Some baking in the week ahead ...

(These are my version of Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies)

 Next week we are heading to the city to see Kirby for her birthday (and Brianna too). On the Sunday, we are having lunch with some friends then staying with another friend that night.  I want to take a gift of Christmas biscuits to them so I need to get busy with some baking...

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 (my Festiive Cherry Shortbreads)

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 (Chocolate Christmas Puddings)

Honestly, an 8 year old could make these.  Buy Arnott's Chocolate Royal biscuits, drizzle with melted white chocolate, top with a red smartie and spearmint leave lollies, chopped into small leaf shapes.  You are done!

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 This is what my Christmas baking looked like last year when I bagged everything up.  I did plain, sugar dusted shortbreads too and these looked so nice.

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 I won't do these Florentines until closer to Christmas, but they are a favourite as well.

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 I also need to make Kirby's Cappucino cake (Thursday night).  It has a marscapone cheese frosting but I may just put that on the inside layer and have a coffee frosting piped on the outside.  Wait and see.

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Another treat for the girls, mainly Brianna, will be some Tim Tam Balls.  So simple but I can guess, it will be a messy job!  I will roll them in Chocolate Sprinkles as Brianna isn't partial to coconut.

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 My roses have had a hard week with some hot weather earlier - most of them are full blown so I need to dead head and wait for the next flush.

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Another thing I will make for Christmas time is this White Christmas from Julie Goodwin's book, The Heart of  The Home.  It has mini marshmallows, rice bubbles, shredded coconut, pistachios, white chocolate, dried apricots, glace cherries and glace pineapple in it.  Can't wait to try that!

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Anyhoo, I'm having a very lazy day today.  It's a warm day so I have just stayed inside.  I watched the last Harry Potter film, Deathly Hallows Pt 2 then watched the bonus DVD with interviews and info into how the movies were made etc.  Quite interesting.

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Hopefully it will be a little bit cooler tomorrow so I can get out in the garden.  I'd better go water some tomato plants and my petunias.  Catchya!

Cheers - Joolz