Going to get started on holiday baking this weekend

[bex1973]

What is everyone baking this year?  We do baskets for our families & a few friends.

Planning on:

zuchini bread (I'd get scolded if I skipped this!)

cookies - probably 3 or 4 kinds. One kind will for sure be peanut butter blossoms - last year in addition to kisses I did some with reese's PB cups & rolos to rave reviews so I'll do this again. Undecided on other kinds.

Homemade Hot Fudge - recipe tastes exactly like Sanders brand (got to show my Michigan roots!)

Maybe banana bread.

Tell me what you are making so I can decide whether or not to copy you!

[lilac05]

I haven't gotten that far yet.

I usually like to make some kid of white chocolate chip and craisin cookie.

What do you make ahead and how/when do you freeze it? I usually end up spending a whole weekend baking just before Christmas so it's all fresh, but it'd certainly be nicer to break it up!

[isabel]

I have a fantastic recipe for soft gingerbread cookies. Great for cookie cutters. I would have to PM you tonight, but let me know if you're interested.

[CurlyQ284]

I usually bake 8-10 types of cookies. I make the dough throughout Dec and freeze it. I take off the whole week of Christmas so I bake it all on the Monday and give baskets to friends, take some to work/DHs office and then a lot left over for us.

[thebuddhagouda]

I always do Orange Cranberry bread for Christmas morning.

Cookie-wise, I'll do molasses cookies, white chocolate candy cane drops and orange chocolate shortbread and probably some decorated sugar cookies.

[Deleted]

I used to bake tons for the holidays, but I've mostly given it up now. My mom still makes enough at Christmas for 40 people, so just gives me lots of extras to freeze. It's pretty awesome.

I will probably make some Rice Krispie treats this weekend for a party. I might get super fancy and dye them orange.

[shostakovich]

My baking skills range from disastrous to subpar. I think I would get scolded for attempting to make zucchini bread.

However, the baked goods I am planning on eating this holiday season are as follows:

- Pizzelles
- Kolachi
- Meringue cookies
- Spritzes
- Chai shortbread

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2014 10:56:43 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

What do you make ahead and how/when do you freeze it? I usually end up spending a whole weekend baking just before Christmas so it's all fresh, but it'd certainly be nicer to break it up!

Asking this, too.

[Bernadine]

For cookies, I always make chocolate chip, jelly cookies, and ginger cookies. And usually one other kind, that varies from year to year. Last year I did ricotta cheese cookies, which I love. I might do them again this year. And then I make Rolo pretzels to garnish my cookie trays.

[coribelle26]

I usually bake a shitload of stuff but I'm not sure about this year (the last four years I was either not working at Christmas or our break started no later than the 18th or so. This year I'm working right up until the 23rd and a family party is taking me out of commission on that last Saturday before Christmas). I always just do it at once right before, I think a lot of what I make wouldn't freeze well.

Past repertoire has been:

Baklava
Peanut butter reindeer (and blossoms when I got sick of making reindeer)
Chocolate chip
Snickerdoodles
Drop sugar cookies (rolled are cuter but I have no patience)
Pizzelles
Caramels
Kahlua brownies
Those rolo/m&m/pretzel things

[bex1973]

I make my bread in little loaves - wrap them each in tin foil and put in quart freezer ziploc bags, they keep perfectly.

Last year if the first year I froze cookies, I was worried but they did fine! I froze them a dozen in a freezer bag.

I did NOT freeze the PB blossom cookies, not sure how those would freeze but I froze oatmeal scotcharoos, choc chip, mint chip and butter pecan with no issues. I froze sugar cookies minus the frosting.

[bex1973]

Oh yeah! And salsa! Putting our salsa in baskets too.

last year I tried doing choc dipped pretzel sticks - that did not work out well. I think because I don't have a double boiler.

[bex1973]

Oct 31, 2014 11:14:18 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

For cookies, I always make chocolate chip, jelly cookies, and ginger cookies. And usually one other kind, that varies from year to year. Last year I did ricotta cheese cookies, which I love. I might do them again this year. And then I make Rolo pretzels to garnish my cookie trays.

What are these? Like thumbprint cookies? Share!

[cereal K]

We don't do baked goods, but my mom makes candy at Christmas every year: peanut brittle, nut clusters, turtles, cranberry almond bark, toffee, etc. Oh, my dad does make about 3-4 batches of biscotti, too. They make a ton and give it to friends as gifts, then bring all the leftovers here. Yay!

I used to make candy and cookies, too, but now I just eat Mom's leftovers!

[rex]

my stepmother does the baking for me. she is an amazing baker.

i love her chocolate mint patty cookies.

last fall she brought us pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and i miss them this year.

[psychmom]

I'm going to give pannetone another shot this year.

For our holiday cookie exchange I'll do these dark chocolate tiger cookies. chocolatechocolateandmore.com/2012/08/dark-chocolate-tiger-cookies/

[bex1973]

Oct 31, 2014 12:27:01 GMT -5 cereal K said:

We don't do baked goods, but my mom makes candy at Christmas every year: peanut brittle, nut clusters, turtles, cranberry almond bark, toffee, etc. Oh, my dad does make about 3-4 batches of biscotti, too. They make a ton and give it to friends as gifts, then bring all the leftovers here. Yay!

I used to make candy and cookies, too, but now I just eat Mom's leftovers!

Please explain....

[cereal K]

Oct 31, 2014 13:38:24 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

Oct 31, 2014 12:27:01 GMT -5 cereal K said:

We don't do baked goods, but my mom makes candy at Christmas every year: peanut brittle, nut clusters, turtles, cranberry almond bark, toffee, etc. Oh, my dad does make about 3-4 batches of biscotti, too. They make a ton and give it to friends as gifts, then bring all the leftovers here. Yay!

