Over the past 2 weeks we have started our Christmas baking! We made my MIL’s Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares, Snickerdoodle Bread and My Nana’s Lubkuchen. I even made a SECOND batch of my Nana’s Lubkuchen WITH molasses this time, both versions were delicious but this time it looked just like I remember it looking like when I was a kid!
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
½ cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ground
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
Using a mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until well-creamed.
Add molasses and beat until combined.
Stir in egg and vanilla.
In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients to wet until completely combined.
Scrape dough roughly into a ball (it will be sticky, use a spatula), wrap completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375F.
Generously flour a clean surface and lightly flour the dough as well.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to ¼” thickness, and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Transfer to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (or an ungreased cookie sheet), transfer to oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
Once cookies have cooled, prepare frosting and decorate.
Yoda Mint Hot Chocolate
Adapted from Adventures of a Nurse
3 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2-3 drops of green food colouring
1/4 cup green sugar for rims of glasses
In a sauce pan place milk on a low heat. Add in white chocolate chips and peppermint extract. Stir until chocolate is melted. let simmer about 10 minutes.Do not let it come to a boil. Add in 2-3 green food coloring drops.
In a small bowl add 1/4 cup green sugar. Place rims of glasses in the sugar. Pour hot chocolate into the cups. Top with whipped cream, sprinkle with sugar and add 2 mint leaves for Yoda’s ears.
This week, our final prep for Christmas! Topics include: Would You Rather, Xmas dinner, baking, chopping the tree, shipping issues, gift shopping, shaving in the shower, & of course, Christmas music!
This week was my last work week of 2020! It was busy and I won my step challenge this week! The Girls received a whole week of 12 Days of Christmas from “Santa’s Elves”. We also, enjoyed 7 more days of my festive Christmas Challenge! This week we called a loved one (my weekly date night with my Sis), had hot cocoa, wrapped presents, took the Girl’s teachers a coffee/tea, decorated our real Xmas tree, baked, and watched a holiday movie. Oh and I finished my 3rd Christmas stocking! Doesn’t look like I’ll get mine done in time for Xmas but I got the 3 most important ones done and I enjoyed myself while learning how to do it!
I won a basket of local goodies from a local business that was having a beautiful tree contest and we won! We ate so many yummy dinners this week and started our holidays early by having some holiday cheer from local breweries and wineries! HBear bought her 1st boyfriend the cutest little tree ornament, we had a nice evening decorating our real tree, baked a ton of holiday treats, and enjoyed the Great Trout Creek Light Quest of 2020! A lady in Trout Creek made a riddle game to send people around the neighbourhood to see all the beautiful lights! It was pretty amazing!
From my bubble to yours, Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! However you choose to say it, I hope you spend it with the people you love most. Stay safe and have a wonderful and relaxing holiday!
