Kitchen Krazyness

So as some of you probably knew, I baked up a storm over this past holiday season and it will keep on going well into the New Year!

It all started with Thanksgiving, after we found out my sister was coming to visit we decided to make an actual menu, our first holiday with all our new cookware! We made turkey, green bean casserole, Kadlec famous stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and homemade bread.

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey

Then came the desserts...this was my first real excuse to bake since we got back from our wedding/honeymoon and oh boy did I miss it. I had been dying to make my first cheesecake, so I made a yummy New York chocolate chip cheesecake, NO cracks! I also decided to make Eli's famous rum cake for Terence, knowing he would love it, and in a last minute attempt to stay true to the season I baked up a pumpkin pie.

Cheesecake and Rum Cake...does it get any better

Post-thanksgiving we were in full baking swing. I decided, of course, to send cookies out for Christmas so I started baking cookies on the weekend and freezing them. This included my boss' recipe for cowboy cookies, chocolate dipped sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, my new favorite red-velvet cake balls (which deserve their own blog), and coffee chocolate toffee.

Sugar cookies dipped in a white chocolate/mint chocolate chip mix and christmas sprinkles

PB cookies with dark chocolate chips (my favorite cookie)

Coffee Toffee (via Smitten Kitchen)

Cake Ball preview... :-)

Now, to start out the New Year, I decided to start taking the Wilton Cake Decorating Class at my local Michael's. There are three courses, plus a fondant course, that Wilton sponsors at local craft stores and bakeries. You have to start with Course I and my first class was last night, I definitely came home smiling! Last night we went over the the basics of all things icing, including how to smoooooooth ice a cake. Every week we bake a cake and prepare the Wilton buttercream icing at home then off to class to learn the different icing techniques. I cannot wait to blog about all my cakes, wish me luck!

Happy Baking!