Baking

I've bitten off more than I can chew (hahaha) in the holiday baking/candy making category, I think. We're sending a package off to Todd's sister and her family tomorrow, so I baked a batch of Italian wedding cookies to send in that (I'm going to have to make another batch I think, because they were good; I used the almond flour I bought recently at Trader Joe's), and then I made lemon-rosemary mini bundts (which I froze for gifts) and orange-chocolate truffles. Next weekend I want to make shortbread for one coworker, another cookie as a contest entry and chocolate-and-caramel covered matzo. I'm thinking maybe cinnamon and hazelnut biscotti or chocolate crinkles for my contest entry, but I don't know. I can't decide whether I should steer clear of chocolate. (If the judges are eating lots of chocolate cookies, will they get sick of it?) If I went with my own nostalgic favorite I'd do peanut butter blossoms (the one with the Hershey's kiss inside), although my mom used to make them, a long time ago, with these starburst-shaped chocolates instead. They're always the first cookies gone.

The truffles I made today didn't turn out very pretty. It's more of a trick than the recipe intimates to get them round. Mine looked like little chocolate rocks, all different shapes. Toward the end I realized that you have more control when you move the truffle from one spoon to another. REALLY rich, too. The ones I made had some Cointreau in them.