Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Busy in the Christmas kitchen


The past day or two have been busy ones in my kitchen.  (And the above photo is not from my kitchen, but rather is outdoors right next to the garage.  A tiny lighted fir tree with the lights glowing through snow.  I just had to share it.)

Yesterday in the kitchen I filled and glazed Sacher Torte Cookies,

Sacher Torte Cookies contain either raspberry or apricot jam under the chocolate glaze.
plus baked a double batch of Coconut Gingeroons and a second batch of Whipped Shortbread.

A little of everything; the tins to the left contain white chocolate snack mix


Today I made a double batch of Cinnamon Pretzels (for kitchen gifts) and a huge slow cooker full of Hearty Butternut Squash Soup.  This soup will sustain us for days, I think, which will be very helpful.  Oh, and I also cut up apricots and covered them with a simple syrup to use in Golden Apricot Cakes tomorrow.  There were many other things I had hoped to do, like make a batch of Heavenly Delight and a double batch of chocolate-dipped orange slices, and frost the already-baked Eggnog Logs.  But we had a funeral to attend this afternoon (an hour away) and so the time slipped away from me. We may possibly try and make the fudge tonight.  But likely not.  It's already 7 pm, and 4:30 a.m. comes very quickly!

10 comments:

  1. Oh my! You are running circles around me. What a wonderful lot of baking you have accomplished. I am making up a batch of cookies tonight that I will bake off tomorrow so that I can take some to my father later in the week.

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    1. I don't know, Vee. I may be running circles around you with regard to baking, but YOU are running circles around ME with the decorating and cleaning. Spotless fridge, indeed!

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  2. You have been busy!! I plan to take some goodies to my neighbor today as well as running a few errands. And if nothing happens, I plan to sit and stitch this afternoon. I need some restoring calmness in this busy season.

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    1. Oh, I need some restoring calmness too, Arlene. I had a busy morning with phone calls, writing Christmas cards, and trying to keep the wood furnace going (our only heat source is wood). Made two batches of fudge this afternoon, including one batch of your easy fudge. The best!

      Now I need to make up a cookie tray for tonight's Patch the Pirate Christmas program and then several goodie trays for Mr. T's co-workers.

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  3. Oh my, a woman after my own heart. I will have a post tomorrow with my decorations. I have been baking a few things each day this week. Today is a Bohemian Hoska and some fudge. Next year I will have to try your Mom's Maple Fudge. I make Spritz cookies, Pecan Tassies and what we call Pecan Cresents only I roll them into a ball. I believe they are similar to a Mexican Wedding Cookie! I love Christmas. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas.....

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    1. Mm-mmm, your cookies sound delicious, Debby!

      I hope to share a bit more about my mom's maple fudge (which I have never personally made). In going through her things I have found at least two notes from other ladies concerning that fudge and how special and difficult to make it was. I want to share those because they are quite interesting. Thanks so much for visiting and I trust that your family enjoyed a very merry Christmas, too.

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  4. You've been so busy! Don't we just love making all these treats? I'm going back to look up your recipes! Yum!

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  5. You're so right, Kitty. We do indeed love making all those treats. I have mine frozen in tins in the freezer and on the cold front porch. Somehow my hubby can hear cookies calling his name!

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