Holiday cookies and breads
 

I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
with oatmeal and raspberry jam.

I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?

what do you all bake for the holidays?

Holiday cookies and breads
 

In article .com>,
"Marge" > wrote:

> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?

Gingerbread cookies
Cranberry bars
Lemon bread
this year we're adding cranberry pistachio biscotti to the mix.

marcella

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?
>

I always make gingered banana bread and cinnamon-nutmeg chocolate chip
cookies. I usually make small rolled sugar cookies in xmas shapes and
gingerbread men too.

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Holiday cookies and breads
 

One time on Usenet, said:
> writes:
> >I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> >thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> >with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
> >
> >I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> >cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
> >
> >what do you all bake for the holidays?
>
> peanut brittle!

Oh! Thanks for the reminder, I need to make some peanut brittle for my
father this Christmas...


--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?

If it's for presents, what does the BF care how cakey or not it is?
LOL.

Usually I make Almond Toffee Crunch, old-fashion fudge, pecan tassies,
chocolate mint sandwich cookies, dream bars and maybe a raspberry
chocolate cookie bar. However, nobody's going to be around at
Christmas so I might just skip the whole baking thing. ;-) God knows,
I don't need any of it.

N.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

> what do you all bake for the holidays? I've gotten rave reviews for these
> the past 2 Christmases.
Cranberry Noel Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1- 1/2 cup coconut, finely chopped

1 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat
the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2
minutes. Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until just combined. Gradually
add flour, cranberries, and pecans. Mix on low speed until fully combined.
2 Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 8-inch logs, about 2 inches in
diameter. Roll logs in coconut, pressing lightly to coat the outside of the
logs. Wrap logs in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
3 Heat oven to 375°. Using a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/4-inch thick
slices. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, about 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake
until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to
cool. Store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
4 Lynne's note: I toasted pecans at 350 degrees in the toaster oven for
about 10 minutes. Cranberries needed to be whirled in food processor they
were hard to chop finely. On the other hand the food processor was too rough
on the pecans and they did better with the Pampered Chef Food Chopper.
Cookies do spread a little and they do turn brown, but they are tasty either
way.


Servings: 60
Yield: 5 dozen

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?
>

Sadly, I just never was any good with the baking, so i rely on the kindness of
others to supply me with my holiday baked goods.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com

Holiday cookies and breads
 

King's Crown wrote:
> > what do you all bake for the holidays? I've gotten rave reviews for these
> > the past 2 Christmases.
> Cranberry Noel Cookies
>
recipe (snip)


Those cookies sound lovely, I think I will make a batch to take out to
friends for dinner this Sat. nite. Thanks so much, I even have the
cranberries in my cupboard. And pecans for that matter....
I usually make my favourite Scottish shortbread. I'll post the recipe
later.

Cheers
Bronnie
Oz

Holiday cookies and breads
 

I make the following for the holidays: fruitcake (I know, but my
husband loves them); springerle; lebkuchen; chocolate pecan fudge;
chocolate/coconut balls; Chocolate Amaretto truffles; pain de chocolat;
stollen; pizzelles; waffle cookies; speculatius; kolacki. Carol

Our life may not always be the party we would have chosen, but while we
are here, we may as well dance!

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:

> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?
>

I always make shortbread and peanut butter cookies. I'll do that again
this year too but I bought a cookie press today so want to include make
spritz cookies. I also make bread and pies but making bread is a rather
a normal couple times or more event here so I don't really consider it
part of my holiday baking.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

mexican wedding cakes
macaroons & chocolate macaroons
date-coconut yule logs
cranberry butter cookies
cream cheese spritz cookies
chclate covered pretzels and oreos
peanut butter fudge

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?
>

Biscotti, either Fruitacke or Fruitcake Cookies, Fudge (not every year),
and assorted pies. I might try some Cheese Straws this year too.

Here's a festive cookie to use up those cranberries you mentioned:

Cranberry Cookies
(from Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library, 1971)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped frozen cranberries

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugars, stir in remaining
ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on greased
cookie sheets and bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?

Mainstays of Christmas-time baking here are almond-coconut macaroons,
biscotti, gingerbread men, Mexican wedding cakes, soft molassas
cookies, spritz, and sugar cookies.

For candies I have to make at batch of divinity fudge for Dad, my mom
won't make it because it has "raw" egg whites in it. I also make rum
balls, ganache truffles, buck-eyes, needhams, and maple fudge.

Jessica

Holiday cookies and breads
 

When I first read the recipe it sounded like an odd combination on
ingredients (dried cranberries, pecans and coconut), but like you I had all
the ingredients and gave them a try. They were SO good and look really
pretty for a cookie swap I made them for.

