Mmmmm.....

So I finally finished my holiday baking today.

Usually I like to slowly do my baking. Making just one or two recipes each day.
I like to freeze them as I go, always having something made, ready to pull out when unexpected company drops by. I also love making baking tins to give to friends and family.

This year I left it to the last minute and so I had a marathon of baking over the last two days....seriously if you could have seen the state of my kitchen you'd likely run for the hills! Oh, but the results are so worth it. And to be honest it felt good to get it all done at once....with three little ones I'm finding I don't really have the time or the energy to be in the kitchen everyday baking.

So this year I decided to make some of the classics I always make but also add in a few new recipes. I am excited to say that they all turned out very yummy indeed.
Here are the good ol' classics I make every year:

Chocolate Clusters


Crunchy Caramel Popcorn


Mars Bars Squares


Here's a new one. I tried out this recipe and it turned out great....hubs and i find them a little sticky but the kids love them!!

Pink Popcorn Balls


While searching the Internet for new recipes I stumbled upon the Joy of Baking website. Where has this site been all my life??!! Mmmmmmm!! I just sat there drooling over all their yummy pictures. I found their recipes easy to follow and most of the ingredients was stuff I had in the pantry. I really must say I am very pleased with how they turned out! (All except for one, that is!) It was hard to pick just a few to make but here's what I finally decided on:

Peppermint Bark - a new family favorite! Though instead of using just 6oz of each type of chocolate, I used 1lb (16 oz) It made enough for me to give away and also keep some for us to enjoy :)


Chocolate Mint Squares - Yummy in my tummy! I love mint anything and these babies did not disappoint. They were easy to make, just a little time consuming....but that first bite made it all worth it!!


Molasses Cookies - Ahhhh....my favorite. Crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. I wonder how much weight I'll gain because of these little treasures?? Hmmm....


Butter Tarts (I made these last and to be honest I was just a little tired of baking and so I cheated and used a pre-made crust....next year I'll attempt to follow the recipe and make my own!) Some of them turned out ok...but some of they went horribly wrong. the centers just sank right in...hmmm, I guess practice makes perfect. I'll have to give this receipe another chance.


All in all a good two day bake-a-thon!
:)