Baking Cookies

Hi y'all, in the spirit of Christmas my daughter, Annabella, and I baked cookies all day yesterday. Yippy! Annabella kept me company for the most part and chatted away on mommy's phone (cute picture below). We started at 10am and mommy finished at nearly midnight. Am I glad I am not that domesticated all year. lol

My baking skills created some yummy Ginger Snaps, my mother's recipe and my favorite cookie in the whole wide world. Ding Batts, a coconut cookie and another one of my mother's recipes. The infamous Sugar Cookies, that I store bought and made my baby girl help out. Then the best thing I cooked all day was a FUDGE that took me all of five minutes to make. I saw it on Oprah's Holiday Party Planning Show as Rachael Ray's featured dessert. I have to share the recipe with you all.. try it out now! It is the Best!

Five-Minute Fudge Wreaths:

Chunky Chocolate Fudge Wreath with Walnuts and Currants
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

INGREDIENTS

12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping
1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)
candied red and green cherries to decorate top (like holly)
softened butter to grease an 8 inch round cake pan

1. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to low.
2. Cover the empty condensed milk can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of the round cake pan.
3. Stir the chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes. Stir in nuts and raisins. Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all around the plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape. Let it be all bumpy on top. Keep pushing the can back to the center if the fudge moves it away from there. Cut the red cherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters. Use the green pieces to make leaves and the red to make holly berries. Decorate the fudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries and garnish with walnuts between the sprigs.
4. Put the fudge in the fridge and chill until firm. Remove the can from the center, then loosen the sides and bottom of the fudge with a spatula. Cut the fudge into thin slices to serve. To give the wreath as a gift-wrap in cellophane and secure with a bow or ornament.

* For more information about Rachael Ray, visit http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/.

Keeping mommy company while talking on the phone.


She pulled up a chair and found her own spot to do her own baking.

Yummy, Candy Cane

Getting the goodies ready to deliver!