More Happy Surprises From The UPS Guy

This is what I found on the front porch this evening after a day of last minute shopping........ Aren't they lovely??? Everytime I see them, I picture Julie Andrews singing, "these are a few of my favorite things." I have all these pears PLUS the ones that came yesterday.....I think I might explode by New Year's Day!!! I guess someone else found out how much I love Harry & David's pears:-) If anyone would like to try one, feel free to stop by......I promise I'll share. I'm really not a crazy pear loving freak:-)

Okay, now the photo above is a sure sign that I have been reading way too many cooking blogs. I mean who has time to photograph the ingredients and finished product?? Well for some reason I had a little time this morning, and took some photos of the Apple Strudel I made for Christmas Eve. Now strudel looks really pretty after it's been cut into serving pieces, but I just pulled it out of the oven and it's too hot to cut. It's also 11:59pm at my house and I'm ready for some sleep. So you're getting photos of it fresh from the oven!! The one on the left has a little crack, but noone will know that once it's been cut.........

Here's the recipe I used from The Best Recipes in the Country Cookbook (compiled by the employess of Blue Bell Creameries......it's in the giftshop)

Apple or Pear Strudel

3/4 cup melted butter

1 cup milk

2 egg yolks

3 1/2 cups flour

5 to 6 large apples, sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup coconut

1 cup sugar (1/2 brown, 1/2 granulated)

Cinnamon to taste

raisins, optional(I used in mine)

Combine butter, milk, egg yolks, and flour; blend well. Chill dough at least 2 hours(overnight is best). Divide dough in half; roll out each half thinly on a floured surface. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and spread over each half of dough evenly. Start at one end of dough and roll up in jelly roll fashion. Be sure ends of roll are closed; fold in as you roll up. Place both strudels, seam side down, on greased or buttered cookie sheet; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Butter roll before and after baking with additional butter. Makes two strudel rolls.

Happy Christmas Eve!!!! hugs~Rita