Pecan Tassies!

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house....I was in the kitchen baking cookies! Hmmm...that just doesn't have the same ring to it as the original poem by Clement Clarke Moore but that is just what I was doing all day..baking. In a way, this is sort of a dumb thing to do as Son and I are the only ones here for the holidays. If I do not watch out, I will double my weight in just a matter of days! There is just something about a table full of cookies and candies that screams holidays to me..so I bake! And I eat..after all, I DO have to sample the cookies to make sure they taste good! The table is filled with all sorts of goodies with more to come. Today's baking included..Fudgy Brownie Cookies, Chocolate/Mocha/Caramel Cookies, Carrot/Cranberry Spice Cookies, Mint/Chocolate Cookies and Pecan Tassies! Oh, my goodness! The house so smells like a bakery! The aromas are much better than any scented candle! Out of all the baking today, I think the Pecan Tassies are my favorites. These little tart-like things remind me so much of little fairy-sized pecan pies. They are a bit of work but..oh, so worth the effort! (I will include the recipe for the Pecan Tassies and some other cookies in the "Cooking on the Bayou" page as soon as I get them typed!)



After I quit baking for the day, Son walked through the dining room and told me that the table looked "scrumptious"! After second thought, I wondered if he meant the cookies looked scrumptious or if the table itself did..I never know what to expect from him! Still, if my table looks scrumptious then I am happy! The love of baking seems to be a thing that has been passed down through the family. I can always remember Mom, Grandmother and especially one aunt that baked so many unbelievably delicious breads, cakes, cookies and pies that it would put many professionals to shame. These ladies never thought twice about throwing something together and boy, when they did...whew! It was always spectacular! The array of goodies always was a highlight of any holiday. Now, I love to bake and Darling Daughter, Elizabeth could outdo us all! It just seems natural to see her in the kitchen with a mixing bowl and wooden spoon in hand! And, yes, we still use the wooden spoons most of the time for our mixing. None of these so-called time-saving devices for us! She and I both feel that if you want a baked good to turn out well, it is best to do it by hand.



The baking and candy-making will continue tomorrow and probably most of this week. It just seems like the thing to do. I guess a couple of brothers will receive some cookies soon as Son and his friends will never be able to eat all of the things that I have in mind to bake. ...."While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads".....