Since this was the year

Sugar and spice cookies turned into lollipops you can dip into chocolate, marshmallow cream, or cookie butter. A fun interactive treat for New Year’s Eve or any get-together.

How quickly another year comes to an end. It’s been unusually chilly and rainy here, but on this last day of the year it’s calm, clear, and bright. I’ve been enjoying the last couple of weeks with my family, and I’m looking forward to a quiet passing of the year this evening (maybe in a few more years when Isabelle is older I can go back to crazy New Year’s Eve parties – for now, we’re content with popping the bubbly at home).

Celebrating New Year’s at home doesn’t mean we can’t have our own fun traditions. The S’mores Creme Brûlée I came up with a couple years ago turned into a yearly ritual of some interactive treats to snack on while waiting for the countdown to the new year.  of lollipops for me, I decided to combine lollipops along with the time-honored party tradition of fondue, and make some cookie lollipops for dipping in various ganaches and sweet sauces.

The cookies themselves are a simple sugar cookie base that requires no chilling, so it’s super quick to make the dough and bake them. Generally, I have found the dough very workable right after I make it; if it does seem a little too soft you can dust it with a little flour, or chill for a few minutes in the refrigerator if it’s really sticky, but typically I haven’t found it necessary.

The spice in the cookies comes from Baker’s Spice, a beautifully aromatic blend of spices mixed together for convenience by Greenpoint Trading Company, a Brooklyn-based company that creates unusual spice blends. I was introduced to Baker’s Spice by Hatchery, an online community that explores and celebrates small-batch, artisan ingredients and condiments from makers around the US. I was lucky enough to get a sample of some of the products they offer, and I’m really excited to be trying out more of them in the new year.

Baker’s Spice is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger, and a teaspoon gives the sugar cookies a faintly spicy kick reminiscent of holiday time, without dominating the flavor like in a gingerbread. If you can’t find this blend, you can make your own mix of spices for the cookies.