Happy Chanukah

This post is a big one for me because it marks my first official year of writing this blog!  The first cookies I ever posted were Chanukah swirl cookies that I baked when going to my parents house to celebrate last year.  This year, my family came to my tiny apartment to celebrate the occasion.  I always forget how small my place is until there are 9 adults, 2 kids, and a dog running around.  It was definitely crowded, but I think the space (or lack there of) made the occasion more intimate and fun!  Anyway, it was no big shock that I'd be baking cookies.  After all, one of the reasons I got into baking is because of the "cookie contests" that my family has held over previous Chanukahs.  The rest of my family stopped competing a few years back, but I just kept on going... 

I don't have a story about the baking of these cookies, as everything went pretty smoothly.  Because of the intricacy of each cookie, they did take a number of hours (and over 3 nights) to make.  I made the icing with confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, and egg whites this time around, and a lot of my taste testers gave it rave reviews.  I think I'm finally getting this icing thing down!  Anyway, here are some pictures: