Annual Christmas Baking Day

Every year, we have a massive baking day, where we make lots of dishes - it's getting easier for me as the kids are getting more helpful - Sarah can actually make an entire recipe more or less on her own, perhaps with just a little supervision - even if it includes something somewhat tricky like separating eggs or making meringue. (Actually, I have grown-up friends whose baking skills are probably not that advanced...) . This means that we can actually get several things done at the same time. And with my mother here, even more help - even if it's only one of us doing the washing up all the time. Olivia and Alex also both helped, but they need more supervision, so it's a bit of a slower process.

Anyway, we made, I think, nine things, beginning before lunch with the rice krispie treats, which Alex helped me a lot with; cranberry orange bread (made by my mother); butter horn cookies (the crescent shapes), which were my dad's very favourite cookie; butterscotch shortbread, which we like not only because it's yummy, but because it cuts nicely into Christmassy shapes; lemon decorator cookies; chocolate-peanut butter no-bakes (mmm); fudge meltaways (a Christmas tradition in our house - and the one thing we often end up making a second batch of); jam thumbprint cookies; and finally, magic cookie bars (well, they weren't actually the last thing we made, but who's counting?) which I haven't made in years, but which I was reminded of on someone's blog. Now who was it - I know, it was Libby...



Maybe some recipes to follow, if I get my act together. Tell you what, I'll do the Rice Krispie Treats now - I know that one off the top of my head: Melt 4 oz butter or marge with 4 oz plain toffee, then add 4oz marshmallows. Stir in 5oz Rice Krispies (or non-branded rice crisp cereal!) . Press into pan or put in muffin cases, etc. Easy peasy.