Day Eleven: Cherry Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

1 pkg Phillsburry Cresent roll dough
1/2 c. packed Brown sugar
1/4 c. Dried cherries
3 tbsp Butter
1/4 c. finely chopped Peacans
1 tbsp Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Roll out cresent dough, leaving in a sheet form. Using a pastry brush, butter top of dough.

2. Mix together brown sugar, cherries, peacans, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over buttered dough leaving a 1 inch section at the bottom.

3. Roll dough tighly, starting at the top. Cut into 1" sections. Place in a pie pan and bake @ 375 for 12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Day Ten: Candy Cane Cake Pops

Ingredients:

1 pre-made Angel food cake
1 can White frosting
3/4 c. Crushed candy canes
1/2 c. Milk
1 1/2 tsp. Gelatin
2 tsp Water
1-2 pkg Semi-sweet chocolate chips

You also need:

4" Baking sticks-white
Decorating sugar
Red or green ribbon

1. Put water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top. Combine the milk and candy cane in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until candy cane is melted. Once candy cane has melted add the gelatin. Let cool.

2. Crumble apart the angel food cake in a large mixing bowl.

3. Mix  the candy cane mixture with icing. Add to crumbled cake and mix fully. Roll into 1inch balls, put the backing sticks half way into balls and place in freezer.

4.Melt chocolate chips over a double broiler. Dip frozen cake balls into chocolate. Gently shake off excess chocolate and place on wax paper or poke holes in an egg carton and slide sticks into holes to dry. Sprinkle with colored sugars or crushed candy cane, tie a bow on stick. Serve and enjoy!

Day Nine: Turtles

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. Pecan halves
2 pkgs. Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 c. Butter
1 c. Packed brown sugar
1 c. White sugar
1 c. Light corn syrup
1 14oz. can Sweetened condensed milk
Dash of salt
Wax paper

Directions:

1. Take wax paper and cover kitchen counter(s), spray or rub with butter Place pecans on wax paper in increments of three.

2.Combine butter, sugars, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Maintain a steady boil until the temperature of the sugar mixture reaches 245 f and reaches a firm ball stage when dropped in cold water*. Remove from heat.

3. Pour caramel over the pecans, using about 1 tbsp for each pile of pecans.

4. Once the caramel has started to become firm melt chocolate chips over a double broiler or in the microwave. Spoon over the caramel and pecans. Let the turtles sit at room temp. for about an hour prior to eating or packaging. Enjoy!

Day Eight: Chocolate Mice

This really isn't something you bake, but they sure are fun to make!

What you will need:

Maraschino cherries, with the stems
Chocolate chips
Hershey's Kisses
Sliced Almonds
White Cookie Icing
Wax paper

Directions:

1. Drain maraschino cherries and place on dry paper towels. Melt the bag of chocolate chips, either on a double broiler or in the microwave. Dip cherries in chocolate and place on wax paper.

2. Once the chocolate has hardened dab a little on the bottom side of an unwrapped Hershy's kiss and place on the cherry to make the head.

3. Slide two slices of almonds between the Hershy's kiss and the chocolate cherry to make the ears. Next dab to dots of white icing on the Hershy's kiss to make the eyes and finish with a smaller dab of chocolate.

Enjoy! 

Day Seven: Cranberry orange Bread

Ingredients:

2 c. Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

 1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Orange zest, grated

1 1/2 c. Fresh cranberries

1/2 c. Chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)

1/4 c. Butter, softened

1 c.  Sugar

1 Egg

3/4 c. Orange juice, fresh

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan or three mini-loaf pans.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest, cranberries and nuts. In separate bowl, combine butter, sugar and egg. Stir in orange juice. Add flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake for 1 hour or until bread springs back when touched.Combine powdered sugar and orange juice in small bowl. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over the top of the hot bread. Allow bread to cool in pan(s).