Lynne

"Bronwyn" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> King's Crown wrote:
>> > what do you all bake for the holidays? I've gotten rave reviews for
>> > these
>> > the past 2 Christmases.
>> Cranberry Noel Cookies
>>
> recipe (snip)
>
>
> Those cookies sound lovely, I think I will make a batch to take out to
> friends for dinner this Sat. nite. Thanks so much, I even have the
> cranberries in my cupboard. And pecans for that matter....
> I usually make my favourite Scottish shortbread. I'll post the recipe
> later.
>
> Cheers
> Bronnie
> Oz
>

Holiday cookies and breads
 

ooooh popcorn ball tree. That sounds yummy and fun for kids to eat. Do you
go horizontal or vertical with the tree. I see popcorn balls stacked
skyward.

Lynne

"~patches~" > wrote in message
...
> tert in seattle wrote:
>
>> writes:
>>
>>>I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
>>>thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
>>>with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>>>
>>>I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
>>>cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>>>
>>>what do you all bake for the holidays?
>>
>>
>> peanut brittle!
>>
>
> Oh I make that as well, and fudge, and crystral cut candies, and a popcorn
> ball tree. I didn't include those in my reply as none of these things are
> baked.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

On 30 Nov 2005 12:23:33 -0800, "Marge" >
rummaged among random neurons and opined:

>I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
>thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
>with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
>I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
>cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
>what do you all bake for the holidays?

krumkakke
sugar cookies
almond tile cookies
spritz cookies
gooey balls

I also make hard candy, put them in pretty glass containers and give
those to the neighbors, my banker, dry cleaner, hair dresser, etc.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Holiday cookies and breads
 

King's Crown wrote:

> ooooh popcorn ball tree. That sounds yummy and fun for kids to eat. Do you
> go horizontal or vertical with the tree. I see popcorn balls stacked
> skyward.

Yes, the tree is vertical. I got the idea from Better Homes & Gardens
Cookies and Candies (1966) when my kids were little and my first attempt
at making a gingerbread house was a disaster. The book was actually my
dMIL's and I really cherish it since she passed away. It has become a
family tradition for us to have a popcorn ball tree at Christmas time :)
Half of the popcorn balls are tinted pink and the other half are left
white according to their design but in recent years I just leave them
all white. I start at the bottom to form a base then work upwards until
there are 4 popcorn balls. Then I insert 3 candy canes tied with a bow
in the centre of the 4 top balls. I use Christmas greenry around the
base.
>
> Lynne
>
> "~patches~" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>tert in seattle wrote:
>>
>>
writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
>>>>thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
>>>>with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>>>>
>>>>I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
>>>>cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>>>>
>>>>what do you all bake for the holidays?
>>>
>>>
>>>peanut brittle!
>>>
>>
>>Oh I make that as well, and fudge, and crystral cut candies, and a popcorn
>>ball tree. I didn't include those in my reply as none of these things are
>>baked.
>
>
>

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?
>

1. butterscotch/semi sweet chip cookies (with pumpkin spice and vanilla
nut flavoring..yum)
2. Chocolate Mint Brownies
3. Plum pudding
4. Italian Rum Cake, with slivered almonds
5. double fudge bundt cake with rum custard filling
6. Cranberry Apple breads/muffins

I'm addicted to baking for the holidays and generally start around
November 1... with TONS of sugar cookies, with many many many flavors
and shapes.

CJ

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:
> I bake for presents each year. I've already made brownies. I'm
> thinking chocolate chips, Mexican wedding cakes, biscotti, a bar cookie
> with oatmeal and raspberry jam.
>
> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?

fudge
Mexican wedding cakes
peanut brittle
pretzels dipped in white candy coating
buckeyes
orange snowballs
party mix made with Chex cereal but not made the same as Chex Party
Mix.
honey apple cake

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Good, Lynne, I'll give them a go tomorrow.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

"Marge" > wrote in message
oups.com...

> I had the idea for a cranberry bread, but bf says he thinks it's too
> cakey, so maybe pumpkin bread?
>
> what do you all bake for the holidays?

Cake is great during the holidays. He just wants more cookies :-P

I thought and thought about the baking this year. Last night I made a
spreadsheet that breaks out all events and gifts and indicates how many of
each is available for each event. It's actually good quantity control
because every year I end up with a ton of cookies I eat myself. No really, a
ton. Anyway:

1. Fruitcake
2. Cranberry pistachio biscotti
3. Mocha toffee cashew bars
4. Ginger crunch shortbread
5. Decorated gingerbread
6. The blueberry almond cups I just saw in the December 2005 Gourmet but
don't know the actual name of, but with raspberry

cheers, Rox

Holiday cookies and breads
 

Marge wrote:

> what do you all bake for the holidays?


In my youth, Mom would make a banana bread rolled up with a buttercream
(or similar) filling, almost 2 feet long. Looked like a giant yodel*.

