sandi-in-hawaii
Well-known member
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What are you baking for Christmas this year?
- Thread starter sandi-in-hawaii
- Start date
I've done the puddings which are maturing and mellowing. There will be the
traditional shortbread, savoury parmesan shortbread, almond crescents and triple chocolate cranberry cookies (keep the dough in the freezer and bake as needed). Trying to keep the number of cookies available down to a minimum so temptation is kept at bay. And, hiding somewhere in my freezer are a few fruitcakes.
traditional shortbread, savoury parmesan shortbread, almond crescents and triple chocolate cranberry cookies (keep the dough in the freezer and bake as needed). Trying to keep the number of cookies available down to a minimum so temptation is kept at bay. And, hiding somewhere in my freezer are a few fruitcakes.
amanda_pennsylvania
Well-known member
I'll be travelling a lot around Christmas and so won't be baking...sigh.
Prolly better for my waist, though. But here's a list of what I usually bake:
--Shortbread
--Bischochitos (these are New Mexican Christmas cookies; rather like an anise-flavored snickerdoodle)
--Drooste Chocolate Cookies
--Spice Cookies
--Almond Roca (a shortbread base with a thin layer of melted chocolate and ground almonds sprinkled on top)
--Gingerbread (cake, not the cookie)
Prolly better for my waist, though. But here's a list of what I usually bake:
--Shortbread
--Bischochitos (these are New Mexican Christmas cookies; rather like an anise-flavored snickerdoodle)
--Drooste Chocolate Cookies
--Spice Cookies
--Almond Roca (a shortbread base with a thin layer of melted chocolate and ground almonds sprinkled on top)
--Gingerbread (cake, not the cookie)
gonna try some small stacked trees made with various size stars. peppermint bark.
I actually found some of those small chocolate wreath candies here in town, so I'll make brownie mini cupcakes and place one of the wreaths on top when still hot---so very pretty. and gingerbread cutouts with my Alaska themed cookie cutters. will try the cranberry bliss bars too.
I actually found some of those small chocolate wreath candies here in town, so I'll make brownie mini cupcakes and place one of the wreaths on top when still hot---so very pretty. and gingerbread cutouts with my Alaska themed cookie cutters. will try the cranberry bliss bars too.
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
Partial list inside, but lots of cookies, breads, and other goodies.
Merry Christmas Cookies (cut out and decorate)
Gingerbread
Chocolate Crinkles
Super Nutty Peanut Butter
Zimsterne
Acorn Cookies
Spritz
Congo Bars
Brownies
Almond Butter Crunch
Marble Cake
Brother Rick's Orange Cranberry Bread
Banana Bread
Stollen
Cristopsomo (sp?)
Almond Flatbread
Sour Cream Twists
Cookie Christmas Trees
etc.
I better get started....
Michael
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/?action=view¤t=IMG_0321.jpg
Merry Christmas Cookies (cut out and decorate)
Gingerbread
Chocolate Crinkles
Super Nutty Peanut Butter
Zimsterne
Acorn Cookies
Spritz
Congo Bars
Brownies
Almond Butter Crunch
Marble Cake
Brother Rick's Orange Cranberry Bread
Banana Bread
Stollen
Cristopsomo (sp?)
Almond Flatbread
Sour Cream Twists
Cookie Christmas Trees
etc.
I better get started....
Michael
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/?action=view¤t=IMG_0321.jpg
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
You can probably guess what I'll be baking LOL...
Dresdener Stollen
Elisen Lebkuchen
Springerle
Zimtsterne
Pfeffernüsse
Knüsperhäuschen (Gingerbread House)
Vanillekipferl
Spekulatius
Aachener Printen
Baiserringen
Spritzgebäck
Florentiner
Gugelhupf
Steirisches Kletzenbrot
Linzer Augen
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar Cookies (cut out and decorated)
Gingerbread Men
Shortbread
Plus assorted breads, angel biscuits, rolls, pastries, coffeecakes, etc. for a weeklong Christmas House Party.
