Actual 2023 candy list

 

 So above you see the tentative candy list I made for 2023. 

And here's a quick recap of the candy we actually made this past December.

We made Heavenly Delight, that chocolate and peanut butter layered fudge that is such a hit with everyone who tastes it.  Many, many batches of it!  In fact, my hubby just made another batch this past weekend, to bring some to our volunteer job and have some for a church fellowship dinner this Sunday.

We made two batches of the Chocolate Dipped Orange Slices.  There's just something about chocolate and orange flavors together that just says Christmas to us! 🍊

We made one batch of Special Holiday Fudge, mostly to send to our Nevada daughter who very much enjoys its special flavors of chocolate with raisins, pecans, orange and almond.  I love it myself but would never make a batch just for me.  That would be dangerous!

I think we made 2 batches of the Salted Caramel Fudge.  That is fast becoming a must-make candy for us at Christmas.  Others enjoy it too.

And I did make one batch of the Date Confections (aka Casserole Cookies).  They are such an old-fashioned holiday favorite, loved by many.

We didn't make Arlene Easy Fudge at all this year.  We had planned on having the grandchildren make some, but ended up focusing on crafting!

And that's the 2023 Christmas candy wrapup!

The actual Christmas cookie list

 

 I like to make a note of how closely I stuck to baking the Christmas cookies I've planned at the beginning of  the season.  Recall, at the beginning of December,  Mr. T (who now does almost all of the cookie baking) had expressed the thought that he would like to add one or two new recipes to the mix this year.  

He also suggested that perhaps there might be cookies that I would like to make personally.   So I added on my old favorite Pepparkakor, which are cut-out cookies, which he has never tackled.  I added on for his benefit the Double-Drizzled Pecan Cookies, the Peppermint Snowballs, the Gingerbread Brownies (all recipes I've made in the past) and the Chocolate-Dipped Maple Logs (which I thought I had never baked, but apparently in 2007 I did).  None of these cookies were baked, however, except for the last-mentioned Maple Logs.  I baked them myself for an informal cookie swap early in December, and they were wonderful.  I also made the Christmas No-Bakes as he has never tried that technique.

For those who are wondering, here's the link to the Christmas no-bakes.  I have dressed these up in all kinds of ways.  This year I skipped the marshmallows, drizzled the cookies with white chocolate and sprinkled with red or green sugar.  Don't think I got a photo.

Mr. T baked two other varieties -- for one, Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, a recipe shared with him by this year's cook at the camp where we volunteer.  Micah devised the recipe himself, and the cookies were a hit at the fall retreats.  After acquiring the recipe, Mr. T was determined to bake these for Christmas.  They are not a Christmas cookie in my book, but he did bake a double batch, I believe.  

The other recipe was Gingerbread Coffeecake Cookies, which I blogged about here.  Oh, were those ever scrumptious!  

I think that does it for the actual Christmas cookie list.  Candy and kitchen gift lists to follow ...

Happy New Year!

 

 Mr. T and I would like to wish all of my readers and friends a happy, healthy 2024.  

Every new year holds challenges, opportunities, blessings, and even heartaches for each one of us. There may have been difficult days in 2023, but God was there for every one of them, as He will be for every day that He allows in 2024.  I'm looking forward with hope and optimism to how He will work in the days ahead.  Like many of you, I'm praying hard for our country while moving forward prayerfully with plans, goals and dreams for the new year.  It will be interesting to watch God work.

 May this year be one of spiritual growth and encouragement for all of us!