Baking

Guess what I found at the store yesterday?  DATE BREAD MIX.  You know what that means, right? No.  Not date bread-  FRUITCAKE!  Now I know what you are thinking. YUCK!This is my mom's fruitcake recipe, and scoff though you may, I will tell you it's irresistible.  I made it last year and was invited to a last minute party.  I brought the fruitcake to share, cut in bite size squares, because fruitcake has a bad reputation.  When I went back to get some. IT WAS GONE!  I picked up the empty tin and the hostess said "did you bring that?  where did you get it? everyone loved it"  I told her "I made it" I think she didn't believe me.

Holiday baking has been a tradition since I was a small child.  My mother loved Christmas and would spend what seemed to me weeks of baking cookies to give to friends and neighbors.  I one baked- no lie- 90 dozen cookies to give away at Christmas.  That was when I was married the first time.  My ex husband had quite a sweet tooth and I think I only baked that many to be sure I would have some to give away!  Once, when we were newlyweds, I came home from work to bake cookies for a bakesale fundraiser for school.  I baked 7 1/2 dozen sugar cookies and went off to bed.  He asked me if he could have a few cookies.  I said sure.  To be fair, who can resist a warm sugar cookie and the smell was filling the small apartment.  I got up in the morning to package the cookies.  Remember I said there were 7 1/2 dozen?  On the cooling rack on the table there were TWO DOZEN left.   Yes.  He ATE 5/12 dozen cookies.  In one night.  I still can't believe it and it's been well over 30 years.

I will be gathering the ingredients to bake some of my mom's Christmas classics.  I think I want to make her Santa face cookies, but I will see if I have the patience. Her Anise bells.  Maybe Lebcuchen , but I have to find a good substitute for the almonds, as I cannot even handle them, I am so allergic.  We'll see.  This won't happen, of course, until early December.  I need to block out time on the calendar to bake.  It's a lot of work, but it is something that makes me feel close to my Mom.  I miss her terribly and the holidays without her are sad in some ways.  Baking cookies and some fruitcake helps.