I’m either burned out, or very close to it.

I love my kitchen and my mixer and flour bucket. So dearly. But I don’t think I really appreciated the full impact of what I was committing myself to. Twelve straight days of baking and photographing and writing and editing and posting. Good grief! Twelve straight days! During the busiest time of the year. Except I skipped Sunday. And I cheated once. And I’m technically still only on day ten.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And very sleepy. And done making treats for the next couple of days. Time to let someone else take over for a bit.

A few weeks ago the lovely people at Archway Cookies sent me a big box full of their Holiday Cookies to sample. Oooh, and I sure sampled. I had Wedding Cake, Cashew Nougat, Gingerbread Man, Iced Gingerbread Man and Pfeffernusse. And their two new flavors, Snow Top and Candy Cane, which were far and away my two favorites.

Archway boasts a cookie that looks and tastes homemade rather than store-bought. I have to admit they look a little too perfect and uniform to resemble homemade cookies. And I can’t say they taste exactly homemade. But good heavens, they were still delicious! If you’re going to buy rather than bake, these would be the cookies to choose.

I think I ate all of the Candy Cane cookies in one afternoon. That’s real classy.

If you’re as kitchened-out as I am this weekend, then it might not be a bad idea to let someone else handle some of your baking. Archway to the rescue.

I’m going to ignore my calendar for now, and assume that it’s not too late to talk about Christmas morning breakfast.

Christmas breakfast! You can totally do it. I’m going to show you the quickest and most painless way to put together a gorgeous, yeasted plum coffee cake for Christmas morning.

First, the yeast. If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ve heard me praise SAF red instant yeast to high heaven. Besides being slightly cheaper than active dry yeast, and acting more quickly, and not having to proof first — it only needs to rise once! That means you knead your dough, form it, let it rise, and bake. You’re done before you know what hit you.

Second, you can do 98% of the work ahead of time. So you wake up Christmas morning, preheat the oven, and throw on a couple of toppings. Twenty minutes later you have a nice, hot coffee cake to serve. I don’t have to tell you that’s cool. And I’ve got all the specifics down at the bottom of the recipe, if you’re interested.

Want to see how to do this?

First, take your fully-kneaded dough, and form it into a log.

Roll the log into a 4-foot rope, or snake, as the case may be.

Flatten it out a bit with your fingers. Don’t go overboard with the flattening like I sort of did.

Then twist it. This was my favorite part.

Form it into a spiral, starting in the middle and wrapping around. Tuck the end under.

Transfer to a baking sheet and let it rise, covered, until doubled in size.

I couldn’t get over how cool this looked, all puffed up and pretty.

Once it has risen, spread the cream cheese filling on top, place the plums, and sprinkle streusel over the whole thing.

Voila! Did I mention how quickly this comes together?

For the record, this was inspired by Annie’s gorgeous raspberry coffee cake that I’m sort of smitten with. It has been haunting my dreams for over a year now. And for good reason.

Plum Coffee Cake

(dough adapted from Lion House Bakery)

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 egg

3 to 3-1/2 cups flour

For the cream cheese topping:

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (15-oz) can of whole purple plums

For the streusel:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine water, dry milk powder, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are all incorporated. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough, not overly sticky, and not stiff. (The less flour you use, the softer your bread will be. To a point.) Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Sprinkle work area lightly with flour. Form the dough into a log, then roll into a long rope, about 4 feet (1.3 meters). Flatten the rope slightly with your fingers, then twist. Form the twisted rope into a spiral and tuck the end under. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a silicone mat) and cover with a damp, lightweight towel. Let it rise until it has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and salt. Cream them together and stir until completely smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

Slice the whole plums in half and remove the pits. Cut the plums into quarters and set aside.

In another small bowl, prepare the streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Gently cream the butter into the flour mixture, just until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is done rising, spread the cream cheese topping gently onto the dough. Arrange the plum pieces on top of the cream cheese, then sprinkle the streusel over the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

(**If you’re making this ahead of time, bake your formed dough (without the toppings) as soon as it has risen to double in size. Bake in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes. The dough should feel set, but should still look pale, not browned at all. Cool completely on the pan, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. The day before you need it, place it in the fridge, still wrapped, to thaw slowly overnight. Prepare your toppings then as well. The next morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, put the toppings on the coffee cake, and bake until the dough is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.**)

Let’s talk about recycling. I’m all for recycling. If something worked for you once, why not turn it around and get more use out of it?

