Holiday Baking

[IlsaLund]

Because I have a rather large family and friend circle, I usually give holiday gifts in the form of baked goods. For the last 24 hours I've been partying in the kitchen (I wouldn't call it slaving because it's been so much fun), making tons of cookies and bars. I usually have a few set recipies that I bake (such as oatmeal cookies, sandies, brownies, spice bars, etc.), but this year I've become adventurous and started trying all sorts of new recipies.

Any other ladies out there do this during the holidays? Any favorite recipies that you'd like to share?

-IL

 

[pigeon toe]

Chocolate-covered biscotti (or white chocolate & peppermint!) is a nice holiday gift and easy to bake. You could package them with hot chocolate or a holiday-themed tea and it would be really cute!

 

[Elaina]

Yep, I do it every year for those that I need to give a gift to but can't afford to. Usually I make mini stuff and make a huge box of it all.

 

[VargasGirl]

I may have to do this this year, as I am TOTALLY broke (as in my checking account is in the negitive) and I haven't even started my shopping yet.
I have done a lot of baking lately, but it was totally by accident. I have started making my own cat food, as most on the stuff in the stores is crap and I have a special needs-kitty. One of the supplements I add are crushed eggshells for a calcium source. Well one night I was out of shells, so I had to crack eggs to get them. I was then left with three eggs. I told my boyfriend to go through my vintage (70's? I still need to figure out the date) Betty Crocker cookbook for something that uses at least 3 eggs. He picked cream puffs. I made them, and they are soooooo yummy! I made them 3 nights in a row, and now I have become addicted. The shells were surprisingly easy, but the cream takes forever to make and involves constant stirring. I am going to make some to take to my bookclub meeting this Thursday, and am considering making them as X-mas gifts. The only reservations I have with this are:
1. People may think I am jipping them, esp. my sisters. They will love them sure, but they will know they were cheap to make and might think I don't care about them. I know that paints a bad picture of my sisters, but we grew up in a store-bought world and they might consider baked goods as a lame-gift.
2. I was thinking to aleviate the above concern, I would make a TON of them so they can freeze them and it seems like a "bigger" gift, but I don't know how well they would freeze and thaw taste-wise.

Any suggestions?

 

[Lady Day]

When my Mama was alive, shed make my Great Aunt's pound cake from scratch, because everyone would request it! I remember one Christmas, she made 27 cakes, all with either homemade butter icing, or homemade caramel icing. Oh boy, did our home smell gooooood

I know the recipe and how to make the pound cake, but I dont have a lot of space in my place, and that cookware can take up a lot of room But I want to take a crack at the caramel icing one of these days. She left me a great copper bottom double boiler. Ima use that puppy one day.

LD

 

[CanadaDoll]

My Grandma's Shortbread cookies, she played with her recipes and came up with ours, and my mama's Toffee Macaroons. and there goes the attempt at losing any weight this year!!!lol
Anything flat that can be dipped, decorated, and stacked in a pretty mug with tea makes a great Christmas gift too!

 

[Novella]

Well, I don't do the baking, but I eat a lot of what my aunt and Mom bake, which includes: sugar cookies (cut out ones complete with multi-colored icing), spritzer cookies (my favorite), biscotti, chocolate dipped pretzels, double layer fudge, coconut chocolates and then the rest varies from year to year. My favorite thing to bake are orange muffins, not super holiday-ish but the effort to yum ratio is good. To make it holiday-ish you could probably add cranberries and/or coconut and just bake them a minute or two longer.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
fresh grated peel of 1 orange (2 to 3 tsp)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1. heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups.
2. mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
3. melt butter in saucepan, remove from heat, stir in orange peel, orange juice and eggs until weel blended. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups.
4. bake until lightly golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes

This recipe comes out really well made with egg replacer too - last year I had a roommate who was allergic to eggs and ended up making it a lot with a substitute. The other amazing dessert recipe I like to make is lime pie made with Jello-O and cool whip.