Dresdener Stollen
Elisen Lebkuchen
Springerle
Zimtsterne
Pfeffernüsse
Knüsperhäuschen (Gingerbread House)
Vanillekipferl
Spekulatius
Aachener Printen
Baiserringen
Spritzgebäck
Florentiner
Gugelhupf
Steirisches Kletzenbrot
Linzer Augen
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar Cookies (cut out and decorated)
Gingerbread Men
Shortbread
Plus assorted breads, angel biscuits, rolls, pastries, coffeecakes, etc. for a weeklong Christmas House Party.
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
Just added it to the list... thanks for reminding me. I'll try to post a couple of pics...
...on PhotoBucket of the finished trees! We still do them every year.
I have the recipe and I'll post later today.
Thanks barb!
Michael
...on PhotoBucket of the finished trees! We still do them every year.
I have the recipe and I'll post later today.
Thanks barb!
Michael
shaun-in-to
Well-known member
Panettone, from an incredibly easy and successful Gourmet recipe, and
sätoftakakor, a thin, flaky, currant-studded Swedish cookie I'm fond of. Keeping things simple over all.
sätoftakakor, a thin, flaky, currant-studded Swedish cookie I'm fond of. Keeping things simple over all.
amanda_pennsylvania
Well-known member
Meryl, that recipe is still in Illinois.
I just love having my belongings spread across two states. smileys/wink.gif We're going out there in a week or so, and I promise to post it then. You'll have it in time for the holidays. smileys/wink.gif
I just love having my belongings spread across two states. smileys/wink.gif We're going out there in a week or so, and I promise to post it then. You'll have it in time for the holidays. smileys/wink.gif
amanda_pennsylvania
Well-known member
Meryl, would you post the recipe for the truffle cookies? Those sound really good.
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
Rec: Festive Cookie Trees, from Janie/1000 Oaks, on the old board.
Rec: Festive Cookie Trees from Janie/1000 Oaks. Made these every Christmas for the last 3 or 4 years. The kids have an absolute ball doing these, and they look great as centerpieces on a table, or in the middle of a cookie plate.
Janie's recipe:
Festive Cookie Trees - I made these last year, and they were real kid pleasers! I'm making 'em again this year.
Festive Cookie Trees
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Decorator's Icing (recipe follows)
Several drops green food coloring
"M&M's" Chocolate Mini Baking Bits
Powdered sugar
In large bowl cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.
In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Wrap and refrigerate dough 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 3500F.
Working with half the dough at a time on lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Using star-shaped cookie cutters in 5 graduated sizes, cut 3 cookies from each of the four largest stars and 4 cookies from the smallest star, making a total of 16 star-shaped cookies. Using a rigid spatula carefully transfer stars to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
To decorate cookies:
Using Decorator's Icing, ice both sides of one of the smallest stars; set aside to dry. To remaining icing, add green food coloring until mixture is of desired color. Ice one side of remaining 15 star-shaped cookies; let dry. To assemble tree: Place one of the largest stars on serving platter. Begin stacking remaining stars from largest to smallest, using small dab of icing to secure in place; alternate position of points of each star as stacking continues to create tree. Top tree with solid white star.
Decorate tree by placing "M&M's". Chocolate Mini Baking Bits on all tree branches to create lights; secure with additional dabs of icing. Dust tree lightly with powdered sugar to create "snow."
Makes one 9-inch cookie tree.
Decorator's Icing: In mixing bowl with electric beaters beat 3 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 1 pound (about 4 cups) powdered sugar, continuing to beat mixture at high speed 4 to 7 minutes or until of spreading consistency. (Note: if mixture is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is of desired consistency.) Keep bowl covered with damp cloth, as icing will dry quickly.
