Serves up to 24
For the Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons each: finely grated lemon and orange zest
1/4 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg
1/2 cup each: golden raisins, dark raisin, and dried cranberries
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large
We were going to post the recipe for my Cakey-Fudgy-Chewy Brownies this week (we even took a photo and everything!), but our friend Jamie over at My Baking Addiction (http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/amazing-brownies-a-giveaway/) published our recipe and gave us a shout out on her site this week. So, we’re giving her a little
Serves 8
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or bars, cut into bite-size chunks
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons flour
8 extra-large paper muffin cups (separated, if foil-lined; foil reserved or discarded)
1 container (6 ounces) raspberries flicked with water and rolled in sugar before
Adjust oven rack to
Makes about 50 bite-size bars
The recipe halves easily–simply bake in an 8- by 8-inch pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, melted
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
2 cups dried cherries (about 10 ounces), chopped coarse
2 cups dried apricots (about
Makes 1 dozen
1 cup store-bought mincemeat
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons brandy
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 sheet frozen puff pastry from a 17.3 ounce box, thawed
Flour for rolling dough
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400. Mix mincemeat, cranberries, brandy, and zest in a
Makes 1 cake, serving up to 16
To change the coffeecake’s flavor, substitute 1/2 cup of raspberry or strawberry jam, peach, cherry, or pineapple preserves, apple butter, or orange marmalade for the chocolate chips. The cooled coffee cake can be covered with foil and stored at room temperature a day
Makes 1 dozen large, 18 medium, and 4 dozen mini muffins as well as 4 mini quick-bread loaves
Make sure to check your muffin cup capacity. Some muffin cups are smaller than the 1/2-cup called for in this recipe.
Flavorings (see specific recipes below)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
Makes about 10 cups
1 package (3 ounces) natural flavor microwave popcorn
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon distilled or cider vinegar
6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup honey-roasted peanuts
Following package instructions, pop popcorn. Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to simmer over medium-low heat in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven, stirring
Makes 3 dozen
Granny usually makes these with colored marshmallows, which can be hard to find. We used a half bag of the red star and green tree holiday marshmallows that we cut in half and mixed with a half bag of the white mini marshmallows.
12 ounces bitter-or semi-sweet chocolate
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Our friend, Susan Walter, introduced these cookies to our family. We’ve decided they taste like Christmas in cookie form.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons very soft butter
1 cup sugar, plus
