Assuming we are all seeing less people, having less get togethers - what does your holiday baking look like this year?
I usually do around 10 cookies - so far I have done zero 
I think I’ll do some next weekend when D2 comes home - but gosh that is not much ahead! I think I’ll do less - and cut down on batches - no double batches.
I have a full work week ahead so won’t do any during the week. The question Is…what do I cut out and who do I upset by not making a certain variety?!!
I made the dough for cut outs and froze it. Not sure what else to do. It’s just the 2 of us and my husband is trying to diet hard. I’ve froze dough for months before and it turned out ok so I don’t feel bad about mixing up the dough.
I’d like to make cookies but it’s difficult. I don’t want to eat them, my husband doesn’t want to either.
Bah, humbug. Feeling a bit out of the spirit.
I usually bake with a friend the first week of December. We realized that just wasn’t going to happen, but we decided to come up with an alternate plan. We created a list of 10 cookies. Each of us chose four to make. We split the batches in half. We did this last Saturday, and exchanged our half batches last Sunday in the grocery store parking lot.
So we still had eight different kinds of cookies. We were really pleased with our variety this year…and likely will do the same ones next year.
I am making two batches of cookies for gifts…probably tomorrow afternoon. They are easy peasy ones.
I’ve made 15 of these boxes of chocolate almond biscotti to distribute to neighbors and other friends. I also made a batch of fudge and peanut brittle that I included in the Christmas box I sent to our son. I didn’t make anything extra for us as we’d just eat it. 
(But that doesn’t mean I didn’t “sample” a bit as I made each. You know, quality control.)
I usually do double batches of a bar cookie, a drop cookie, fudge, and another confection-type thing that varies and make plates for DH’s staff and then I help DD make something to give teachers and/or friends. With DH and his staff working from home and DD being in college, I am severely reducing what I’m doing this year. I am thinking 2 single batches of cookies but spread out with one kind soon and the other after New Year’s. I really love baking and sharing but like every other aspect of 2020, this year is not going to be the same.
I love Thumper1’s idea of sharing the baking among a group but the rest of my friends and family rely on my skills. I used to participate in a cookie swap with some friends (who I love as people!) but got tired of bringing home those “slice and bake” Santas.
truffles??
Oh how nice that you can put in pictures - I love looking at these cookies!
Are you asking me if those are truffles? Yes. And they are the easiest things in the world to make.
Chocolate Ginger Truffles
1 8 Oz package of softened cream cheese.
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
15 Tablespoons of cocoa
5 tablespoons of softened butter
In a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar, and ginger. Add the cocoa and butter. Beat until blended. Takes a couple of minutes to blend it all together.
Form into a ball and place in a covered bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Shape into one inch balls. Roll each ball in either chocolate jimmies, rainbow jimmies, cocoa, chopped walnuts, chopped coconut.
These do need to be refrigerated. Each batch makes a lot.
Regarding sharing baking Christmas cookies with a “group”. No. I share this with one other person only. We decide together what cookies we will each make. We really have our baking down when we are together and can get our 8-10 kinds of cookies made in one day.
This year, we just split the job. We still did all the planning together. We try to choose cookies that will be a variety of colors, tastes and shapes. We think we really hit it this year!
Yes @thumper1!
(This is a confusing thing here now - it would seem if I reply to your post - directly on it - I think it should @ your name - or something!
I will personally not look at replies to my post but the thread as a whole.
I’ll be making pecan pie truffles - we made them last year and they were a hit.
My D wants to bake even though it’s just the three of us. We did 4 dozen frosted sugar cookies yesterday. Tomorrow it’s orange cranberry bars and she wants to also do lemon curd bars and chocolate pretzel truffles. The plan is to freeze a good amount otherwise we’re going to weigh a million pounds at the end of the holidays.
I’m hesitant to bring home goods to others because of Covid. We didn’t cook with masks or gloves.
pecan pie truffles sound amazing.
** momofsenior1 - I know what you mean. anyone know best ways to share homemade goodies during a pandemic? rules to follow and to be aware of?
We typically make a ton of cookies and pies. This year we decided to do something new. Gluten free raised yeast donuts are so hard to find that we’ve decided on a donut Christmas. I’m making Boston cream, jelly filled, pastry cream, and maple glazed. It’s a very rare treat to have any, so this’ll be an abundance of riches. I plan to make them all on the 23rd and we will nosh on them through Christmas Day. One of each flavor for each of us plus a second in the flavor of each’s choice.
Has anyone here really read anything about someone catching covid because they ate food brought by someone else? I sure haven’t! If that were the case, getting carry out food would be on the high risk list, and it isn’t.
My cookies will be sitting in a tin for a couple of days before I give them to anyone. In addition, I had a covid test that came back negative this week.
Seems Covid is spread in the air, not via surfaces. Baked goods, handled hygienically, would seem to pose negligible risk.
I have not baked much in recent years because I am trying to keep my weight down. But since we can’t physically visit loved ones this year, I am making cookies and shipping them. In the last week I have made vanillekranse (Danish butter cookie wreaths), oatmeal cookies, gingersnaps, saltine toffee (otherwise known as Christmas Crack), and spicy sugary pecans.
I’ve usually baked five types of cookies by now. I’ve baked zero. (I’ve also bought zero presents.)
I’m hoping having my daughter home soon will help me get in the right mood. My sons don’t care about any of it, but she does.
I think two kinds of cookies will be plenty. We won’t see anyone else outside our immediate family. The eventual shopping will be very minimal.
@psychmomma, I’m the opposite. I’ve way over presented this year. Ever since they were little my kids got 3-5 presents a year. For some reason this year I’ve been picking little things up one at a time since summer. I wrapped gifts the other night and they ended up with 14 gifts each. All Etsy and small business- when I started shopping, it was to support artists- but I was appalled at how many I let it get to. I even ended up with three gifts each for my husband and myself. I don’t think I’ve ever bought myself a gift for under the tree before- typically I just watch every open gifts and get one from each of my girls . It’s a weird year.
@milgymfam Do you have a recipe for GF donuts? My H makes delicious donuts but I am GF so would love a recipe for donuts that I can have. TIA!
@cellomom2, I’m still not 100% on the rules for posting links, so I won’t link, but I use the gluten free on a shoestring recipe for yeast-raised donuts.
@milgymfam Thanks so much!
