to buy with your Christmas Cash

Happy Holidays, everyone!  I absolutely love this time of year.  The celebration starts in early December with my birthday, stretches into the next few weeks with all of the "religious" (or "consumer?") holidays, and wraps up with the start of a new year.  I love it because there's endless excuses to cook, to bake, to cut out snowflakes (ha), wear festive clothing, and buy presents!  Not to mention,  I GET A WHOLE DAY OFF!   By now, you probably have more gift cards than you know what to do with.  Well, I have a suggestion:

Cue the hallelujah.  Your eyes are not deceiving you.  This cookbook holds 140 cookie recipes.

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Possibly even more impressive is the fact that the author is only 19!  And published!  Amazing!  Kelly started writing the book in the summer of 2007, and has been baking up a storm ever since.  What I love about her recipes is that they are simple.  You won't be running around (or biking, in my case) to five different stores looking for the ingredients*.  That's huge.  Additionally, she includes photos for almost every recipe, a conversion chart (so helpful), and no-bake cookies for those times when you're really craving a cookie and need some instant gratification.  Another life saving feature?  A troubleshooting section.

So, what kind of recipes can you expect?  Honestly?  Pretty much anything you can dream up.  Aside from the five different versions of Chocolate Chip cookies (!!), Kelly has broken her cookbook into chapters of deliciousness: Cookies Inspired by Drinks (Root Beer Float Cookies!), DIY Versions of Mass-Produced Cookies (Girl Scout Cookies!), and Cookies You Would Find at a Tea Party (Cinnamon Roll Cookies!) are some of my favorites.  She even included a recipe for the pup in your life!  

Harriet and David's birthday treats!

My only cons:

- I really, really, REALLY wanted to make the Root Beer Float cookies.  I looked EVERYWHERE for root beer extract, with no success.  I'm super bummed about it, because they sound amazing.

- There is a recipe for a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, which I had huge plans for (and totally talked up at work).  I was going to make a huge "ugly Christmas Sweater" that had my company's logo "stitched" in, with some of our manifesto piped on.  I tried the recipe twice, and it just doesn't turn out.  BUMMED, because the picture in the book is flawless.  

Peanut Butter Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Bars

Next up on my list (yes, I made a list of "immediate-makes"): Glazed Apple Cider Cookies, Oatmeal Cream Pies, Lemon Cornmeal Cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Cream Bars, and Inside-Out Peppermint Patties.  YUM!

*except, in my case, root beer extract.  Help!