More Christmas Highlights

So my Christmas Eve cheesecakes went over like gangbusters. The jacked up rice krispie treats, not so much.  Figures.

I made a few other treats for Christmas, most notably a gigantic coconut cake.  I don't understand the deal with coconut -- it seems like nobody likes it! Personally, I like to slip a little coconut into everything (cookies, muffins, cakes, etc).  I really like the flavor and I think it prevents baked goods from drying out too quickly. I don't usually mention that something has coconut in it because if I do, people will dramatically say "Oh, coconut??? I hateeeee coconut" in a snooty British accent.  If I say nothing, people will gobble it up.

Unfortunately, there was no hiding the coconut in this cake.  The recipe was actually really good - it was an almond coconut cake with a cream cheese frosting. The little kids were big fans of it but the adults (with the exception of my dad/biggest fan), not so much. This could also be because of the copious amounts of food and wine consumed prior to dessert.

Exhibit A:

Obscene amounts of food/drink. Roast Beef, Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, spinach gratin, and green beans.

Admittedly, even I was WAY to full to eat dessert. I sliced a giant piece of cake to take a photo and then abandoned it on the dining room buffet.

Apologies for all of the dim lighting in these photos. My parents' dining room has a very romantic mood, apparently.

Oh! One more thing. I discovered a really good, easy cinnamon bun recipe. My sister and I both made it for Christmas morning with great results. It's Alton Brown's Overnight Cinnamon Rolls.

They were the most pain-free cinnamon buns I've made at home, and were full of caramel-y goodness. Naturally, I slathered them in cream cheese frosting after this photo was taken, but they did not look as pretty.

Hope you enjoyed this seriously tardy Christmas recap!