A simple request

We went a little nuts with the baking for this year's Holiday Open House, even more so than usual.

Mini pecan tarts.  Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt.  Peanut Butter Fudge Bars.  Mocha Cupcakes with Peppermint Chocolate Buttercream Frosting*.  Lemon Icebox Squares. 

Apple Molasses Cookies**.  Crispy Chocolate Truffle Shortbread Bars.  Mom's Christmas Cut-Out Cookies with homemade icings.  Butterscotch Cherry Granola Cookies with Lemon Drizzle.  

Thumbprint Cookies with Fig Butter.  Apricot Rosemary Cocktail Cookies.  Two different kinds of challah. And my sister's famous Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

My husband was appalled.

Him: Why do you do this to yourself? I think the ovens have been on for a week straight.  I'm begging you, please, for Christmas Day: keep it simple.

Done***.

These still involve the oven****, but are about as uncomplicated as you can get.  

Here's to a notably simpler new year all around.  

Warm Winter Peaches

by Sharon Graves

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Another winner from Mom.  These are terrific served as a brunch side dish for a crowd, particularly in the winter when good fresh breakfast-type fruit for guests is hard to come by without paying a fortune.  Something about roasting them with butter and cinnamon makes them firm, tangy, sweet and a little savory all at once.

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Ingredients

• Canned or jarred yellow cling peach halves, preferably in juice or very light syrup
• Butter
• Cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Drain peaches, and arrange, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Place a small pat of butter in the center of each peach half, then sprinkle with a little cinnamon.

Roast for 10-15 minutes, until butter is melted and peaches are warmed through. Serve immediately.

* The cupcakes were just OK, but the frosting was off the hook amazing.  I'll find another way to use it and get back to you on that.  I'm also gonna have to owe you on the butterscotch cherry cookies.
** Made this recipe, but used apple cider that had been boiled down as in this recipe for half of the molasses.  A crowd favorite.

*** Mostly.  Breakfast was super simple. These peaches, Eggnog French Toast, bacon and eggs.  Dinner did involve the Best in Show apple pie, which is, as I've been told several times by people who have read the recipe and just started laughing, "...a ridiculous amount of work."  Then, in the same breath, they ask if I can bring one over next time I drop by.  Just like my "Keep It Simple, Stupid" husband thoroughly enjoyed our steak dinner with four different side dishes and the handful of mini pecan tarts that were left over.

**** And butter. Which we actually ran out of three times in five days.  So he kind of has a point.