Kate and I decided to take on Christmas in October with a Christmas cookie workshop at Southern Exposure -- on what might have been the most glorious day of the season!
Follow us down the road, through a tunnel of trees forming a graceful canopy over us! Oh, so beautiful!
Wide fields, plowed for the season, spread out on either side of the road.
Golden trees stood as sentries.
The garden at Southern Exposure is showing its season. Blooms are more faded, leaves changing, petals dropping. Yet it was oh, so beautiful, even in the quiet time.
I'll spare a few of the many photos I took -- after all, many looked similar to ones before!
Soon it was time to enter the milking parlor for our lunch. Angie fixed us a wonderful cider cocktail with salted caramel vodka and a pineapple sage sprig for garnish.
The milking parlor looked beautiful -- I loved the swag on the metal frame that hung on the wall by our table.
Our workshop was set at four stations. Our first visit was to the Corn Crib, petals greeting us at the door. While we were there, Angie shared tiny confetti shortbread bites and a yummy hot chocolate mix. I may be passing some of this onto friends at the holidays! After that we moved into the Corn Crib's kitchen where Elizabeth had us frosting a chocolate cookie (they kept breaking!) and we did a powdered sugar stencil on a sugar cookie.
Then we went to the Hog House. It was beautifully decorated for the season.
I really loved this arrangement.
Jennifer offered us two cookies, including a delicious maple cookie. I'll be making this one!
Finally we ended up in the big tent, where Micah shared two cookies too, including a rather lovely white chocolate chip!
After, Kate and I took a few more photos. I'll be back twice, but for evening workshops and shooting in the dark doesn't always work so well for me!
I wanted to savor every last bloom...
...and every last butterfly!
Almost time to get in the car and head home.
No, not that one!
I would be remiss if I didn't share a bit of what we did or learned at the workshop. Basically, I didn't learn a whole lot more than I knew before -- I've made a lot of cookies in my time, and most of my recipes I like better! (They're a little more diverse.) Apart from frosting a cookie and doing the powdered sugar stencil, there was no hands-on, which would have been fun, though possibly difficult with 60 people, even broken up into groups. But that said, we both agreed it was one of the most fun workshops we'd done and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I did pick up a few things worth passing on.
- Check the chip aisle in the store. There are more variations and some even mix dark and white chocolate or chocolate and peanut butter.
- A sea salt sprinkle on top of a cookie adds another dimension of flavor (before the oven or after if dipped.)
- When making a rolled cookie, roll the dough in turbinado sugar (or colored sugar) to give them a sweet and sparkling edge when baked.
- If partially dipping cookies in melted chocolate, thin the chocolate a bit with a splash of Baileys or heavy cream.
- For shortbread or sugar cookies, add sprinkles to raw dough and mix together before baking for a confetti look.
- Try mini M&Ms when decorating frosted Christmas tree cookies.
Oh, I hate the idea that our workshop season is coming to an end!
Sharing with: You're the Star Blog Hop / Tuesday Turn About / Let's Keep In Touch / Share Your Style / Best of the Weekend
45 comments:
Have you shared your own cookie recipes? What's the best of your collection? Inquiring minds want to know!
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
PS -- looks like a beautiful day in a beautiful set of rooms, as always at your happy place.
Mmmm...cookies!
A canopy of trees, red barns in a field, an outing to Southern Exposure--sounds like a grand day to me, Jeanie! Like you, I wouldn't learn much about cookies and I'd prefer my own recipes, but still, any excuse to go to Southern Exposure!
Wonderful pics, it really is a beautiful place, and you are very lucky to be able to go there and join in so often. The cookies look fantastic, yummy! Have a great Sunday, hugs, Valerie
I love cookies...maple sounds amazing. And you know I love to bake, problem with that is that I wish to each all I bake but I have to give it away..Liking that outhouse and the old car. Such a cool looking place. HAHA
Wow, you did have the perfect day for that class. Maybe too perfect autumn day for Christmas cookies, but then who can argue with Christmas cookies at any time of year? It is sure a gorgeous place any time you've shown us but in fall it is really fantastic. Happy rest of your weekend. Hugs-Erika
I would have loved that workshop. What's not to love? Friendship and cookies are a wonderful combination. I don't bake much but I have gotten hooked on Sparkling Sugar that comes in small jars. Makes my scones really sparkle.
Oh my! I love when you go to that place!
What a lovely time you must have had.
Beautiful.
Lovely fall shots!
Such beautiful photos again. I loved the white flower with the green centre and orange stamens, and the white pumpkins - so beautiful. I would have loved the cookie workshop once, but I've now convinced myself that cookies are not for me, so there wouldn't have been any point in trying them let alone making them :)
....or should that be :(
The drive to the workshop was gorgeous, it's such a short but beautiful time that everything is so colourful and perfect.
Love those white pumpkins and the cookies look yum.
Jeanie,
Interesting post!! I am not into cooking and truly only do it when I have to...Same with baking....Now a good craft or carpentry class... Sign me up!! Thanks so much for visiting!!
Hugs,
Debbie
All the fall pictures remind me my east coast tour in last fall.
I so enjoy your workshops at Southern Exposure, Jeanie! What lovely foliage you traveled through to your destination. How nice to gather together with friends and enjoy the season. We are finally seeing a little color here.
Beautiful colorful leaves!
Decoration of parlor is amazing!
Rooster looks mighty, taking a step.
It really looks like a canopy!
