Long awaited Christmas baking recipes

I am so glad that I am finally able to sit down and write a post! I have been so busy from the holidays and then the after affects aka being sick :( that I haven't had one minute to write a post. I am so sorry! So maybe the recipes I post you can use for next year or make them just because. Some items I can't post recipes for because they are a secret family recipe and well they just wouldn't be a secret anymore if I shared. :) All I can say is that I baked for 3 days straight! It was amazing, and I loved every minute of it. I would so love to one day open my very own specialty food store/bakery. This year for gifts for my friends I bought little tins and put an assortment of goodies layered in them. Nothing makes me happier than getting homemade baked goods so I hope that they enjoyed the goodies as much as I loved giving them. I was also in charge of bring the desserts for the family Christmas Eve party. So I put a large platter together of all the assorted goodies I made and then made one cookie platter and one pound cake platter. It was a big hit and I hope that I have the same job next year.

Assortment Platter

My Great Grandma Lund's Pound Cake - I had never made a pound cake before, but I was really excited to use her recipe to keep the family tradition of making this yummy cake for the Holidays. It turned out really well, better than I thought it was going to since I had never made it before. I made it in a bunt cake style and in loaf form. I used the loaf pieces by cutting them up into bite size pieces and sprinkling them in the tins. And the bunt cake I sliced and put on a platter.

 Vicki's Cheesecake - Why it's called Vicki's Cheesecake I do not know because its not really a cheesecake. More of a rich flaky gooey square. It has a cake like bottom with a gooey inside and a flaky top. It is so delicious this is a family favorite during the holidays. Another one of my Great Grandma's recipes that will knocks your socks off!

Salted Peanut Chews - These little yummy bars are so good you can't just eat one! This one is for the peanut butter lovers out there. It has the perfect ratio if gooeyness with a little crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2/3  cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened
• 2  egg yolks
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 3  cups  miniature marshmallows
• 1  (10-ounce) package peanut butter morsels
• 2/3  cup  light corn syrup
• 1/4  cup  butter or margarine
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  crisp rice cereal
• 2  cups  salted roasted peanuts

Directions

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at low speed with an electric mixer until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 13" x 9" pan. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 1 to 2 more minutes or until marshmallows begin to puff. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
Combine peanut butter morsels and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cereal and peanuts. Spread cereal mixture over marshmallows. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls - I think everyone knows about theses little beauties, Jimmy begged me to make them this year. So I caved and made them, can you see a pattern here? We are peanut butter LOVERS in this house!

Ingredients 

   * 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
    * 1/2 cup butter, softened
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
    * 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
    * 2 tablespoons shortening

Directions

   1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
   2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.
   3. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
   4. Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

Rice Crispy Treats -  Ok so I know this is a little boring but I didn't want to be wasteful. So I used the rest of the box of Rice Crispy cereal that I use for the Salted Peanut Chews. So to make them festive I sprinkled red and green sprinkles on them. Plus kids love them!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels -I made 2 different types of these. Both easy as pie to make. I bought the Wilton's melting White Chocolate followed the directions on melting and then use pretzel rods and pretzel sticks. Then dipped them half way up the pretzel and rolled them in green and red sprinkles. They are that easy!

As far as cookies go I made 2 batches of Choc Chip, 2 batches of Peanut butter, and 1 batch of Oatmeal raisin. I dont use any special recipes for those. For Choc Chip I like the Nestle Toll House recipe and use the milk choc chips. For Peanut Butter cookies I like the Jiff recipe on the Jiff container. And Oatmeal raisin I use the recipe on the Quaker Whole Oats container.

I hope everyone's Holiday Season was as wonderful as mine was! And I hope that you and your family can enjoy these recipes for years to come. :)