 

[VargasGirl]

Well, I don't do the baking, but I eat a lot of what my aunt and Mom bake, which includes: sugar cookies (cut out ones complete with multi-colored icing), spritzer cookies (my favorite),

Are spritzer cookies the same as spritz cookies? The kind you use a cookie press with little disks on the end to get the different shapes? If so, they are my favorite too! I just inherited my grandmothers cookie press that is metal and dates from the 50's or 60's. She cleaned out her house becuase she feels her time is short and doesn't want the family to have to do it after her death. Sad, but practical I guess. I have only made them once, and they were quite the pain! Getting the technique right seems to take a lot of practice.

 

[Rosie]

I'm doing this this year as I have new pen pals that I'd like to spread some Holiday cheer with. I'll post recipes in a bit if you like, to tired (lazy) now.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Are spritzer cookies the same as spritz cookies? The kind you use a cookie press with little disks on the end to get the different shapes? If so, they are my favorite too! I just inherited my grandmothers cookie press that is metal and dates from the 50's or 60's. She cleaned out her house becuase she feels her time is short and doesn't want the family to have to do it after her death. Sad, but practical I guess. I have only made them once, and they were quite the pain! Getting the technique right seems to take a lot of practice.

Suggestion: Take the cookie press & recipe & baking sheets & ingredients to your grandmother's, spend the day with her making cookies & learning how she did them...and I guarantee the best part will be you'll walk out with something more valuable than how to make some cookies...

 

[MissHuff]

I'm the cookie lady so they all know that when Christmas rolls around each and everyone of my friends and family members will be getting a whimsical vintage inspired tin filled with goodies (I usually print out vintage christmas scenes from postcards and paintings and "antique" them onto the tins).

This year I'm unveiling a new creation I accidentally came up with last week while making cookies the night before grocery day. Double Chocolate, Oatmeal, Craisins, and Walnuts. sounds wierd I know. Also will add the trademark gingerbread snowmen with funny decoration.

Suggestion: Take the cookie press & recipe & baking sheets & ingredients to your grandmother's, spend the day with her making cookies & learning how she did them...and I guarantee the best part will be you'll walk out with something more valuable than how to make some cookies...

I've been begging to get my gram's oatmeal zucchini cookie recipe. I guess I'll have to get on a flight to Iowa to try a little harder.

 

[VargasGirl]

Suggestion: Take the cookie press & recipe & baking sheets & ingredients to your grandmother's, spend the day with her making cookies & learning how she did them...and I guarantee the best part will be you'll walk out with something more valuable than how to make some cookies...

If I could, I would. Unfortunatly, we live about 6 hours apart, and grandma doesn't do things like bake anymore. She moved in with my aunt and uncle after trying to live alone after grandpa died last year, and with her bad heart it just didn't work. She has an annurism (sp?) that can go at anytime, and he health isn't good enough to do surgury. I was so sad when she just sold her little 1930's cottage that she has lived in since the late 40's. I wanted that house my whole life, but there was no way I could buy it. It was perfect- white with a red front door. It makes me cry just thinking about it.

 

[Kim_B]

Peppermint Bark

2 lbs white chocolate (or white almond bark)
30 peppermint candy canes (I used 24 canes (red and green) and some pure peppermint extract; I think 30 peppermint sticks might be a bit much!)

Melt chocolate according to instructions on package (I used the almond bark and lined the bottom of a microwave safe dish with some bars and melted for 90 seconds the first time around, then 30 seconds a few times after, stirring after each time) Stir in 1-1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract, or to taste.

Place unwrapped candy in heavy duty freezer bag or between wax paper and crush into small bits (I say heavy duty because the thinner, cheaper ones will develop holes and the candy will go everywhere!)

Once candy is crushed as desired, stir into chocolate.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour the mixture into the pan. The parchment paper will keep it from sticking, as well as help when it's time to break it up. Refrigerate for at least one hour, then once it has set, break into pieces.

