Baking and Making Goodies for the Holidays

I surely come by it naturally, this passion for baking goodies around the holidays. I'm making two pineapple upside down cakes, Yule time holiday fudge, peanut butter cookies, mulled apple cider, peppermint bark candy, star lollies, and plum pudding! Oh yes, I will be waddling down the hall once the holidays are over. No way to avoid it, because as you probably know, the best treats are taste tested during cooking to make sure they are just right. lol

Give the recipe below a try over the holidays and let me know if it was a hit with your family and friends. :)

Yule Time Fudge
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup butter, divided
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup milk
12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until combined. Bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Reduce heat to low; stir in white chocolate. Cook and stir until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Fold in the almonds, cherries, and cranberries. Immediately spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in the refrigerator.

I want to thank all my readers and fans for their support this year, and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, and an especially awesome New Year 2013!

May you enjoy good health, prosperity, love, and peace this coming new year.
Brightest blessings, Cass

Toffee Apple Time

With the change in seasons and the temperature dropping to reasonable levels after an intense spring and summer, it feels good to get back to some of my favorite activities, like making toffee or caramel apples. We made some last weekend and they went pretty fast. I bet your family will enjoy them too.

Caramel Apples

4 large apples
1 bag of caramel candies

1 pack of popsicle sticks
non-stick aluminum foil

*Optional:
crushed nuts
marshmellows
sprinkles
chocolate chips
sunflower seeds


Line a baking sheet with non stick foil, non-stick side up. Wash and dry apples, and then take a popsicle stick and insert in top of apple. Set aside. Take a microwave safe bowl and melt unwrapped caramel pieces in bowl for 1-2 minutes, depending on wattage of your microwave. Remove bowl with oven mitts and stir with large spoon. Caramel should be slightly runny.

Dip and Twist apple in melted caramel. If desired, you can then roll sticky apple in an additional layer of nuts* or whatever else you want. Place caramel apple on foil and let sit for ten minutes then serve. Apples can also be refrigerated for use later. Serves 4.

Roast Beast For Mum

After spending the better part of today searching for roast beef to cook for tomorrow’s family get together, I dragged home victorious. You’d think in a city the size of mine, it wouldn’t be so difficult to find a haunch of the proper beef to cook, but ahh, the hard part is it has to be perfect—the exact type that my mum cooked as a girl and young wife over in England.

A pork shoulder wouldn’t do. Nor would a Yankee beef pot roast— the horrors!  Oh no. For Easter (which is another story in itself) my mum wants all the traditional English fixings…baby potatoes, carrots, onions and of course—authentic Yorkshire pudding. Oh yeah—the works.

I should be thankful she didn’t want spring lamb. I am so not cooking lambiekins! Yikes!
Add to that, this sudden craving she has for cheesecake, and my goose is cooked…so to speak.
I forgot to go by Adam Matthews outlet and pick up cheesecakes on Friday. Eeps!

I didn’t feel like going out in a torrential downpour yesterday and drive 20 miles to go to the cheesecake factory.

So, I am spending today baking cookies (3 types) in a valiant attempt to distract her tomorrow when she realizes I still didn’t buy a cheese cake today. Adam Matthews is closed on the weekends—who knew?

But by God, I shall have Yorkshire Pudding and Roast Beef and it shall be good and all who partake of it shall be satisfied! Or else! Grrr.

Thank goodness for You Tube! I lost mum’s Yorkshire Pudding recipe, and I dare not call her, but I found this recipe and it’s wonderful! So is the sweet old lady in the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEx-vwSEr6k

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Easter or Eostre!
I plan to soak my cookies in some hot cocoa and take a well deserved break to chill.