Michael's notes:
I use meringue powder to make the decorator icing (Wilton's; carried by Michael's stores and cake decorating centers) since it is safer than raw egg whites. The trees don't normally get eaten, but why take a chance?
The recipe says it makes ONE 9" tree. That is somewhat confusing. Here's the way it works: the recipe tells you how many stars to make to make ONE tree. The amount of dough you make for the recipe actually allows you to make between 6 and 9 finished trees, depending on how thick you cut the stars.
I found a nice set of 5 star cookie cutters in graduated sizes at Williams Sonoma. The largest star is about 3" across. Any set of 5 will do, and the number of trees you end up with will depend on how big your stars are.
Have fun!
Michael
PS: Sorry for the poor quality picture, but it's the best I have on hand. You can bet we'll be taking some better ones this Christmas!
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/?action=view¤t=IMG_0391.jpg
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/?action=view¤t=IMG_0391.jpg
Rec: Festive Cookie Trees from Janie/1000 Oaks. Made these every Christmas for the last 3 or 4 years. The kids have an absolute ball doing these, and they look great as centerpieces on a table, or in the middle of a cookie plate.
Janie's recipe:
Festive Cookie Trees - I made these last year, and they were real kid pleasers! I'm making 'em again this year.
Festive Cookie Trees
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Decorator's Icing (recipe follows)
Several drops green food coloring
"M&M's" Chocolate Mini Baking Bits
Powdered sugar
In large bowl cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.
In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Wrap and refrigerate dough 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 3500F.
Working with half the dough at a time on lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Using star-shaped cookie cutters in 5 graduated sizes, cut 3 cookies from each of the four largest stars and 4 cookies from the smallest star, making a total of 16 star-shaped cookies. Using a rigid spatula carefully transfer stars to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
To decorate cookies:
Using Decorator's Icing, ice both sides of one of the smallest stars; set aside to dry. To remaining icing, add green food coloring until mixture is of desired color. Ice one side of remaining 15 star-shaped cookies; let dry. To assemble tree: Place one of the largest stars on serving platter. Begin stacking remaining stars from largest to smallest, using small dab of icing to secure in place; alternate position of points of each star as stacking continues to create tree. Top tree with solid white star.
Decorate tree by placing "M&M's". Chocolate Mini Baking Bits on all tree branches to create lights; secure with additional dabs of icing. Dust tree lightly with powdered sugar to create "snow."
Makes one 9-inch cookie tree.
Decorator's Icing: In mixing bowl with electric beaters beat 3 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 1 pound (about 4 cups) powdered sugar, continuing to beat mixture at high speed 4 to 7 minutes or until of spreading consistency. (Note: if mixture is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is of desired consistency.) Keep bowl covered with damp cloth, as icing will dry quickly.
Michael's notes:
I use meringue powder to make the decorator icing (Wilton's; carried by Michael's stores and cake decorating centers) since it is safer than raw egg whites. The trees don't normally get eaten, but why take a chance?
The recipe says it makes ONE 9" tree. That is somewhat confusing. Here's the way it works: the recipe tells you how many stars to make to make ONE tree. The amount of dough you make for the recipe actually allows you to make between 6 and 9 finished trees, depending on how thick you cut the stars.
I found a nice set of 5 star cookie cutters in graduated sizes at Williams Sonoma. The largest star is about 3" across. Any set of 5 will do, and the number of trees you end up with will depend on how big your stars are.
Have fun!
Michael
PS: Sorry for the poor quality picture, but it's the best I have on hand. You can bet we'll be taking some better ones this Christmas!
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/?action=view¤t=IMG_0391.jpg
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/?action=view¤t=IMG_0391.jpg
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
My pleasure. Another idea: Find some multi-colored "Nerds" candies instead of M&M's.
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
yup, I buy them at
my candied fruit, nut, and candy store as well as the cake decorating supply store near my house.
my candied fruit, nut, and candy store as well as the cake decorating supply store near my house.