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Home > Blogs > Adventures in Motherhood > Archives > 2011 > January > 21 > Entry
Sweet treats for valentines or anytime
This week’s boast: I have already started my 2011 Christmas shopping!
This week’s embarrassment: My 2010 Christmas tree is still up!
It just seems like we can’t get enough Christmas at our house. On a recent trip to the library, my 5-year-old picked a copy of a children’s cookbook titled “Christmas Gifts Good Enough to Eat,” by Susan Purdy.
Folks, there’s a lot of good stuff in here: simple recipes for fancy cookies like Swedish Finger Cookies (the crisp, delicate confection my family calls Almond Crescents), fruited breads, pralines (Mardi Gras approacheth!), herbed rice mixes, even marzipan candy, which I’ve always wanted to make. Purdy’s no-cook marzipan only has a half-dozen ingredients — I am SO going there.
The book also features the fabulous French yule log cake Buche de Noel, which we were treated to at Christmas Dinner by our friends Kirsten and Peter (with artistic assistance from their teenage daughter).
But the recipes for the Chocolate Gift Box and Meringue Angel Kisses got me thinking of Valentine’s Day, which is right around the corner, so I plan on “repurposing” a few of the recipes.
Two I’m considering are air-dried Butter Mints (I could dye them pink and purple) and the Apricot-Coconut Snowballs, which sound easy, nutritious and delicious. Here’s the recipe:
Apricot-Coconut Snowballs
(Can be made up to a week in advance. Makes 40 balls)
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
2 cups dried apricots
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
4 tablespoons dry milk
4 tablespoons honey
Directions:
Measure 3/4 cup coconut into large mixing bowl and put rest into small bowl.
Using blender or food processor, grind apricots into small pieces a half cup at a time. Place ground apricots into large bowl with coconut.
Add lemon juice, wheat germ, dry milk and honey to large bowl and mix well. Dampen your hands and roll mixture into small balls (and let the kids join in!). Set balls on a wax-paper-covered tray.
Roll balls in small bowl of coconut. Let balls stand to air-dry several hours until firm, then store in a covered container in a cool, dry place.
A dozen of these presented to a teacher in a pretty transparent container from Dollar Tree would make an awesome Valentine’s Day gift.
So, dear hearts, borrow a copy of this book in your local library’s children’s section, or better yet, buy it. That’s what I did.
And get this: I found a used library-bound copy at Amazon.com for 43 cents (plus $3.99 shipping). This book will be prettily wrapped and nestled under our tree next year for my littlest Baker.
That reminds me, I’ve got to get that tree down …
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Christmas, Helpful tips, Mommy confessions, Nutrition, Photo of the Week, Things to Do
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By Kirsten
January 25, 2011 10:09 PM | Link to this
The Yulelog/Bûche de Noël has become our tradition, n’est-ce pas? I am so going to make those yummy and healthy sounding Apricot-Coconut snowballs! They sound almost as good as your stuffed dates (I’m the expert on how good they are because I had at least a dozen of them on Saturday!).
By LucyB
January 22, 2011 3:03 AM | Link to this
Good tip, Sharyn. I signed up for the free trial of Amazon Prime while doing my Christmas shopping. The free two-day shipping saved my butt.
By sharyn
January 22, 2011 3:00 AM | Link to this
and don’t forget … you can sign up for three free months of Amazon Prime (free two-day shipping) at Amazon.com/mom! The free shipping is only applicable on items Amazon sells (not items from other sellers), but … You also get 30% off select diapers and wipes!