Christmas Cookies in July

Morning, all! Christmas in July is drawing nigh. :) I thought some cookies were in order for the occasion.

Coconut Jam Drops strike me as exceptionally Christmas-y, with their snow-like coconut and jewel tone jam fillings. Yet, the coconut also makes them a bit tropical, so they're appropriate for summer as well! These were featured in my 12 Cookies of Christmas series, when I made a batch with my special rose and violet jellies. (See here.) This time, I kept them more traditional and used raspberry and blackberry.

Even though it's hot out, I'm very fortunate that I can still keep baking. My dad built a nifty little baking station for me in the basement. It's crafted from recycled wood and houses my Oster toaster oven perfectly. To protect the wood from the oven heat, Dad repurposed an old metal computer case to create a heat shield of sorts. Reduce, reuse, recycle. ;) This secondary baking station has been a lifesaver in summer, since it doesn't heat up the house like the kitchen oven does. No-bake cookies are a good option for warm days too!

So yesterday evening, I set about making Coconut Jam Drops. The singular drawback to a toaster oven is the limited size, so I ended up rotating 5 small pans of cookies to get the entire batch done. However, I would say Christmas in July is worth the extra effort. :)

Take a look at last year's special celebration!

How are you celebrating the summer Yuletide? I'd love to hear in the comments!

'Til next time,

Eva