Chilly Weather and the Christmas Season Always Thrill My Heart!

And a “Happy New Year!” ~ From My Front Porch To Yours!!!!

Nostalgic Christmas Baking is In My Heart for the Holidays!

CHEESE STOLLEN

BEGIN WITH BLENDING THESE DRY INGREDIENTS
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. Rapid-Rise Dry yeast

THEN WARM THESE INGREDIENTS TILL BUTTER IS JUST MELTED
(NOT TOO HOT!)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. milk

BEAT IN
1 egg, room temperature

STIR IN
3 c. flour, more or less

FILLING:
2-8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar

BRUSH WITH
1 egg, beaten

TOPPING:
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. confectioner’s sugar
Milk to suit for drizzle effect

STEP ONE
In a large bowl, mix the 1-cup of flour, and the sugar, salt and yeast.

STEP TWO
Combine the milk, water and butter in saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids are 120 to 130 degrees. Butter need not melt completely, and make sure it is not too hot when you add it to the yeast or it will kill the yeast.

STEP THREE
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed on electric mixer. Then beat in the egg and 1 cup of the flour. Next, beat all this for 2 minutes at high speed. Now, by hand, stir in the other 2-cups of flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly; refrigerate for at least 2 but up to 12 hours. While dough is chilling, make the cheese filling as follows:

STEP FOUR
Cream the cream cheese and confectioners sugar and keep it at room temperature so it will spread easily.

STEP FIVE
Remove dough from refrigerator, punch down and turn into floured board. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12 x 9 inch rectangle. Transfer to greased baking sheets. Spread cheese down center third of each. Cut 1-inch wide strips along both sides of filling, cutting from filling out to edges. Fold at an angle across filling alternately. Cover, let rise until doubled (approximately 1 hour).

STEP SIX
Brush with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with the 1/2-cup sugar.

STEP SEVEN
Bake at 375 degrees about 20 to 25 minutes and golden brown.

STEP EIGHT
When they are almost cool, drizzle them with frosting made with confectioners sugar mixed with just enough milk to make a drizzle consistency.

Yields 12 servings.

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And then… Let NO ONE fool you, this is the BEST recipe for:
Russian Teacakes!!!

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

2-sticks of butter (no substitutes)
2-tbspns of regular sugar
2-cups of flour
2-cups of chopped walnuts or pecans
(I prefer walnuts)

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Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in nuts. Stir the flour into butter mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls.

Place 2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 to 30-minutes until set, but not too brown. Let them cool a bit, but while they are still warm roll them in powdered sugar, put them in a container, cover tightly and refrigerate until it is time to serve them. Makes 4-dozen.

Yaaay!!!! So wonderful and delicious!!!!

What’s New at The Farm -

The Family -
My husband Rich and I are doing well! I turned 50-years-old back in May of 2010 and he turned 58 back in August of 2010, and it is so cool that we are BOTH in our 50′s together finally!!!

Photos were taken out at The Christmas Tree Farm in Seguin!
Our wonderful daughter Shanti & her husband the amazing Adam have a full and complete family now of four sons; Deron-9, Nathan-6, Logan-4, and Aidan-2, along with their one and only daughter Cailyn-6-months!

And our son Eddie & his Beautiful wife Jessica are having a great passionate life pursuing their dreams in art, music and fine coffee!!!

The Garden -
My organic produce garden was cover-cropped with weeds while it lay resting for the fall and winter, and I’ve taken a nice sabbatical from farming, but with “Spring-Time” just around the corner…. well in south Texas I always say it is “SPRING-TIME” when February 15th gets here, because the day after Valentine’s Day is when I always plant my spring potatoes!!! But I’ve also been revving up mentally by getting my seeds ordered and my trays ready for starting seeds in so I can be back at work by Monday January 3rd!!! Yaaay!

Thank You All for sharing in my farm journey with me!!!
This BLOG will be on Sabbatical for awhile.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.”

Constance Burger

COUNTRY GIRL – get back to my home page!

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 – “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

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Proverbs 6:6-8 “Go to the ant, consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, she stores her provisions in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

Ants live a very sustainable life!