Salted caramel vodka - oh, I feel soooo old right now, and like a white bread, I´ve never had vodka, but this sounds tempting!
The Hog House looks beautiful!
Hoooo, sweetness overlaod!
Oh, what a sad statue!
Always a fun outing!
Beautiful images of Autumn. I love the ghostly white pumpkins, and agree with you that the bee skep is one of the best displays. Thank you for the tips! One of my favourite flavours of cookie these days is raspberry and white chocolate. Still working on the recipe.
~~~Deb in Wales
So soothing to look at photos in your posts, summery and colorful. Southern exposure indeed. Good to take a virtual vacation while I’m bracing for winter here.
The drive there was lovely, beautiful color. We are still green and won't have color for another month! Although you feel you didn't learn anything new or different for baking cookies it was well worth the plans to attend. Such a gorgeous place and I enjoyed all of your photos, even if they are similar to the previous us. I am so happy someone continues on the tradition of these workshops.
Have a wonderful week, wow, welcome November!
So many charming autumn photos. You attend such fascinating workshops and the environment is perfect to relax and learn.
I luv u, Marmalade Gypsy, Jeanie. Life got the better of me for the last 8 months and I haven't been able to do the things I enjoy. Today I made myself a priority and your blog hit the spot. Thank you for making me feel like I was there and seeing all the beautiful things I love about Autumn. You made everything super special and you have such a wonderful blog. I knew I could come here to get filled up. Hope you and Rick are doing well. Love and hugs, charissa (Tea Tartan and Tom on twitter)
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Jeanie, this had to be such a fun time. I would simply have enjoyed the gorgeous ride and seeing the lovely fall sights. You did get some good pointers and thanks for sending them out. I seem to make the same cookies year after year - favorites I guess. I know you hate to see the workshops coming to an end, but it will be much to look forward to next year.
Happy week, Jeanie.
Lovely post Jeanie and your cookies look gorgeous. I adore anything maple or caramel :-)
The golden foliage is wonderful! I love the pumpkin in the bird bath idea. Their autumn decor is so beautiful. I have never made maple cookies but maybe I will try them for Thanksgiving! These are great tips you picked up. There is always something new to learn.
Love that car and oh cookies! Cannot turn down cookies. Janice
Colors like that, oh so amazing. The scent of fall must have been delicious.
What a beautiful autumn day for this workshop! The cookies sound good and it must have been fun to share them with so many others at this workshop and to learn all the tips you shared. I've made many cookies over the years and I have a few definite favorites that I make every Christmas. I do try one new cookie recipe every year--some are winners and some I never make again. What are your favorites Jeanie?
Speaking of inquiring minds, they also want to know if those white pumpkins are a real variety, or some sort of ceramic. If they're real, I want some, pronto! I have no idea what I'd do with them -- I just like white flowers, and white pumpkins would be a neat seasonal variation!
Another fun workshop for sure. I agree we both have probably made lots of cookies, but it is fun anyway. I like the confetti in the shortbread. Hadn't thought of that one. The fall colors on your drive are stunning.
I also liked that swag on a metal frame. That was genius. Not sure I'd have paid that much to eat a few cookies, but what can I say. I'm the queen of free!! I'm glad you learned a few things and shared some tips. I bought some caramel chips and pumpkin chips last year. I've never seen peanut butter chips, but will look for them in the stores here.
LOVED all the photos of Southern Exposure. It's a truly lovely place and you are a great host, too.
I love it when you take us to visit this colorful, magical place! Season after season...it's always something new and interesting and you make such pretty things! I love that fireplace. Well, it's in the 80s here still, so no one is burning fireplaces yet...we still have our air running, LOL! The coookies look delicious!
Sounds like great fun! Also, it's great you picked up a few tips, despite having done plenty of cookie baking before. I learned something from those tips you shared too, so thanks for that.
Southern Exposure is always a fun read. The drive was definitely glorious as well as the grounds at SE. it looks like a lot of fun eating (lol)! Thanks for the tips. Have a most wonderful week!
What a fun evening! I love events like that.
What a fun day, and such a beautiful day and place full of fall decorations! Plus cookies too!! I like the tip about thinning chocolate with Bailey's, what a great idea! Happy baking!
Jenna
It looks like you had a wonderful time.
I enjoyed your glimpses of autumn. Such a beautiful season.
Such a beautiful place, wonderful photographs for us to enjoy, thank-you.
All the best Jan
Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About! I'm amazed at how many comments you get! How long have you been blogging? Also, I love that hint about the chips in the baking aisle. I would love to be able to find cream cheese chips for red velvet cookies (or even pumpkin).
Oh, you had such a great time!
These cookies look tasty :)
The Christmas cookie workshop sounds delightful. Southern Exposure is so pretty this time of year. The picture of the red barns and the open field caught my eye, so quaint. Cider cocktail - Yummy! I love the rooster picture with the turquoise lampshade, and the rooster even has shades of turquoise in it. And that car at the end with the pumpkin sitting there is so charming. Jeanie, you always get just the right angles with your photos, and they really are unique and interesting. Just wanted you to know that.
~Sheri
What a fun and delicious workshop. And it's nice that you picked up some tips! Holiday baking will be upon us before we know it. I have already scheduled my annual cookie decorating gathering for early December. 3 college friends and their kids come over to our house. People's schedules fill so fast that we had to plan this in advance! I just make GF sugar cookies but everyone says they taste better than glutenous ones!
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