Chai Spice Oatmeal Cookies (In a Jar!)

I decided to make cookie mix for Christmas gifts this year!  I have seen these adorable treats both around the Internet and in grocery stores for a while, and thought it would be fun to try them for a personal, DIY gift.

To give these oatmeal cookies a unique twist, I added chai spices and black tea to the mix for yummy, warm, chai spice oatmeal cookies.

Grandma's Tortelettes (Daring Bakers' Challenge)

This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge was holiday celebration cookies (hosted by Peta of Peta Eats).  This challenge had two parts - to make one of the dozen recipes listed by Peta, and to make another celebration cookie of our choosing.  For the second requirement  I picked out and made some of my grandma's holiday cookies - ones that she called tortelettes.  Due to an unfortunate kitchen malfunction, I didn't get to the first of the criteria.  So, this post is all about grandma's tortelettes!

Baking Experiment! Rolled Sugar Cookies with Varying Flours

Rolled sugar cookies with different flours: cake (pink), all-purpose (blue), and whole wheat pastry (green).

I'm a bit of a nerd, and part of what fascinates me about baking is the chemistry.  Bread goes into the oven elastic-y, sticky, and unpleasantly chewy, and comes out soft, pocketed with air holes, and delicious.  Despite a year of chemistry in high school, and another year in college, I can't explain why this happens.