JC

The holidays aren’t the holidays for me without a whole lot of baking. This year I didn’t do nearly as much as past years because of my job as a baker now! I love having a job that fulfills my favourite hobby, so I don’t feel the need to bake as much as I used to at home. This year I made a batch of shortbread cookies and gingerbread cookies. I didn’t even make my famous sugar cookies, time caught up with me and we leave on Friday! I can’t believe it. I feel like I have had a countdown on for this trip since we booked it, probably because I have. I love going on holidays like everyone does but I feel like this trip is especially needed for not only me but my family. I’m so happy that my parents are able to come with us and I’m even more excited to see my sister again. Thailand and Victoria are far away but definitely feel further away some days.

My sister will be staying with her in-laws, a few hours away from me and Dave and my parents but they’re going to meet up with us a few times. We’re going to get together for a proper Italian feast at one of my aunties house so everyone can see my sister. Then we are going to meet up in London to go to Portobello market, try out a bakery we both have been dying to try and go skating and to dinner with our cousins. I have been so busy and tired lately but I’m just pushing through because I am just so excited! Only a few days left of work and see a few friends and cousins before I go then I’ll be on a plane to London. It sounds silly but I’m really looking forward to just sitting on the plane and relaxing, catching up on Netflix with nothing to do but sleep or watch movies and TV.

These shortbread cookies are a twist on the classic shortbread. My mum and I used her Granny’s (so my grandmother’s recipe.) Your typical shortbread with only sugar, flour and butter. They are tough to form into dough balls before rolling out to make cut outs but when you can get it they taste delicious and they just melt in your mouth. This year I decided to add a little flair to them by glazing them with 3 citrus flavours: lime, lemon and orange. It was a simple glaze recipe of icing sugar and the citrus juice, top it with a little zest and voila! Something a little different and everyone really enjoyed them when I brought them to our friend’s Christmas gathering!