Sunday Christmas Baking - Round DONE!

All that's left now is to make the cake for dessert at Christmas dinner.  I'm always the "dessert bringer".  Secretly, I think it's because it is so much easier to bring veggies, a salad, or a side dish than dessert.  You see, I'm still trying to figure out how this works?  When one of my daughters is hosting the holiday dinner the "host" does the turkey and the rest becomes pot-luck. When it's my turn to host I get to prepare everything and they show up with empty tupperware for leftovers.  (Oh yes, I imposed that rule a long time ago ... you want to take leftovers home?  Bring your own containers 'cause I've had to replenish my supply too often).

So this Sunday the task was Cinnamon Palmiers, Pistachio Pinwheels, Monkey Bars (nothing to do with Christmas but they were a special request) and my Chocolate Baklava.  I found the Baklava recipe quite some time ago and it has definitely become a family fave at Christmas and Easter.

I managed to package everything all up (sorry for the blurry pic ... I really need to remember to put my glasses on when use the camera).  I couldn't resist - I had to put "Naughty" and "Nice" stickers on the containers.

All that's left now is the delivering ...

The munching ...

And, hopefully - no cookie regrets or hangovers!

Sunday Christmas Baking - Round 3

Well, you've got to be tired of hearing it (feel free to tell me to stop whining in the comments), but I'm behind again in my posts.  There are these silly folks around that actually expect me to do social things around Christmas time ... go figure?

Anyway - since I started these baking posts I figured I might as well continue on with the latest batch of baking.

This Sunday it included "Chocolate Peanut Butter (filled) Snowballs".  I don't know what happened but I ran out of filling before I ran out of dough so the few cookies on the bottom are simply "Left-over Dough Butter Cookies" with a few sprinkles on top ... they must have been all right because they disappeared quickly enough.

Then, for the first time I attempted "Cherry Chocolate Rugalah".  They turned out well, but I had to get the hang of rolling them properly and the first batch turned out too big.  No worries, they'll go on the dessert table instead of into the gift packages.

My son-in-law loves "Pineapple Kipfel".  They are a kinda-sorta butter dough filled with pineapple.  His Oma used to make them for him every Christmas (as did my mother when I was growing up).  When his Oma passed away I took over making them for him so he wouldn't miss out.  It was a bit of a challenge since I didn't have a recipe to go by.  Consequently there were a few hit and miss years until I finally figured it out to get the taste and texture right.  This year's batch looks like the best ones and it's the recipe I'll stick to from now on.

I live in a little house and although the kitchen is a fair size it has VERY LIMITED counter space, so since it was a disaster zone anyway and I had some bananas that were a couple of hours away from being zombie bananas I decided to make some "Banana Pistachio Muffins" (okay - they are supposed to be Banana Walnut Muffins but I ran out of walnuts and had some pistachios left over so I improvised).

And lest you think I was kidding about the kitchen being a disaster zone ...

BUT ... I did clean up!!

AND ... I managed to get the tree up.

Saturday I am going to make two small batches of cookies that do not freeze well (so cannot be made too far in advance) and on Sunday I am going to make my Chocolate Baklava.  It is the costliest thing on my list of home made gifts and only a select few (by request) get a small container - the rest is for the dessert table at our family and friends Christmas dinner.

Then they'll all get packaged up ready for delivery throughout the week.  No doubt next year I'll again decide that it's too much work ... and probably do it all over again anyway!

Sunday Christmas Baking - Round Two

So, yesterday was dedicated to more Christmas Baking, this time for the Greek taste buds in the family.

I did manage to get a couple of Christmas themed short stories read (reviews later today, I hope) while waiting for things to come out of the oven.  Reading Christmas stories seemed appropriate somehow.





Yesterday's results ...

Melomakarona (Honey Walnut Cookies) 

And the sampling plate 'cause, you know, you have to taste before you can give them to folks!

Koulouraki (which I always think of as Greek Shortbread)

and Kourabiethes (Walnut Crescents)

 

30/30
NaBloPoMo  DONE!!

Sunday Christmas Baking - Round One

Since I work Monday through Saturday (one of perks - haha - of managing your own office) I am very protective of my Sundays.  I try to have all my errands and "chores" done by Saturday night so Sunday belongs to me.  Even my friends know that unless something is planned in advance chances are very good that I will not even get properly dressed.  I have my breaky, do anything that may really need to be done (like my treadmill and the kitty litter ... both equally despised) then have a shower and put on a clean pair of pajamas.  Then the safe bet is I will make a latte, grab a book and read.

Of course, 'tis the season, so I am doing my holiday baking now.  Years ago I started giving home baked Christmas goodies to co-workers, the young man who mows my lawn, my BFF ('cause she doesn't bake), one or two neighbours and of course my daughters.  It was something I enjoyed doing and when money was tight I thought it was a nice way to share the spirit of the season without the stress and expense of Christmas shopping.  The list of recipients has grown and the past few years it has turned into quite the production.  This year I kind of put out the word that maybe, just maybe, I might forgo the baking this year (it is time consuming and really not that inexpensive anymore).  That statement was met with more than a few pouty faces and half-hearted that's okays.  You would have thought I'd announced there is no Santa Claus.

My oldest daughter actually threw her hands up in the air and announced "Well, now you've gone and totally ruined Christmas".  She was kidding of course, but someone once said many a truth is spoken in jest.

I have a strong "guilt complex" so I took my self off to the grocery store and bought the 10 Kg bag of flour and then to Bulk Barn to get other various and sundry items I would need and began my baking, starting with all the baking I knew would freeze well.

Needless to say no reading got done yesterday and I didn't think to plug an audio book into my ears - just as well - often the mixer and the food processor drown it out anyway.  I just thought I'd share what I was up to yesterday ...

Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies, Gooey Lemon Coconut Butter Cookies (these are the easiest cookies and the world to make), White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Biscotti and Dark Chocolate Walnut Biscotti below.

Fruitcake Cookies (my fave) and Chocolate Rolled Cookies below.

23/30