The smells of Christmas-

“I wish I could invite each and everyone one of you over for cookies and eggnog, I've been baking goodies all morning-

Orange Fudge (MMM!)
Orange Shortbread (a minute on the lips, lifetime on the hips!)
apple pies with crumb topping...
pumpkin strussel crumb bars...
eggnog cookies
rootbeer cookies

The best I can do is send good wishes to everyone, Happy Holidays!
last edited: 12/21/05 11:18:52 AM”

“The smell of the pine tree when you walk into the room.

Merry Christmas to you, too.”

“you're really setting yourself up for some fart jokes here sc”

“Bake me some oatmeal walnut rasin cookies and mail them to me!

Dang it, I can't talk any of my TT 'girlfriends' into doing that for me! ;-)”

“An apple spiked all over with cloves hanging by the stove/fire place is awesome too.”

“The pungent smell of burning elf hair coming from a roaring fireplace on Christmas eve.”

“The smell of the cat after he's gotten too close to the candles.

The smell of freshly broken furniture and stale alcohol after the family finally goes home.”

“Mike is going to be happy when he gets home.”

“I've never tried that with an applie, Nigal. We used to use oranges. Hmmmm...I might make a couple today with the boys. Thanks for the idea!”

“broken furniture, ROTFLMAO!

rootbeer cookies, now that's a new one on me. are you drinking, Spirit? i mean real beer. haha!!
;-)”

“You never hear of root beer cookies? Must be a midwest thing.

What about coke cake?”

“I haven't had rootbeer cookies or coke cake since I lived in MIchigan, so it may very well be a midwestern thing.”

“can't say i've had the pleasure.”

“Isn't that what the columbian drug dealers ship to the US?”

“These things spread like wildfire through the midwest via Lutheran potlucks. =)”

“LOL at Sass!

Coke as in the soft drink.”

“SS, I dont have walnuts, rasions OR oatmeal...but next time i'm at the store I'll pick up the ingrediants!!! :)

Nigal, you can do that with oranges too...even better :)”

“What about poke cake?

Monkey bread? Lyra and the kids would heart it!

My favorite smell of Christmas is the smell of raw peanuts roasting when I make peanut brittle. Close second, toffee cooking.

We have an artficial tree so never get that yummy pine smell.”

“poke cake!! you're making that up! monkey bread, now that makes sense.
;-)

ohh, i like the smell of Chex mix!! and i loooove toffee, yum.”

“I love poke cake! my grandma used to make it :)”

“No, serious! You poke holes in a sheet cake and pour hot jello all over it and chill it then slather cool whip all over the top. Delightfully dreamy in a jello and cool whip kind of way.”

“Oh thank goodness. I thought you were talking about a cake made from poke salat.

You'd have to be pretty desperate to eat that.”

“WK - I knew what you meant, just making a joke!”

“i've lived in the midwest my whole life and have never heard of root beer cookies but you can be damn sure i'm gonna make em this year...root beer is about the only pop(soda) that i like...here's a recipe i found...it calls for root beer extract...is this easy to find?, i don't think i've ever seen it...are there recipes that have actual root beer in them?

Root Beer Cookies

1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter
1 egg
1/4 Cup buttermilk OR 1/8 Cup water
1 tsp. root beer extract
2 3/4 Cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg. Beat well. Mix in
buttermilk and root beer extract. Combine flour, baking soda and
salt. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate
1 hour. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie
sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown.
Note: if dough is very sticky after mixing add a little flour until
the right consistency.


Root Beer Frosting

1/4 Cup shortening
1/4 Cup butter
2 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. root beer extract (depending on personal taste)
1/8 cup milk


Cream shortening and butter in a bowl with electric mixer. Add root
beer extract. Gradually add sugar beating well on medium speed.
Scrap sides and bottom of bowl often. When all the sugar has been
mixed in (it will be dry) slowly add milk and continue beating at
medium speed until light and fluffy.”

“I used to have a bottle of root beer extract until I tossed it.”

“oh actually that heinous jello cake sounds familiar, Sass! i'm not sure what she called it, but i think that's one of my grandmother's 100 recipes containing jello. LOL! she's such a cutie.”

“My wife makes this nasty sounding desert that is broken up pretzals for a crust, then a layer of cream cheese filling and then strawberry jello made a little thick and then whipped topping with fresh strawberries on top. Doesn't sound good but man, it rawks!”

“my mom makes that nigal, she calls it "pretzel salad"”

“ROOT BEER CAKE
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup root beer
2 sticks of margarine
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Boiled frosting, optional (see instructions)
Yield: Oblong cake, 9x13
Mix the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In a medium saucepan, slice the chilled margarine by tablespoon-chunks into the cup of root beer. Bring to a boil and add to the flour mixture, stirring well. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, soda, vanilla, salt and eggs. Blend well and add to the flour mixture. Fold in the marshmallows. Turn batter into a well-greased or sprayed baking pan, 13x9 inches. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.
Boiled frosting: While cake is baking, cut 1 stick of margarine into 1/3 cup root beer in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and add 1 box of powdered sugar and 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans. Mix well and pour over the cake once removed from the oven, but while the cake's still hot.”

“I make coke cake in a dutch oven and throw a can of cherry pie filling on top. Yummy!”

“that root beer cake sounds good. my 6 year old is goony for root beer. i may have to give that one a spin.”

“i bake brownies in my dutch oven LOL”

“comes from

'chipmunks roasting on an open fire'”

“Your grandmother surely was a mid-west Lutheran! ROTFLMBO!”

““I haven't had rootbeer cookies or coke cake since I lived in MIchigan, so it may very well be a midwestern thing.”
treebait
1:12:55 PM
12/21/05


Like Thrifty, I've lived in Michigan my entire life and never heard of either one!”

“Yep, pretzel salad. Good stuff, unless you burn the pretzel layer.

I never heard of root beer cookies but I've had Coke cake.”

“actually ChicagoMark, my grandma was born on a farm in TN, and now lives in bfe, VA! and goes to a Baptist church. she and everyone else at her church really appreciate the virtues of Jello, believe you me. LOL! that, and marshmallows.”