I used to make candy and cookies, too, but now I just eat Mom's leftovers!

Please explain....

Which part?

[bex1973]

Oct 31, 2014 13:39:03 GMT -5 cereal K said:

Oct 31, 2014 13:38:24 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

Please explain....

Which part?

Cranberry almond bark

[venice2007]

I feel like spritz. I may make some pumpkin or leaf shaped ones this weekend. Can never have enough spritz :-)

[cereal K]

Oh - sorry bex1973 - I was on the ap and couldn't see the bolding!

I'm pretty sure she melts white chocolate over a double boiler and spreads it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Then she presses in almonds and cranberries. It's better when the chocolate is thin-ish. Too thick and the ratio is off.

Also, you can sub pistachios for almonds. Equally yummy and visually more festive!

[bex1973]

Oct 31, 2014 13:42:18 GMT -5 cereal K said:

Oh - sorry bex1973 - I was on the ap and couldn't see the bolding!

I'm pretty sure she melts white chocolate over a double boiler and spreads it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Then she presses in almonds and cranberries. It's better when the chocolate is thin-ish. Too thick and the ratio is off.

Also, you can sub pistachios for almonds. Equally yummy and visually more festive!

I'm going to try this! We make cheater's bark - spread different types of chips (choc, mint, PB, etc) in a pan and in oven on low heat to melt and add nuts to some.

[bex1973]

Oct 31, 2014 13:46:00 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

Oct 31, 2014 10:58:24 GMT -5 isabel said:

I have a fantastic recipe for soft gingerbread cookies. Great for cookie cutters. I would have to PM you tonight, but let me know if you're interested.

Any chance I could get a PM too? We just got some gingerbread men cookie cutters so I was looking for a good recipe to do with my son. 

Have you seen the picture on FB - flip the gingerbread man upside down & it's a reindeer!

[cereal K]

Oct 31, 2014 13:48:54 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

Oct 31, 2014 13:42:18 GMT -5 cereal K said:

Oh - sorry bex1973 - I was on the ap and couldn't see the bolding!

I'm pretty sure she melts white chocolate over a double boiler and spreads it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Then she presses in almonds and cranberries. It's better when the chocolate is thin-ish. Too thick and the ratio is off.

Also, you can sub pistachios for almonds. Equally yummy and visually more festive!

I'm going to try this! We make cheater's bark - spread different types of chips (choc, mint, PB, etc) in a pan and in oven on low heat to melt and add nuts to some.

That sounds awesome! And easy...I might have to do that with the kiddo. 

[DeeDee]

Oct 31, 2014 10:58:24 GMT -5 isabel said:

I have a fantastic recipe for soft gingerbread cookies. Great for cookie cutters. I would have to PM you tonight, but let me know if you're interested.

Would you mind sending me the recipe too? My kids love decorating gingerbread cookies.

[isabel]

Gingerbread Cookies

1 C Granulated Sugar
1 C Grandma's Molasses (NOT blackstrap)
3/4 C Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 C Hot Water
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Ground Ginger
6 C All-Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine first four ingredients, rinse molasses out of cup with the hot water. Add the eggs and mix.
Blend the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate dough until firm.
Roll out and cut with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. They should still be soft to the touch, but the tops should look fairly dry and not shiny. Over baking makes the cookies tough.

FYI, adding the flour mixture gets pretty tough. I end up hand kneading it toward the end. It makes for a really great dough though. And they are so tasty!

bex1973
jamaicam
DeeDee

If you guys make them, let me know how they turn out for you.

[DeeDee]

Oct 31, 2014 17:54:38 GMT -5 isabel said:

Gingerbread Cookies

1 C Granulated Sugar
1 C Grandma's Molasses (NOT blackstrap)
3/4 C Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 C Hot Water
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
6 C All-Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine first four ingredients, rinse molasses out of cup with the hot water. Add the eggs and mix.
Blend the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate dough until firm.
Roll out and cut with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. They should still be soft to the touch, but the tops should look fairly dry and not shiny. Over baking makes the cookies tough.

FYI, adding the flour mixture gets pretty tough. I end up hand kneading it toward the end. It makes for a really great dough though. And they are so tasty!

bex1973
jamaicam
DeeDee

If you guys make them, let me know how they turn out for you.

Thank you!!

[isabel]

Oct 31, 2014 17:56:00 GMT -5 DeeDee said:

Oct 31, 2014 17:54:38 GMT -5 isabel said:

Gingerbread Cookies

1 C Granulated Sugar
1 C Grandma's Molasses (NOT blackstrap)
3/4 C Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 C Hot Water
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
6 C All-Purpose Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine first four ingredients, rinse molasses out of cup with the hot water. Add the eggs and mix.
Blend the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate dough until firm.
Roll out and cut with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. They should still be soft to the touch, but the tops should look fairly dry and not shiny. Over baking makes the cookies tough.

FYI, adding the flour mixture gets pretty tough. I end up hand kneading it toward the end. It makes for a really great dough though. And they are so tasty!

bex1973
jamaicam
DeeDee

If you guys make them, let me know how they turn out for you.

Thank you!!

I just edited. Those are supposed to be tablespoons for the spices and baking soda, NOT teaspoons.

[Alex]

This is my usual. My work buddy has a count down to getting his on his whiteboard.

Sugar cookies
Rocky Road fudge
Chocolate fudge
Salted caramels
Peanut butter balls
Milky Way squares
Attachment Deleted

[styme46]

We do sugar cookies, popcorn balls, scotcheroos, and chex mix usually.