Christmas Brownies

 

Yesterday I baked Christmas Brownies (see recipe in previous post).  They came out "okay" but I don't think I'd make them again.  The biggest thing I would change is the size of the pan I baked the brownies in.  The recipe called for a 13x9 pan, but I think I would bake it in a 9x9 pan like the box directions say.  Also I would underbake them a little bit so that they're more chewy.  I think the middle layer (basically a mint buttercream) would be fine and make the squares taller.  Also, the chocolate layer on the top would probably be thicker in a smaller pan.

But they tasted good -- kind of like the most recent Mint Oreo cookies.

Advent 2021 - Week One Recipes

Join me during this season of Advent as I bake some recipes inspired by "When God Calls the Heart at Christmas," a devotional by Brian Bird & Michelle Cox inspired by Janette Oke's "When Calls the Heart" book series and the Hallmark series of the same name.

Each Sunday I'll be posting the recipes that I have sketchnoted for you so that you can join in & bake.  Throughout the week as I bake each recipe, I'll blog about each recipe, post a picture of the completed bake, and tell you a little bit about the devotional inspiration behind each recipe.

Wedensday, December 1, 2021

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Holiday Cake Recipe

"Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed."

 

Deuteronomy 28:5

"Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed."

The countdown to Thanksgiving has started.  If you haven't put your frozen turkey into the refrigerator by now, do so immediately.  You're probably still going to need to thaw it in cold water to make sure it's ready on Thursday morning.

Today and tomorrow will be my baking days.  I had already planned on baking my bread today (see early post for the mini-bread loaves that I'm baking for everyone).  God decided to bless me this morning as I was reading my daily devotional with this verse from Deuteronomy -- "Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed."  Also, my mother has my great-grandmother's kneading trough on the divider in her kitchen.  What a wonderful Bible verse and memory to have today as I make my bread and knead it (even though I'm using an electric mixer!) and bake it.

So here's my checklist for today:

• bake bread
• bake cornbread
• bake carrot cake cupcakes (for my son-in-law's birthday)
• make sugar cookie dough (cut & bake kind), refrigerate to bake and decorate tomorrow with my grandkids

 I hope you're taking time today to be thankful and that you're checking off all of those tasks on your holiday checklist.

 

Happy National Bundt Day -- a little late!

 

November 15th was National Bundt Day, so I'm posting a little late.  What reminded me of it was the weekly activity calendar that is included in each issue of Woman's World.  And in the one for November 11th through 17th was a recipe for a Caramel Apple Bundt Cake to celebrate National Bundt Day.  It's a very easy recipe:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Peel and core one apple.  Chop and mix with 2 T. of dry yellow cake mix.
• In another bowl, blend the remaining cake mix, 1 box of butterscotch instant pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 1/3 cup of applesauce, 1 stick of melted butter, and 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.
• Stir in apple mixture.
• Pour cake batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes.  Invert onto serving plate.  Drizzle with caramel & 1/2 c. of chopped pecans.

This would make a wonderful alternative dessert for Thanksgiving.

Maple Cookies

Today I baked maple cookies.  This a recipe from Taste of Home:  Vermont Maple Cookies.  This past summer, my husband and I took a trip to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada.  While we were in Nova Scotia, we visited Acadian Maple Products in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, near Peggys Cove.  We purchased some maple syrup products and I have used them for baking -- especially the processing grade maple syrup which is not quite good enough for pouring on your pancakes but is perfect for baking.  So even though this recipe is called Vermont Maple Cookies, it's really Nova Scotia Maple Cookies.  I hope you'll try the recipe and include it as one of your desserts for Thanksgiving.