The wreath is easy peasy. The others I’ll let you know after we try making them. It will be a first for us! I’m waiting for my D to arrive to start baking!
1 Like
Baked the Christmas fruitcake last month. Each sunday morning add 2/3 shotglass cream sherry to it. Recipe is from Cooking in Colour cookbook by Tess Mallos I bought it in 1978.
Baked a small 2 persons fruit pie early december plum with apples.
1 Like
Finished my chocolate-almond biscotti gift boxes this morning. These will be distributed this afternoon, and I’m done.
11 Likes
Recipe…?
This is the basic recipe, but I divide the dough in half and roll two 12" x 2" logs. I slice each log into 12 pieces so mine are wider than the ones shown. Each of my gift boxes holds a dozen biscottis.
They can be flavored any way you like. I generally make half with Kirsch (cherry/almond), half with Grand Marnier (orange). I used to dip them, but that became too much trouble. I told my friends that as much as I love them, I don’t love them that much.
This is what they look like out of the oven:
8 Likes
I’m paring down quite a bit this year. I’m only going to make lemon cranberry cookies, rum balls, chocolate chip meringue cookies and a hummingbird cake for Christmas Day dinner
1 Like
I used to bake a ton of Christmas cookies/treats that I gave away to friends, neighbors, teachers, etc. Then about 15 years ago, dh started making pumpkin chocolate chip bread (a very old Ghirardelli recipe) and we were fighting for time in the kitchen. I happily let him takeover the baking since I also do all the decorating, indoor and outdoor, the present buying, wrapping, sending, and until recently, Christmas cards.
He started baking today. He makes at least 50 loaves. My kitchen smells lovely right now!
I do miss baking with my kids. D19 arrived home from college last night so we will bake at least one thing together while she is home. And she is having her h.s. friends all over this week to make and decorate sugar cookies, something they did back in h.s. She actually did not have plans to do so this year but one of her h.s. friends asked yesterday when she is hosting them 
3 Likes
Wow all of you guys have amazing skills! You also have great willpower not to devour your lovely masterpieces! I’m so lazy I just used the packaged Chex mix, stirred in unsalted mixed nuts and put them in jars. That will have to suffice for my friends & acquaintances. Haha! This is the 1st year I’ve done this shortcut and bottled it.
1 Like
First “cookie” tonight is actually bars - 7 Layer Bars. I always do my bars first - these and lemon bars - they are easy and make me feel like I made progress quickly!
4 Likes
I totally agree! I always start with seven layer bars and tiger butter!
Also making peanut butter blossoms and peanut clusters. I have a box of sugar cookie cut outs from the GFS store to bake and frost.
DS was home today and mentioned crinkle cookies. I haven’t made those in years because I hate the mess. I found a brownie mix shortcut so I think I’ll give them a try again.
Hoping to do baking Friday and Saturday. Then wrapping on Sunday. We’ll see how it goes…
1 Like
How does everyone store the cookies so they don’t get stale? I would like to start the baking in the next few days.
I use glass containers with air tight lids.
1 Like
Beautiful!
1 Like
This year I’m making
Chocolate chip and walnut
Thumbprints with raspberry jam
Coconut dream bars
Double mint chocolate
Butter press
I’m three down, two to go!
I always freeze my cookies because I don’t gift until Christmas.
1 Like
I prefer to use larger Tupperware type containers. But right now I only have one freezer space and really only one shelf I can dedicate to cookies. So here’s my method:
After cookies cool, slip them into a gallon Ziploc bag on a flat surface (so you can line up as many cookies as possible flat into the bag). Zip the bag ALMOST all the way shut -like don’t shut the last inch. Take a straw (don’t laugh! This really works!), insert it into the little one inch opening. Suck IN with the straw so you are pulling all the air OUT of the bag - it’s like magic! Like one of those food storage thingys that vacuum packs! You’ll see the air leave the bag and the bag sort of hugs the cookies. Slip the straw out and zip the rest of the way.
This helps with storage in the limited freezer space I have!
3 Likes
I put a piece of bread on wax paper in with the cookies. The bread absorbs the moisture.
2 Likes
Reread your post @FallGirl so adding in that I always freeze mine. I freeze each variety separately unless they are very close in flavor. I just pull out what I want whether it’s one for me to eat or a whole plate for guests.
1 Like
Oh… that sounds like something I could make. My attempt at making spritz cookies this year with Pampered Chef cookie press was a disaster
Thanks @Youdon_tsay @abasket @momofboiler1