For gift-giving, place in parchment-lined tins and tie with a ribbon.

 

[Elaina]

I just sat down with everything to make. My list (breads are done in mini loaves.)

Banana Bread
Vanilla Wafer loaf
zuccini bread
Apple Bread
Pumpkin bread
Sugar cookies
homemade turtles
choc covered cherries
peanut butter cups
candy cane cookies
kourbides
baklava (if they're local and I can get to them in person)
Halva
Birch tree cookies
Peanut brittle
Divinity
Pumpkin empanadas
Mimi mince meat pie (don't go ew. I don't even like mincemeat, but this is good)
snickerdoodles
Pepakaor
cream cheese drops
biscotti (varies and depends on what I need)
french vanilla macadamia nut cookies
macaroons

There's usually about 10 more that I mix and match in, I can't remember them and I don't want to go through the book to find them. Some is candy, some is cookies. Batches vary, so some will get it and others won't. This is the stuff everyone gets.

 

[Miss Dottie]

What are the holidays without some good baking going on?

Next week, I head home to Cape Cod for Christmas with the family and I'll start baking the moment I get there.

First is always my father's favorite--these icebox cookies his mother used to make him straight off the Dominoes' brown sugar box. Seriously, check it out when you are in the market--the recipe is to die for! Taste like 1945!

 

[Girl Friday]

Monkey Bread!!!

The easiest stuff ever!

And you can make sweet or savory:

3 cans biscuits
3/4c. sugar
2 T. cinnamon

1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Cut biscuits into quarters and shake in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place in a bundt pan that is lightly greased. Melt butter and sugar and vanilla. Pour over biscuits. Bake for 30 minutes. Place on large plate.

You can also use garlic instead of the sweet stuff for garlic bread or substitute cooked sausage, scrambled eggs (uncooked), cheese, and a little bit of butter.

These are even better if you make them in muffin tins, the crispy edges are the best!

Enjoy!

 

[Elaina]

LOL...we call that monkey bread over here. Exact same recipie we've got and been using for 30 years.

ETA: I should read titles and go put my contacts in. I totally missed it.

 

[VargasGirl]

We actually HAD to make that in 7th grade home ec. If I recall, they are addictive!

 

[Miss Dottie]

The easiest stuff ever!

And you can make sweet or savory:

3 cans biscuits
3/4c. sugar
2 T. cinnamon

1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Cut biscuits into quarters and shake in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place in a bundt pan that is lightly greased. Melt butter and sugar and vanilla. Pour over biscuits. Bake for 30 minutes. Place on large plate.

You can also use garlic instead of the sweet stuff for garlic bread or substitute cooked sausage, scrambled eggs (uncooked), cheese, and a little bit of butter.

These are even better if you make them in muffin tins, the crispy edges are the best!

Enjoy!

Sounds divine. I wonder why they call it Monkey Bread?

 

[Kim_B]

My mom and I used to make Monkey Bread all the time when I was a little girl

My other favorite treat to make that is super easy...O'Henry Bars (I'm sure they're called many other names, this is what our Home Economics classed learned to make in 7th grade)

Cornflakes
peanut butter
light corn syrup
sugar
milk chocolate
(I'll have to look up the exact measurements when I get home...I've made them so many times I just kind of pour everything in the pan!)

You bring the corn syrup and sugar to a boil then add the peanut butter and stir until well mixed (and melted...smells divine!)

In a large bowl (sprayed with non-stick spray) combine the cornflakes with the peanut butter mixture and coat evenly (I do know the recipe calls for 6 cups of cornflakes, but I usually use 5 because I like lots of peanut butter).
Spread coated cornflakes in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray...

Melt the milk chocolate and then spread on top of the cornflakes. Serve slightly warm for gooey treats, or refrigerate for 30 mins for a little more solid treats.