Christmas treats

I am smack in the middle of my Christmas baking.  I have completed the peanut butter truffles.  This picture is from last year.  Cowboy told me last night, after they were all made, that he wants to also share with the neighbors!  He took two dozen to work with him today.  The guys have been asking when they would be ready.  I guess I will have to make a double batch next year.

Fruitcake is in the oven.  I make this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My mother got the recipe from a co-worker back around 1939.  It has been a family favorite all our lives.  It has to be the moistest, most delicious treat ever!  I love having it for breakfast with a cup of coffee.  Mother always made it in a pan like this.  Since I share with Cowboy's brother and sister, I make them in four mini loaf pans.

I'm taking a break while they bake, then I will clean up my mess and start on the Christmas Danish.  This is also a picture from last year.  Sorry I'm so lazy!  lol


(Time lapse)  Well, they are out of the oven and cooling, so time to wash up that batch of dirty dishes and get the Danish going.  They will take a while as you have to fold, roll and chill several times.  It has become a tradition to have these for breakfast on Christmas day.  I started making these back around 1969 or 1970.  The recipe comes from an old Fleischmann's recipe booklet that I sent off for while still in high school.  I have since lost the original recipe booklet, but was able to find a "new" one on Ebay.  I have also added the recipe to my own personal recipe book that I keep "family favorites" in.  Just in case......

(Time lapse again!)  Have mixed the dough for the Danish and done the first set of rolling and folding and the dough is again chilling.  Two more rollings and foldings to go today, then it will rest in the refrigerator overnight.  I will rest a bit, then make the cheesecake layers for Cowboy's birthday cake (he's a Christmas baby).  I found this recipe in the December 2013 issue of Southern Living.  It combines Cowboy's two favorites: red velvet cake and white chocolate cheesecake.  It requires two 1 oz bottles of red food coloring, which I paid $3 per bottle for at the grocery store!  Who knew red food coloring was made of ground up rubies.  (Just kidding, but judging from the price, it makes one wonder.)

Well, I think that will be enough baking for one day.  Tomorrow I will make the red velvet layers, shape the Danish, put together my goodie bags for family and neighbors, get a shower, and meet Cowboy at his sister's house after he gets off work.  Needless to say, we are having leftovers for dinner tonight!