Okay, so this is actually just a sneaky way of saying that I was simply too enamored of these cookies to let it go at a single post. They’re so soft and rich and chocolatey, it was such a shame to let them hang out back in November. So I decided to pull them out again, all dressed up for Christmas. (Never mind the fact that I don’t have time for kitchen fails! Believe it or not, I have things to do this week besides whip up pretty goodies and say cute things on the internet.)

The truth is, you could dream up a hundred different variations on this basic recipe, and they would all be fantastic. Because the cookie itself is that good.

A splash of mint extract turned out to be a fantastic idea. And M&Ms are a quick and dirty way to add festive color. I bash them up a bit, so they incorporate better into the batter. And Andes mint pieces, just because . . . more mint.

Send a plate to your neighbors, or leave some out for Santa. Or, lock yourself in a room and shovel them into your mouth.

Chocolate Mint Christmas Cookies

adapted from KingArthurFlour.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup M&Ms, green and red

1-1/3 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Andes mint pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place the M&Ms in a heavy-duty ziploc bag and crush into large pieces (don’t pulverize!) with a rolling pin or mallet. Set aside.

Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on low until the chocolate is mostly melted. Stir slowly until the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate mixture, and then add dry ingredients. Stir until the flour is all incorporated. Stir in the M&M pieces and Andes mint pieces. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight. It will firm up considerably.

Scoop out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough — roughly 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Roll them very briefly between your palms to even them out. Arrange the balls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1-1/2 inches between them.

Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes. If you bake two sheets at a time, switch the position of the pans (top to bottom, and front to back) halfway through the baking time.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Yield: King Arthur Flour says 5 dozen. I got about 3 dozen.

Each December I wonder if I’d be happier in my kitchen or away from it.

Today, for instance, might have been a good day to kick back and watch the snow fall with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book. Leisurely wrap a few gifts. No dirty dishes. Plenty of counter space. Sweet peace.

Instead, I find myself bending over the counter, scattering sprinkles, sweeping the floor twice, repeatedly telling pudgy little fingers to stay out of the icing, and wondering if I have enough measuring cups and spatulas to pull off another batch of treats without washing any dishes first.

Yes, I’m much happier in my kitchen.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without sugar cookies. Here is this year’s lineup -

Christmas trees:

Stockings:

Snowflakes:

Which one is your favorite? I’d love to hear!

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

adapted from Bake at 350

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts, and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together a bit with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl.

Form into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Let it sit in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze the cut-out shapes on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before baking. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much as they bake.

(Form any remaining dough into a disc, and rewrap with plastic wrap. Let it sit in the fridge while the first batch bakes, then roll it out again when you’re ready to do a second batch.)

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the tops look mostly dry, but edges aren’t browned yet. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

I’m going to have to cheat. It’s my Twelve Days of Christmas, so I can cheat, just a bit. I know you’ll let me because you’re nice like that.

Besides, it’s either that, or stay up ridiculously late(er than I’m already staying up) and post poorly-lit photos . . . bad idea on both counts.

I’m splitting the ‘sugar cookie’ concept into two separate posts. I’m giving you a basic sugar cookie recipe, and that’s it. No decorations today – just your empty palette.

This may just be the finest sugar cookie recipe you’ll meet on this side of mortality. It’s soft, but firm enough to hold up as you decorate. And the vanilla/almond flavoring is just perfect. The original recipe is from Bake at 350, home of the lovely and ultra-talented Bridget. I’ve tweaked it just slightly to fit my personal tastes, but honestly – Bridget’s version doesn’t need anything more than slight tweaking.

Christmas is exactly 6 days away! Don’t let this week slip by without whipping up some sugar cookies.

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

adapted from Bake at 350

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg and extracts, and mix just until incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently. The dough may be a little crumbly, so knead it together a little bit with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl.

