Merry Christmas from North Carolina

 The snow started late Christmas night and this is what we woke up to this morning! 

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

The inspiration for these cookies came from a visit to a new spice store in our area Penzeys Spices.  What a fun store with so many great smelling spices.  I bought a couple different Cinnamon spices.  The one I used in my Snickerdoodle cookies was Indonesia Korintje Cinnamon.  They say this cinnamon is perfect for baking, especially for coffee cake, muffins and banana bread. 
I also bought Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon.  I plan on using this next week to make Cinnamon Rolls -- I think I am going to use the Pioneer Womans recipe.  Has anyone tried it?

I love holiday baking season...brings all those great holiday memories back! 

Makes 4 dozen



2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed

2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week

The Twelve Days of Christmas

 I love my collection of the Twelve Days of Christmas Byer's Choice Carolers.  I have 1 thru 10; 11 and 12 come out next year.  The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" has always been of favorite of mine.  Only recently did I realize the song had another interpretation.

The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas Day, December 25th, the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, January 6th, the day Christians celebrate the arrival of the Magi (wise Men) and the revelation of Christ as the light of the world.
The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" may sound silly and contrived to many of us.  But it actually had its origins in religious symbolism - and with a serious purpose.
It dates from a time of religious persecution.  The song was written as a kind of secret catechism that could sing in public without fear of arrest - a learning or memory aid to Christians in fact.
The song can be taken at two levels of interpretation - the surface meaning, or the hidden meaning known only to the Christians involved.  Each element is a code word for a religious truth.

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
2. The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the Hebrew Torah (Law), or the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
7. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed. 

The "true love" in the song refers to God Himself. 

The "me" receiving the gifts is every Christian.

So that "silly" song we sing at Christmas time has more meaning than we thought!