Holiday Baking Gone Wild!

I couldn’t help myself. I started some holiday baking today. I made the shortbread cookies dipped in confectioner’s sugar (sometimes they call them Mexican wedding cakes or Christmas cookies). I figured, I could freeze them today and defrost them when it’s time to start sending things out. I’ll give it a shot, anyway. My master plan is to spread out my baking so that it’s actually fun instead of overwhelming.

This year, I’m planning to send out lots of holiday treats to teachers, daycare workers, mail lady, relatives, etc. I’m going for the kind that store well and are crowd-pleasers. Last year, I made Kentucky Bourbon balls for the first time, and let me tell you, it was heart-wrenching to give those away. They were SO GOOD. The basic ingredients were bourbon, finely-chopped pecans, confectioner’s sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. Then you dip them in melted chocolate. To die for. And what’s better is that they taste better as they age. When they’ve been stored about 2 weeks, they’re perfect. Something about the bourbon reacting with the rest of the ingredients–oh, you had to just pry them out of my hands.

I’m also thinking of making the chocolate covered toffee, the kind that resembles peanut brittle and is covered in milk chocolate. Problem is, the first time I made it, the sugar didn’t caramelize (my candy thermometer wasn’t working right). The second time, I burned it. This may or may not work for me this year.

An all-time holiday favorite for my family is Buckeyes. They’re made of crunchy peanut butter, fresh butter, and confectioner’s sugar…then you dip them in melted chocolate.

Do you bake during the holidays? What are your family favorites?