Form into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Let it sit in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

(Form any remaining dough into a disc, and rewrap with plastic wrap. Let it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes before rolling out again.)

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the tops look mostly dry, but edges aren’t browned yet. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

You learn something new every day.

Today I learned that trying to temper chocolate is not technically the same thing as actually tempering it. Who knew?

Peppermint bark is ridiculously delicious. And it doesn’t take long to make, and it only has four ingredients, for crying out loud. I just had to not follow instructions on the simplest recipe I’ve ever made.

Here’s what you need to know: Chocolate has it’s own set of rules. It has molecular structure. It has beta crystals. It has a melting point. Have I scared you off? Don’t panic. Tempering chocolate gives it a nice dark glossy look, a higher melting point so it won’t melt all over your fingers as you eat, and makes it “snap” into pieces, rather than crumble.

I’m going to leave the full explanation to someone much more knowledgeable on the topic than myself. Our friend David explains it nicely, and even has a simple, four-step process. Listen to the man. He knows what he’s talking about. And if he says use a thermometer, then by all means – use a thermometer.

You can make this without tempering the chocolate, obviously, but you’ll end up with crumbly edges, and a bark that has to be stored in the fridge. And you’ll have to wash your hands after eating a chunk. I know there are worse things, but I also know you won’t settle for mediocrity.

So. Make peppermint bark this Christmas! And make sure you use your candy thermometer. Don’t leave it in the kitchen drawer like I did.

Peppermint Bark

adapted from Baked by Rachel

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate

12 oz. white chocolate

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided

6 oz. peppermint candies or candy canes, crushed

Directions:

Line a 9×13 pan with foil. In a double boiler, melt the bittersweet chocolate with 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Temper the chocolate by melting it to about 115 degrees F, then cooling to the low 80s F while stirring quickly and frequently. Then bring the chocolate back up to 88-90 degrees F.  Pour it into the pan and smooth the top. Place the pan in the fridge while you do the next layer.

Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in the double boiler, with the other 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Temper the white chocolate using the same method as before. Pour over the layer of bittersweet chocolate and smooth the top.

Sprinkle the crushed peppermint pieces generously over the top of the white chocolate, and place the pan back in the fridge to firm up completely. Break up into irregular pieces.

Good heavens, this blog needs a good old-fashioned apple pie, and quick.

We’re just shy of two years here, and there are probably 700 times as many cakes as there are pies on this blog. That won’t seem outrageously incongruous to anybody except me, but only because I’ve never let you in on a dirty little secret of mine — see, I’m totally a pie person.

I’m really just a sucker for tender, flaky pastry. Especially when it’s keeping company with that warm fruit filling . . . is what it all comes down to.

If you’re making a pie for Christmas dinner – and oh, I hope you are – you just can’t go wrong with this one. All the time and care you put into this – mixing, rolling, stirring, slicing, filling, and crimping – will not be lost on the lucky soul who sits down to take a bite.

If you’re starting to hyperventilate just thinking about making a pie, say no more. I’ve got you covered.

Need to make it ahead? Yes! ‘Tis the season for making things ahead! Freeze the pie after it’s all put together, but before you brush it with milk and sprinkle sugar. The day before you need the pie, stick it in the fridge to thaw overnight. The next day, go ahead and do the milk and sugar thing, and bake as directed. No problem!

Apple Pie

Ingredients for pastry dough:

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

7 tablespoons ice water

Apple Filling:

6 cups of peeled, cored, thinly-sliced apples (I use Granny Smith and Fuji)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, cut into several small cubes

Topping:

milk for brushing

4-5 tablespoons of sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour until pieces are about the size of a large pea. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time, tossing the mixture with a fork until the dough is shaggy and holds together, without being soggy. Form the dough into two discs, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap the discs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight. (At this point the discs can stay in the fridge for up to three days if you need to do this part ahead.)

Take the larger disc out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll the dough, on a lightly-floured surface, into a 12-inch circle. Fold it into thirds horizontally, then into thirds vertically. Re-wrap in plastic wrap and put it back into the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Repeat this step with the smaller disc.

