I’ve accomplished a lot this year, including seeing the publication of my second novel and have two wonderfully successful signings – one of them at Chapters, Canada’s largest book store chain, which was a definite dream-come-true.

But as always, I feel I could have done more. And with that in mind – and hoping that writing them down will keep me on track – here are my goals for 2012.

1. Finish the first draft of “Everlasting,” another Ballycashel story.

2. Finish the final draft of “Deceptive Hearts,” the first in a new series.

3. Finish second re-write of “Keeper of the Light.”

4. Complete and do first re-write of “My Dark Rose.”

5. Plot next Ballycashel story.

6. See “Playing For Keeps,” my third Ballycashel story, published. (This goal is not really within my control, but the manuscript is on my editor’s desk at present).

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and peaceful New Year. Or, as they say in Ireland, Athbhliain shona!

~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat. ~ Breton

Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth. ~ Cornish

Hyvaa joulua. ~ Finnish

Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar. ~ Dutch

Joyeux Noel. ~ French

Froehliche Weihnachten. ~ German

Mele Kalikimaka. ~ Hawaiian

Buone feste Natalizie. ~ Italian

Nollaig Shona Dhuit. ~ Irish

It all says the same thing: Merry Christmas. I hope everyone has a happy and blessed holiday season, filled with peace, joy, and especially love!

Merry Christmas to all!

Enjoy!

Grandmaman’s Molasses Cookies

1 egg

1 c lard (butter or margarine, can use shortening)

3/4 c molasses

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup hot water

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the first 4 ingredients. Add salt. Mix together baking soda and hot water in a separate bowl, then add to main mix. Add flour and mix together. Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 5 dozen

Mince Tarts

 1 jar mincemeat

1 medium apple

½ tsp. EACH ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves

3 tbsp. white sugar

2-3 medium handfuls brown sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix ingredients thoroughly in a bowl, then spoon into prepared tart shells in a muffin tin (see pastry recipe below). Cover with pastry, then sprinkle tops with sugar. Poke holes with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees and bake a further 20 minutes. Makes 24-30 tarts.

Ann’s Pie Pastry

3 generous cups all-purpose flour

½ pkg. shortening

½ tsp. salt

Very cold water

Combine salt and flour. Add shortening to flour and cut up, first with a knife, then with pastry blender. Add cold water gradually, stir from the middle until the pastry sticks together. Knead into balls and roll out.

Don’t miss it!

This is my favorite recipe. It’s one I found in a molasses specialty cookbook, and changed a little to suit my own taste. I sometimes eat it with molasses (another favorite of mine), but for the holidays, I like to sprinkle confectioner’s sugar over the top for a festive look.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread

½ cup shortening

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

2/3 cup molasses

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ginger

½ tsp. cloves

1 cup boiling water

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Grease 9” square pan.

Mix together shortening, sugar and eggs, blend in molasses and water. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in, beating until smooth. Pour into pan and bake 40-50 minutes.

So, as a special treat, over the next few weeks I’ll be posting some of my favorite holiday recipes. And to start things off, here’s a fairly-new-to-me recipe for Red Velvet Cake. I tried it for the first time last Christmas, and we all enjoyed it so well I’ve decided to make a few more this year.

But first, since I love the past, here’s a little history I dug up on Red Velvet Cake.

Velvet cakes date back to at least 1873, a time when there was a tendency to have fine smooth names for things, such as Velvet Cake, Velvet Cream, and others.

A story in the United Statesin the 1920’s said that the recipe for the cake, supposed served at the restaurant in New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, was a closely guarded secret. But in Canada, the cake was a well-known and much-loved dessert in the restaurants and bakeries of the Eaton’s Department Store chain in the 1940’s and 50’s. It was promoted as an “Exclusive Eaton’s Recipe,” and employees who knew the recipe were sworn to secrecy. Many people believed that the cake had been invented by the department store matriarch, Lady Eaton.

Whatever it origins, Red Velvet Cake is a delicious Christmas treat, with its dark red coloring and contrasting white or cream cheese frosting. I like to add tiny red and green candies to mine.

So here’s my recipe:

 Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 oz. red food coloring

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat overn to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 8-inch round pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil and eggs. Add food coloring and vinegar to buttermilk. Add baking soda to flour. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the sugar mixture. Mix well. Stil 1 tsp. vanilla into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

4. Mix together cream cheese, butter or margarine, confectioners’ sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in nuts. Frost cooled cake.

Happy baking! And to all my American friends, happy Thanksgiving!!!

Check out Cathie Dunn’s blog, where I’m a guest today, and learn everything there is to know about Ballycashel.