Christmas Baking

The time is nearing for me to start my Christmas  baking.
Have you started yours?
This year I decided to cut way back on the amount of Christmas baking I usually do only because the cost has almost doubled in the last 2 years.
So instead of sending out trays and cans of cookies to my girlfriends, I went out and purchased lined hard covered books and inside I personalized it and included in each one the person's favourite Christmas cookie recipe of mine .
Each person can now put together their own cookbook full of their favourite recipes.

I still plan on doing Christmas baking for my immediate family and for company over the Christmas season.
Has anyone had to cut back on the amount of baked goods they send out over Christmas?

Weekend Fun

Good Morning!
I hope your weekend was enjoyable.
This past weekend I have spent writing Christmas cards and wrapping gifts.
What did you do ?

Thank-you Rock Recipes!

Each year when I do my Christmas baking I test run a new recipe, sometimes they are a flop and other times they are a hit...Well thanks to Rock Recipes this year's test recipe was a hit!

Picture courtesy of Rock Recipes

Bottom layer

 Cream together:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar


Mix in;

2 2/3 cups flour

Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch, parchment paper lined baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Topping

In a medium sized saucepan combine:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp whipping cream

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for only a minute or two before stirring in

2 cups chopped unsalted cashew nuts

As soon as the bottom has baked for 20 minutes, pull it out of the oven and spread the topping evenly over the base and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes.

Cool completely the pan on a wire rack.

Drizzle the top with

1/2 cup melted chocolate chips


*They say the melted chocolate is optional but chocolate is always  a must for this gal!


If you love honey , cashews and shortbread and chocolate this recipe is a keeper!

Melting Moments

Today I am sharing with you my shortbread recipe.

This is the first year my granddaughter baked them with my supervision, she did very well as you can see by the photos.

Melting Moments

3 cups flour
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 softened pound of butter
mix together with fork into a dough
roll 1 inch balls
flatten with fork
add sprinkles
bake 325 F for 7-10 mins until golden brown on bottom edge

This cookie is one of my most requested cookie at Christmastime.
Do you have a cookie recipe that people request you to make each Christmas?

My Little Earth Angel

                                            Licking the left over sprinkles she had stuck to her hand after decorating her      
                                            shortbread cookies .
        

                                          Taking her Poppa Dew a sample of her baking.

                                          Playing with her bunny friends on the stairs.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

We were blessed this year with warm temperatures and along with that we have had our fair share of rain.
 This morning I awoke to a skiff of snow covering everything and I have to say it is feeling more like Christmas around here with a little bit of that white stuff.
I have been busying myself getting all my Christmas baking supplies in and trying to ensure I have enough cookie tins to go around this year.
I had a blast with my granddaughter last weekend we not only visited Santa Claus we baked some shortbread together I mostly supervised and she did extremely well following my instructions.
We have baked together before but this time I let her do most of it herself.
She was so proud of her cookies and I of her for following direction so well.
What she didn't eat or share with her grandparents and great-grandparents she took home for her parents.

Have you started your Christmas baking?

Glad I am back online

After a long break from blogging I am back!\
I had computer issues that made it almost unbearable to use my computer but thanks to my wonderful son and his girlfriend I now have a computer that doesn't take forever to do anything on.
Thank-you both for my early Christmas gift!

Last weekend I had a chance to take my little earth angel out to the mall and sit on Santa's knee.
She really didn't warm-up to him until it was almost time to leave and our picture was sans an angel smile but a very memorable trip.
When asked by Santa what she wanted for Christmas she answered "a bumblebee" and after a few more questions to clarify we found she wants a bumblebee broach so the hunt is on!
The picture I have attached was not the one Santa's helper took but on a friend took on her cellphone while Gretchen was explaining to Santa what she wanted.
I hope to make this a tradition each year with her.

Santa actually had his own beard and moustache, so cool!