Wedding cake, er I mean cookie!?

Some of you know I have a part-time paying gig at the historic Chico Hot Springs and Lodge. I work in the convention center on the front-end operations which means I set-up, serve, make things run smoothly, and tear down events but mainly during the spring/summer it's weddings which means there is always, well usually, a beautiful, white, frosting entombed wedding cake! Not at yesterdays wedding, instead there was a cookie display consisting of six kinds; chocolate chip, triple chocolate, ginger, macaroon, peanut butter, and mexican wedding. There was a cookie breaking ceremony in place of the more traditional cake cutting. Thanks to my boss who is very aware of my baking ambitions I was allowed to set-up and arrange the cookies on the "cookie table." Of course I didn't bring my camera to work to document this unique opportunity but the bartender did lend me his camera phone so I will post pictures here of the splendid cookie display for you to critique. Pretty sure I can now legitimately add food staging to my resume, right?

Finally a post!

Have I really been in Montana nearly four weeks?! It's already going so fast. Next question....Have I been baking? Well yes, I have! Not as much as I want to but I am working my way through the Le Cordon Bleu Professional Pastry textbook which I borrowed from a friend who attended the school. I really know nothing about baking, at least that's how reading this book is making me feel. Tip #1 Don't put bread in the refrigerator in hopes of making it last longer! Simply store it in a bread box or bag in a cool, dry, dark place.
I finally am the proud new owner of KitchenAid stand mixer, professional series 600, that's a 525 watt motor! I am just messing around with now, testing it's capabilities (and mine:). Today was the biggest production baking day so far; first were Chris's favorite butterscotch crackles then carrot-coconut bread! Yum-a-roo! Here are just a few pics:

Butterscotch Crackles

I should have used the KitchenAid because the hand mixer could barely handle the stiff batter 

Important: roll the dough balls in sugar!

Delicious, buttery-scotch flavor with the perfect "crackle" trademark look

Carrot-coconut bread....first time ever making this!

Shredding the carrots...food processors save a lot of time!

Three eggs, fresh from the chicken's butt! (there are four hens on the ranch)

Added the vanilla and oil to the beaten eggs

 Blending in the carrots, coconut and walnuts

 Adding it all together in the KitchenAid!

 Dough in the buttered and floured pan

 For the second batch I decided the recipe could only be better with chocolate!

 Yum-a-licious and still warm from the oven

 You want some, don't you?