Christmas Baking 2012

[Samantha]

And here we go again!

2011 thread viewtopic.php?f=6&t=43878

2010 thread viewtopic.php?f=6&t=40341

[ultraslacker]

wow, it is that time already!!

suddenly I'm in the mood for QuickChick's famous foolproof fudge.

eta: and my one of my siblings recently mentioned the buckeyes I used to make... should do those this year too. have I ever posted that recipe? I don't think so...

[Hammie]

It depends - if I get my new oven, it will be snicker doodles, linzer cookies, and peppermint meringues for Christmas baking. If not, it will be whatever Lena's Italian Bakery has available!

[ultraslacker]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm snickerdoodles. aka crack.

[FishPants]

I think John is at an age where he would like to help cut out and decorate sugar cookies. Other than that, I have no idea what I should make.

I don't even know if I am going to do a trifle this year, since I can't eat it.

[Habs4ever]

We decorated a ginger bread house today, does that count.

[ultraslacker]

awesome house!!

[QuickChick]

That looks GREAT! I can't wait to do my annual gingerbread house.
I'm doing a baking day with my SIL and best friend on Dec 8, so I'll be following this thread closely for ideas. I know for sure I'll do a couple of batches of fudge, and some gingerbread cookies.
I have a concert next Thursday and we're bringing treats, so I'm going to make fudgy cupcakes with mint buttercream icing, and dammit I'm throwing some Christmassy sprinkles on top!

[La]

I haven't 100% decided on a) whether I'll bake this year, and b) what I'll make. My usual is shortbread cookies. Last year I made some yummy meringues, that I think I'll make again. One batch with dark chocolate chunks and dried cherries, and the other with dried cranberries and pistachios.

[ultraslacker]

If I start my christmas baking, then I start my christmas eating. Going to put it off as long as possible. :P

[La]

If I start my christmas baking, then I start my christmas eating. Going to put it off as long as possible.

Good point!

I haven't decided if I'm hosting any parties over the holidays so I don't really know if I'll need to make anything. Anything I bake will be taken to other people's houses, to work, or to runpub.

[Samantha]

http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/12/17/e ... upcakes-2/

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm snickerdoodles. aka crack.

+1

My mom used to make the BEST snickerdoodles ever.
Haven't made them in a long time. Think I should fix that.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

It'll be a couple of weeks before I'm ready to start my baking.
I will be sticking to my "usual" recipes; nanaimo bars, thumbprint cookies, chocolate crinkles, butterscotch brownies, peanut butter bars, almond roca .

Thrifty's had a sale on sugar, flour, brown sugar, unsweetened chocolate and choco chips this weekend so I loaded up.

[gnu]

It depends - if I get my new oven, it will be snicker doodles, linzer cookies, and peppermint meringues for Christmas baking. If not, it will be whatever Lena's Italian Bakery has available!

Could you share your peppermint meringue recipe, please?

[Hammie]

It depends - if I get my new oven, it will be snicker doodles, linzer cookies, and peppermint meringues for Christmas baking. If not, it will be whatever Lena's Italian Bakery has available!

Could you share your peppermint meringue recipe, please?

I'll need to check the amounts at home tonight, but in addition to the sugar and beaten egg whites, you add a few drops of peppermint extract. I know - really hard . If you're feeling fancy, they suggest "painting" vertical lines of red gel food colouring on the inside of a piping bag, then loading the peppermint meringue into the bag and piping out meringues shaped like oversized hershey's kisses. They come out red striped, like a candy cane. Or they supposedly come out like that . I've never tried it, but I'm tempted to.

I bake them at 200F for 90-120 minutes, usually on the longer side if I've added any extract (I've made them with orange, cherry and lime extract in the summer - YUM!) because they tend to stay a little sticky in the middle compared to plain meringues.

[FishPants]

I bought the Canadian Living holiday special yesterday - they had a ton of bars where the recipe is basically this:

-make crust (crumbs and butter)
-sprinkle stuff (choc chips, nuts, other options) over crust
-pour can of sweetened condensed milk over it all
-bake.

They all look delicious and soooo easy.

[IronColl]

Peanut butter marshmallow squares
Sugar cookies
Peppermint candy canes
Pie

[Miss*Smiles]

I'm raiding IC's fridge.

[abhainn]

Mexican Wedding Cakes which are actually a cookie



My Oma used to make these for me only hers were crescent shaped and rolled in regular sugar. I've been searching for this in her recipe box for years and years and years. I think I can be excused for not realizing sooner that this is the coveted cookie recipe considering it's called a Mexican Wedding Cake. Mexican is not German, and Cake is not Cookie. But I found it!!! And dead easy to make.

[Dr. S]

Peppermint candy canes

You are making your own? Can you share the recipe?

No big baking frenzy here we're only hosting L-A's mom and uncle on the 25th. All the parties are elsewhere.

ETA: I will make sugar crack and L-A will do a caramel-coconut pie.

[La]

ETA: I will make sugar crack and L-A will do a caramel-coconut pie.

I was watching "Recipe to Riches" on the Food Network (Canada) this weekend and a woman who made sucre a la creme was one of the two finalists. She didn't win, though.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Mexican Wedding Cakes which are actually a cookie



My Oma used to make these for me only hers were crescent shaped and rolled in regular sugar. I've been searching for this in her recipe box for years and years and years. I think I can be excused for not realizing sooner that this is the coveted cookie recipe considering it's called a Mexican Wedding Cake. Mexican is not German, and Cake is not Cookie. But I found it!!! And dead easy to make.

My mom made cookies she called Snowballs that were very similar to these.

[MINITEE]

It depends - if I get my new oven, it will be snicker doodles, linzer cookies, and peppermint meringues for Christmas baking. If not, it will be whatever Lena's Italian Bakery has available!

Could you share your peppermint meringue recipe, please?

I'll need to check the amounts at home tonight, but in addition to the sugar and beaten egg whites, you add a few drops of peppermint extract. I know - really hard . If you're feeling fancy, they suggest "painting" vertical lines of red gel food colouring on the inside of a piping bag, then loading the peppermint meringue into the bag and piping out meringues shaped like oversized hershey's kisses. They come out red striped, like a candy cane. Or they supposedly come out like that . I've never tried it, but I'm tempted to.

I bake them at 200F for 90-120 minutes, usually on the longer side if I've added any extract (I've made them with orange, cherry and lime extract in the summer - YUM!) because they tend to stay a little sticky in the middle compared to plain meringues.

I did this last Christmas for clients. Instead of peppermint extract, I crushed candy-canes and put them in the meringues! YUMMY!

I am being exciting and making home-made protein bars for my clients. If they are really good, I may make meringues to go with.

[IronColl]

Peppermint candy canes

You are making your own? Can you share the recipe?

I meant cookies. Nothing exciting like making candy. I'm not that ambitious.