Christmas Treats

Last week I received a wonderful box of King Arthur baking goodies from my sweet sister. She is always sending surprise boxes, and they ALWAYS arrive when I seem to need them most. I think she has a sixth sense that way.

In the box there's Cinnamon Chips, Espresso Powder, Vietnamese Cinnamon, Boiled Cider, Dried Fruit Blend, Pizza Dough Flavoring, and a very intriguing extract called Fiori di Sicilia.  The ingredients on the label say "citrus, vanilla, and alcohol."  I'm thinking I absolutely have to come up with a wonderful Christmas cookie for this!

I couldn't wait to whip up a batch of Cinnamon Scones using the cinnamon bits.  We gobbled them up this morning while Kitten and I cranked out some new batches of Christmas cookies.

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It's Christmas Central here in our household this week. In between drives up to my Dad, checking out some local assisted living centers, and many calls back-and-forth with my siblings about his care, I'm determined to make lots of goodies. The last 5-6 years my Christmas baking has been pretty lacking. And this is the year I'm making up for that!

Sitting in carpool lane this week, I had fun going through all my Mother and Aunt's recipe files. They died in 2007-08, and I always miss them this time of year. Most of the recipes I'm making this year are from their files. Trying to relive some wonderful old memories. Triple Treat Chews, Date Balls, Bourbon Balls, Pecan Crescents, and an old fried Italian cookie called "Farfellette." Hopefully I'll get some pictures posted later this week.

So what's going on in your house? What are some of your traditional recipes that you make this time of year?