While the dough is chilling, make the pie filling. Place the apples in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, and gently stir to coat completely. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take the larger disc of pastry dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a pie pan and trim the edges 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Spoon the apple filling into the pan. Dot with several small cubes of butter. Roll out the other disc of dough into a 12-inch square. Cut vent holes using a knife or a small cookie cutter. Carefully place the dough over the apples. Trim off the excess, and seal the two crusts together around the edge with a tiny bit of cold water. Tuck the edges of the top crust under the bottom, and flute or crimp the edges. Place the pie in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Then lightly brush the crust with milk, and sprinkle sugar generously over the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 F, then reduce the temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. (Note: To keep the edges from burning, cover them with foil about halfway through baking time, or as soon as they have reached a desirable level of golden-ness.)

Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

I’ve always called this wassail.

My dictionary, however, is infuriatingly insistent that if it’s not alcohol, it’s not wassail. So I have to concede because, well, this is an alcohol-free beverage. And that’s when things get a little awkward, because I’ve just had a fight with Webster, and Webster won.

But . . . I don’t know, I still like to call it wassail.

Whatever the name, you and I both know that nothing beats the sensuous aroma of spiced apple cider simmering on your stove top for an hour. Nothing, except maybe sipping a mug of it.

Hot Spiced Apple Cider

1 gallon apple juice

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

dash of salt

2-3 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together in a stockpot and simmer covered for 1 hour. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves, and serve hot.

Mom never let us drink straight egg nog.

She would only buy it a quart at a time, and just between you and me, a single quart of egg nog doesn’t go very far when you’ve got four eager children vying for the stuff. So Mom diluted it down with milk to make it last longer. And that’s what I grew accustomed to.

To this day, I think my egg nog flavor perception is a little off. This frosting was a beast to get right. But I think I won.

Egg nog is tricky stuff because people generally either love it or hate it. If you’re a hater, don’t give up on me yet. You can turn this into non-egg-nog frosting if you substitute milk for the egg nog, and omit the rum extract and nutmeg. No sweat.

I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone who didn’t like gingerbread. I think it’s a crime this time of year, actually. And I rarely talk with convicts, so that probably explains it.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

adapted from Lion House Bakery

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 cup molasses

1 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup very hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses and beat well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Add hot water and beat on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Batter will be very thin.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool completely. Decorate with frosting and garnish with a pinch of ground nutmeg.

Egg Nog Frosting

adapted from Wilton.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons rum extract

4 cups (approx. 1 lb) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

dash of salt

3 tablespoons egg nog

Directions:

Cream butter and shortening together until smooth. Add vanilla and rum extracts. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Add nutmeg and salt. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add egg nog and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. Refrigerate leftover icing in an airtight container, up to 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

I’ve always been jealous of Samantha. It’s true, our husbands have the same name (coincidence), and her theme song is my ring tone (not coincidence). But that’s as close as I get to her homemaking skills. Even if I could do that cute nose wiggle, the dishes in the sink wouldn’t go anywhere.

This year, I skipped the NaBloPoMo party in November, because a month of daily posts on this blog could only work under two circumstances — shipping my little boys off somewhere, and purchasing a magic wand to whisk away all the other housework. I don’t have to tell you chances are slim.

But I’m about to try it anyway. Minus the shipping kids, and the wand.

Take that, Samantha.

Twelve days of Christmas. I’ll share a Christmas-ish treat with you every day. Just for the next 12 days. Ready set go.

I know, you’re looking for cookies and candy. And I promise they’re coming. But THIS. This is a mighty fine pound cake. The lemon doesn’t zing you, but it’s sweet and pleasant enough to provide a nice accompaniment to the cranberries. Dressing it up with lemon glaze would not be a bad idea at all.

Lemon Cranberry Pound Cake

adapted from BHG Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

Zest from 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 eggs

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream or lemon yogurt

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and the lemon zest until thoroughly incorporated. The sugar will appear moist. Add the butter, and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping the bowl often. Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream/yogurt to the egg mixture alternately, beating on low after each addition, just until combined. Gently fold in the cranberries.

Pour into a greased and floured 8×4″ loaf pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Let it cool completely before slicing.