Christmas Baking

Today was a wonderful day for a few reasons...

1) I didn't have to work, and got to sleep in.

2) A plumber came to fix the kitchen sink, and he was very nice, plus sink is fixed!

3) Brandon only had to be at school for a half day, and is now of Christmas break. Now I will actually get to spend some time with him, yay!

4) Out friend Sandra came over for a quick visit and had lunch with us.

5) I got some baking done.. more to go but it was a good start.

These are just some of the groceries I picked up to make all the things I want to in the next couple days... and yes, that is 5 pounds of butter...

PARTY MIX

Mix 20 cups various dry ingredients (Chex cereal, peanuts, Cheetos, bagel chips, pretzles, ect)

Combine: 

18 tablespoons melted butter

14 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 teaspoons seasoning salt

Pour half of liquid over dry ingredients, mix together, pour on remaining liquid, and mix again.

Bake for one hour at 250, stirring every 15 minutes.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY DROPS

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

4 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

16 oz white chocolate chips

2 cups dried cherries

1) In medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa until blended.

2) In a mixer at medium speed cream together butter and sugar. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, and eggs until well mixed. 

3) Gradually add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and cherries.

4) Drop cookies by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets

5) Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until tops are just set. Cool on wire racks.

*This made 97 cookies when I made it today*

BANANA BREAD

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp baking soda

6 ripe mashed bananas

4 eggs

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling (optional)

1) Add bananas, sugar, eggs, oil, and applesauce to mixer and beat well

2) Add dry ingredients gradually and mix well.

3) Bake in  loaf pans at 350 for about a hour or until middle tests done with a toothpick.

4) Optional, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top before baking to make a crispy topping. (I forgot to do this and waited until the bread was done, so it didn't stick very well and that is why the pictures look a little strange)

More baking tomorrow!