Who Is Christmas Baking This Year..

[kcjodih]

and what have you made or what are you going to make? I'm making some of my usuals but I'm skipping alot of them, just tired of them. I've also found a few online I'm going to try too. Hopefully they become new favorites. So far I've done the usual butter tarts, shortbread, pecan tassies and chocolate rum balls. Next I'll be trying some of the new ones.

Watcha making?

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

Weelll, I'm making my mom's sugared cranberries (yes, I know I've promised to share the recipe with several of you here, don't worry - I haven't forgotten - I just need to find it!)
PB Spritz Cookies have been a hit around here too lately.
I'll probably make oreo truffles too.
There's also a recipe my grandma makes called Divinity (and for good reason too!)
I'll probably be going through some cookbooks and find a few more.
I'll also be making a cake tonight for tomorrow's open house here. OH my gosh that's tomorrow. I better get off the computer and make that cake!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Well, this year is very different for me, as I take old favorites, and try to forge new ones from them. So far, I do have a couple that I've recreated to be gluten/refined sugar free that have been WAHOO good -

Russian Teacakes
Monster Cookies

I plan on also making cut-out "sugar" cookies, and peanut butter kiss cookies...and jam thumbprint cookies. We'll see what else I'm able to do too.


On my Facebook Fan Page I'm documenting my successes and failures, and posting the recipes as I make them. Anyone is welcome to Like my page and take the journey along with me. Becky Deemter - Independent Director with The Pampered Chef | Facebook

 

[ChefCKHall]

Shelby, I am patiently waiting for your sugared cranberries recipe.........

 

[magentablue]

I made the spumoni spritz cookies and gingerbread cake balls.

 

[chefa]

Let's see - for Christmas gifting & munching:
Sugar Cookie cutouts w/colored sugar sprinkles
Pecan Ball Cookies
Divinity Cookies
Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Apple Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Mom's Chocolate Pies
Peach Pies
Eggnog Spritz
Regular Butter Spritz w/colored sugar sprinkles

For New Year's Day:
Kolaches - Peach, Cherry, Cream Cheese & Prune
Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Have I started on any of these yet? No because I like my gifts to be fresh and the baker to be stressed! It's a holiday tradition! But I love doing it so...

 

[loreo]

Oooo- can you share the recipe for eggnog spritz cookies?

 

[chefa]

Loreo,
I'll do it when I get home this evening. I think it's the basic butter spritz recipe with nutmeg instead of vanilla and then you sprinkle it with a mix of nutmeg and sugar, but I'll send it this evening.

 

[loreo]

Thanks!!!

 

[raebates]

The Furry Guy and I were just talking about that today. For others I plan to make: Quick & Easy Turtles
Orange-Chocolate Cranberry Fudge
Nutty Nog BarsFor us I'll be making Fruitcake Bites. We'll make and decorate a gingerbread house.
For Christmas morning I'll make Yummy Twists. (They're usually Cranberry Twists, but this year I'm using Holiday Jam for filling instead of cranberries.)

 

[kcjodih]

The Furry Guy and I were just talking about that today. For others I plan to make:

Quick & Easy Turtles
Orange-Chocolate Cranberry Fudge
Nutty Nog Bars

For us I'll be making Fruitcake Bites. We'll make and decorate a gingerbread house.
For Christmas morning I'll make Yummy Twists. (They're usually Cranberry Twists, but this year I'm using Holiday Jam for filling instead of cranberries.)

Oh Rae these sound wonderful! Do you have any of them typed up that you'd be willing to share?

 

[ChefCKHall]

Wow, I want ALL the recipes!

 

[kcjodih]

Wow, I want ALL the recipes!

I agree! I think we should share our Christmas baking recipes here

 

[raebates]

Here are my recipes:

Quick & Easy Turtles

Mini Pretzels
Rolo candies
Pecan halves

Preheat oven to 250F. Spread pretzels on a cookie sheet. Top each with a Rolo. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until candies are soft. Remove from oven and press a pecan half on top of each one. Cool. Try to resist so there are enough to give to others.


Orange Chocolate Cranberry Fudge

1 bag semisweet chocolate morsels (12 ounces)
9 ounces butterscotch morsels (3/4 of a 12 ounce bag)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.

Combine chocolate and butterscotch morsels and milk in heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir until morsels are melted and milk is combined. Stir in the vanilla and orange extracts and remove the fudge from heat. Add the cranberries and stir in immediately. Pour into lined pan, spreading evenly.

The fudge will set up almost immediately. Let cool completely before using the parchment paper to lift it out. Cut into small squares. This is very rich, so a little goes a long way.




Nutty Eggnog Bars

2 c granulated sugar
2/3 c butter
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
½ t ground nutmeg (I use freshly ground)
1 c chopped macadamia nuts

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
¼ t vanilla
1 T eggnog (plus additional for consistency)

Preheat oven to 35F Line a 13/9/2 baking pan with foil. Grease foil. Set aside.

In medium saucepan cook and stir sugar and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Stir eggs and vanilla into sugar mixture. Add flour, baking powder, and nutmeg; stir to combine. Stir in nuts.

Spread dough evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into diamond shapes.

Mix glaze ingredients. Add additional eggnog 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches piping consistency. Pipe onto cut bars.

Notes: You can divide the glaze in half and tint half with red food coloring for a more decorative bar. Or, you can further thin the glaze and simply drizzle it over the bars instead of piping it.



Rae’s Fruitcake Bites

½ lb (about 1 ½ generous cups) candied fruit, finely chopped
½ c dried cranberries
½ c raisins
¼ c rum
¼ c apple cider or apple juice concentrate
2 c all-purpose flour
1½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
1½ t ground cinnamon
¼ t freshly ground nutmeg
⅛ t ground allspice
1 c packed brown sugar
¼ c butter
2 eggs
¾ t vanilla extract


Place the candied fruit, dried fruit, liquor, and cider in medium bowl. Cover and let sit overnight.

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray the cups of two mini-muffin pans. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In another large bowl beat brown sugar and butter at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in fruit mixture with soaking liquid.

Scoop the mixture into the cups of the mini-muffin pans. Bake for about 14 minutes.

Makes about 48.




*I use fruit that doesn’t have citron, so it’s just cherries and pineapple. The citron has a distinctive flavor that many people don’t like.

 

[chefa]

Loreo,
Here's that spritz recipe - finally!

Eggnog Spritz

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbl. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Eggnog Sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine 1 butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and nutmeg. Beat until well mixed.

Fit cookie press with template; fill with dough. Press dough 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with prepared Eggnog Sugar. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.

Yield: 4 dozen.