If left alone with one of those, I could eat it up to the point of
getting sick.

--
Andy
* http://tinyurl.com/akdse

Holiday cookies and breads
 

I like -

Scottish shortbread (made with butter and powdered sugar)
Lebkuchen (honey spice cookies with dried fruit)
Egg nog pound cake (regular pound cake with rum flavoring and nutmeg)
Russian tea cakes (just like everyone makes - aren't they good?)

For special occasions I like to make a big batch of plain spritz dough,
divide it into several portions, add different colors and flavorings to
each, and then squeeze out each color of dough in a suitable pattern
(green trees, pink swirls, yellow wreaths). I sandwich them with
buttercream frosting - chocolate or mint, cherry, and lemon or orange.
They look rather like storebought butter cookies, but they taste much
better since homemade filling has more zip than bland storebought.

Kathy

Holiday cookies and breads
 

I make vanilla kipferel, the German version of what I've seen called
Russian Tea cakes. These are made with ground almonds and are a bit
more delicate than the RTcakes.

I roll mine in powdered sugar but a friend of the family's rolls hers
in vanilla sugar. She puts a vanilla bean in a closed container of
sugar for several months, after which it takes on a vanilly perfume.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

>this year we're adding cranberry pistachio biscotti to the mix.
>marcella

whats your recipe for this, if you dont mind. Yum.

>If it's for presents, what does the BF care how cakey or not it is?
>LOL.

Thats true, Nancy. I actually like the cranberry bread, when I make
it I make two loaves, one to
give away, and one I freeze since Im the only one that will eat it.

>springerle; lebkuchen; chocolate pecan fudge;
>chocolate/coconut balls; Chocolate Amaretto truffles; pain de chocolat;
>stollen; pizzelles; waffle cookies; speculatius; kolacki. Carol

wow, I want to be at your house for Christmas.

>Cranberry Cookies
>(from Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library, 1971)

Great :-) thanks so much for posting that!

>I'm addicted to baking for the holidays and generally start around
>November 1... with TONS of sugar cookies, with many many many flavors
>and shapes.
>CJ

I know, me too. The Italian rum cake sounds so good.

>In my youth, Mom would make a banana bread rolled up with a buttercream
>(or similar) filling, almost 2 feet long. Looked like a giant yodel*.
>If left alone with one of those, I could eat it up to the point of
>getting sick.

Sounds almost like a personalized Büche de Noël. My mom used to make
filled sugar cookies,
the filling would be raisins or pineapple.

All the German cookies. I was in Bavaria one Christmas years ago. I
had this candy that was chocolate with marzipan. One of my favorite
candies ever since.

Holiday cookies and breads
 

As I was thumbing through my cookbook to decide which cookies to make
this year, I thought I'd post recipes for 3 of them:

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Gooey Balls

cookies

1 stick margarine
1 cup dates; chopped
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups Rice Krispies®
1 cup pecans; chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
coconut

Cook dates in melted margarine until soft. Add egg yolks and sugar.
Stir over low heat until mixture is gooey. Add Rice Krispies, pecans
and vanilla. Make into small balls with buttered hands and roll in
coconut.

Freezes well.

Contributor: Lois Clark

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Crisp Sugar Cookies

cookies

1-1/2 c powdered sugar
1c butter (or butter flavor crisco)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2-1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream or tartar

Mix wet ingredients. Sift dry ingredients. Incorporate dry into wet

Chill the dough

Roll to 1/8' to 1/4' thick & use cookie cutters

375 degree oven, 7 - 8 min (or till done)

Yield: makes about 5 d

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Decorative Cookie Icing

cookies

3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 package confectioner's sugar; 16 oz.
assorted food colors

In large mixer bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and
cream of tartar until frothy. Add sugar and continue beating 5 - 7
mins. until smooth and thick or until a knife drawn through icing
leaves a clean-cut path. Plac3e in a container with a tightly fitting
lid until ready to use.

(Can be kept up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.)

Makes about 3 cups.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Contributor: Ladies Home Journal

Yield: 1 serving

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Norwegian Spritz Cookies

cookies

1 cup butter; softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour; sifted

Cream butter until very light and fluffy. Cream in the sugar
gradually, again beating until very light. (Degree of lightness
determines the texture of cookies.) Beat in egg or egg yolks and
flavoring. Sift the flour with the salt and add to the mixture. Unless
it's quite warm, the dough won't need to be chilled before it's put
through the cookie press. Ad adjust too stiff a dough, add a few drops
of milk. If it's too soft, chill or add a bit more flour. Turn cookies
out on a cold, buttered cookie sheet and bake at 400° F until light
yellow (baking time varies with depth of design used).

I'm doing krumkakke, too, but that recipe's on the back of the box the
iron came in :-)

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"