Anticipation

I’m anticipating our family arriving for Christmas weekend but of course I am not just sitting around waiting. There is planning and preparation to be done. Yes there is some work involved but it doesn’t feel like a burden. With joy I clean (or pay someone to help 🙂 , cook, shop, decorate, wrap gifts, and think about what I can do ahead of time so that I can do the most important and my favorite part of the Holidays…..just be together: Eat our favorite foods, play a few games, watch some holiday movies, talk and talk about what’s going on in our lives, what’s coming up next and how we hope it will go. It reminds of me Advent season (minus the fasting). I am waiting but I am not inactive. There is preparation and focused attention. Christ’s first coming brings solid hope of His second coming….the older I get the more I anticipate the day that the worst of this life will seem like light and momentary suffering and the best will be seen as merely an appetizer to the eternal banquet feast.  But I’m sure whatever that New Heaven and New Earth will be like the best part will be just being together with our Father God, Savior Jesus and those adopted into His family.

Apricot-Pecan Hot Cross Buns (BH&G Magazine April 1992)

3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup apricot nectar

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 6 0z pkg dried apricots

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 slightly beaten egg white

1 recipe Apricot Icing

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat the apricot nectar, butter (or margarine) sugar, and salt until warm (120-130 degrees F), stirring constantly. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
2. Reserve 4 or 5 dried apricots; snip remaining apricots into small pieces. Using a spoon, stir the snipped apricots and pecans into dough. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 -5 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise till double (about 1 1/2 hours).
4. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest fro 10 minutes. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape into smooth balls. Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise till almost double (30-45 minutes).
5. Brush dough with egg white. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 12-15 minutes or till golden. Cool on wire racks. Snip reserved apricots into 40 thin slivers. Using a spoon, top each bun with an X of Apricot icing; decorate with X of 2 apricot slivers. Makes 20 rolls.

APRICOT ICING: Combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and enough apricot nectar (about 1 tablespoon) to make an icing of drizzling consistency.

MAKE AHEAD DIRECTIONS: Bake rolls as directed; cool thoroughly. Do not add Apricot Icing. Place in a freezer container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 8 months. To serve, thaw, covered, overnight in the refrigerator. Top with Apricot Icing.

Nutritional Information per bun: 196 calories, 7 g. fat, 32 mg chol., 4 g pro., 31 g carbo., 94 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. RDA:11% iron, 18% vit. A, 17% thiamine, 14 % riboflavin, 11% niacin.