Christmas Baking

A bit more baking done!  I have come to the realization that my Christmas baking is pretty simple and easy and that's why I always make the same things each year.  Some year I should break out of my comfort zone and try some new and amazing recipes!  Oh well, the good old tried and true ones are O.K. too.  Here are three more recipes to share with you:

Shortbread Cookies:

This is a recipe from my SIL Gloria and they are melt in your mouth delicious!  Makes 5 doz. small cookies

1 lb. butter – softened

1 Cup icing sugar

3 Cups all-purpose flour

½ Cup cornstarch

Maraschino cherries - quartered

Whip the butter and icing sugar for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.  Slowly blend in the flour and cornstarch.  Drop by teaspoons full onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Put a cherry piece on each cookie and bake at 375F for approx. 15-20 minutes.

Neopolitan Bars:

My Mom always made these at Christmas time:

10 Graham wafers – crushed (or 1 ½ Cups graham wafer crumbs)

½ Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Flour

½ Cup Butter

Mix well and press into square pan.  Bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mix together and carefully top with:

1 Can sweetened condensed milk mixed with

2 Cups fine coconut

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool

Ice with pink butter icing (Mom always made the icing pink by using maraschino cherry juice with a tsp. of almond flavouring - delicious!).

Peanut Butter Balls (a.k.a. Chestnuts):

These are so easy and great fun to make with help from little hands!  I used melted milk chocolate that was give to us in the form of a HUGE 5 lb. chocolate bar (you know who you are) - these look a little nicer when using dark chocolate but you can use whatever you have on hand like I did :).

1 Cup icing sugar

2 Cups Rice Krispies

1 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp. butter

Melt the Peanut Butter and Butter and mix in the cereal and icing sugar.  Blend well causing the cereal to crush.  Roll into balls.  Dip into melted chocolate and drain on waxed paper.

THE WHITE ROSE

Today was the day we said good-bye to a dear and loved uncle (my mom's last surviving brother).  From a family of 11 siblings - only 4 sisters remain along with only 2 in-laws.  My beloved late aunt Ruth (who was the youngest in the family) made sure that there was always a white rose for each passed family member at the subsequent funerals.  She herself has passed away but I thought of her when I saw the 7 beautiful white roses in amongst the funeral flowers today.  At the end of the fellowship time today, I was given one of those roses in memory of my own dear mother - so touching!  I put it in one of the cranberry vases that was given to me from my mom's dishes.  I think I'll take a few moments this weekend and place it on her grave.  Thanks be to God for the wonderful memories we hold dear to our hearts especially on days like these!

Hugs,

Rosella