Sunday, December 21, 2008

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

I don't bake that often, but the smell of baking cookies & buns is one of my favorite things about Christmas. I decided to take on the baking task this year, since Mom isn't doing any this year.

ginger snaps
Gingersnaps (recipe from here). mmmmm. That is all I have to say about that. mmmmmm.

mmmmmmagic cookie bars
If the Gingersnaps earn an "mmmmmmm" then these earn an "mmmmmmm" with an added Homeresque drooling sound on the end.
Mom's Magic Cookie Bars. No idea where the recipe comes from but Mom made these every Christmas for as long as I can remember. These are addictive and good and..... Suffice to say I immediately put them in the freezer out of temptation's way as soon as they were cooled and cut.

It's not all sweet baking around here, I made these at Mom's request:
mini frittatas
The recipe was called "Mini Frittatas" and I've been making them for a few years. I don't remember where I got the recipe or even when I came across it. The recipe calls for them to be baked sans tart shells in mini muffin cups. At some point along the years I started using the tart shells (unsweetened... one year I accidentally got sweetened tart shells... not good) and I like them this way a lot.

spiced candied pecans
More Spiced Candied Pecans. I must have left something out when making these because they taste different than the first time around. However, they are still really good and they still need to be hidden away or there won't be any left and I will be unable to attend Christmas due to eating too many pecans.

Finally, my biggest accomplishment: Buns. My mom is an expert bun maker. I grew up watching her make them every couple of weeks and she had this unreal way of pinching off dough and squeezing it through her hand and, poof, there's a perfectly formed bun. I can't do that. But I am pretty happy with these. I've never been particularly fond of working with yeast dough (sticky, frustrating, etc) but I'm getting the hang of these (I made some last weekend as a test).
buns 1
buns 2
buns 3
buns 4
The hard part now is not eating them...

I think I'm done now, but we don't leave until Wednesday so there may still be another batch of something to come... Or maybe I should just do some knitting...

4 comments:

  1. Wow, you've been busy! I had plans for baking, but then the knitting just took over....

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  2. Yum yum - it all looks delicious!

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  3. Yum- all your baking looks delicious!! I hope your mom is doing okay and that you have a wonderful Christmas!

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  4. Your baking looks wonderful! Merry Christmas to you, the boy, and your families!

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