Christmas Food Porn edited to fix omissions!

TA DA!

Today is Dec 10th and the Great Online Cookie Exchange.  The list of all the participants is at the bottom of this blog... just click on name for the link.

I have been baking up a storm around here in the last week or so...... have got plans to make some tarts today (yes gonna attempt the Almond Tarts) and tomorrow maybe I'll have to time to make some caramel shortbread (it sounds so decadent!)  I'm saving chocolate peppermint blossoms for the 22nd cause the lil one will be with us till New Year's (YAY!) and the lil one would like a 'family baking day'.

Anyway - moving on to the topic at hand.........

I am only going to post one recipe -- BUT if one of the pictures catches your fancy - leave me a message or drop me an email (see form on right) and I will be glad to pass along the recipe.  

These are peppermint meringues.........

these are mocha crinkles......

these are Rosenmunnar OR Swedish thumb prints

these are rum balls (next time I make them gonna put a whole lot less rum!)

these are my grandmother's shortbread.....

and last but definitely not least!!  Cherry Cake.  The recipe is from Newfoundland -- first time I have made it and OMG!  it is soooooooo good!!  I cut it into 4 parts and froze 3 and we devoured one in less than a week! 

Recipe for the Cherry Cake:

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Newfoundland Cherry Cake is a big local favourite especially during the Holidays. The secret in this recipe is undiluted evaporated milk for added richness. 

Servings: 32 Servings (1 large cake or 2 smaller 8x4 inch loaves) 

Ingredients

• 1 pound chopped glace cherries + 1/4 cup flour (2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup lukewarm undiluted evaporated milk

Instructions

1.     Rinse the cherries in a colander to remove any syrup that they may have been stored in. Pat them day between layers of paper towels.This step helps prevent the cherries sinking into the batter as well. Depending on their size, cut them into halves or quarters and set aside for later. They will get tossed in 1/4 cup of flour later but not until just before they are folded into the batter.

2.     Cream together the butter and sugar well.

3.     Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy.

4.     Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.

5.     Sift together the 3 cups of flour and baking powder.

6.     Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the lukewarm milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. As a general rule, I add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the milk in 2 portions.

7.     Fold in the chopped glace cherries that have been tossed at the last minute in the 1/4 cup flour.

8.     Bake in greased and floured spring form pan, tube pan or 2 loaf pans, lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes - 1 hour depending upon the size of your pan.

9.     Baking times vary greatly on this recipe so rely on the toothpick test to ensure that it is properly baked. When a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, its done. Be careful not to go past this stage or the cake will be dry.

10.Let the cake cool in the pan/s for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

NB - I made 2 loaf pans and it took over an 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake. 

Happy Baking!

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Baker

blossom

Cat

greengirl

Hermione

Jz

Lindy

little monkey

messymimi

Mrs. Fever

olivia

Ronnie 

Ryan

Sassy

selkie's recipe
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