HGP 2015 - Baking

[HouseElf]

Pulled out my lists, and organizing my recipes for this years holiday baking!
Trying to figure out how much of each flour I will need, as running out of sweet rice flour or gluten free baking powder the night before something is a real stress last year. It's not like all stores carry the brand or the ingredients needed for gluten free baking.

So far my breakdown is:

Halloween:

Rice krispies on paper straws, dipped in melts and sprinkles
Gingerbread men - decorated as mummy
Caramel apples​

Thanksgiving:

Dinner dessert:
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Brunch item:
Pumpkin Crumb Cake
French Apple Cake​

Christmas:

Cookies:
Gingerbread Snowmen
Sugar cookies (vanilla extract - trees, almond extract - snowflakes)
Santa Whiskers (a red and green cherry icebox cookie)

Brunch item:
Pumpkin Crumb Cake
French Apple Cake

Mincemeat tarts
Pound cake (for Cranberry Coconut trifle - Christmas Day dessert, and New Years Eve fondue)
Gingerbread Cake (with Butter Rum Toffee Sauce - Christmas Eve dessert)



​

So, what is on your holiday baking list this year?

 

[CheeryChick]

Here's my go-to, absolute favorite pumpkin bread recipe. I make this every year!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/6820/downeast-maine-pumpkin-bread/

Also, egg nog bread... I put an easy water + powdered sugar glaze on top of it:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/15913/eggnog-quick-bread/

Ideas for Christmas Cookies
- Eggnog Snickerdoodles with Nutmeg Glaze
- Chewy Fruitcake Cookies
- Oatmeal Peppermint Dipped Cookies

And of course, the family tradition...

Aunt Florence's Christmas Cookies
This recipe has been in my family since at least my great-grandmother's time.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


2. Mix the following ingredients together (I do wet ingredients and sugar first, and then add the flour):
- 3/4 C mixture of half shortening (Crisco) and half margarine (I use Imperial brand)
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 C milk
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3 C flour
- 3 tsp. vanilla extract
- dash cinnamon (to taste)

**You may need to add a little more flour if the dough seems too wet and sticky. It should be more dry than dough for chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies, more like pie crust dough than cookie dough.

3. Roll out onto a floured surface. Dough should be ~1/4" thick.

4. Cut out cookies and place on cookie sheet. After cutting out the first round of cookies, you can form the remaining dough "scraps" into a ball and roll it out again to make more (and again, and again, until the dough is used up).

5. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and place onto foil or wax paper to cool.

6. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

This recipe will make approximately 40-50 medium sugar cookies, but it depends on the size of the cookie cutters you plan to use.

 

[AuntJamelle]

I've really started to get the urge to bake! Weather is turning cooler here and that triggers my baking instincts!

Halloween:

- Undecided as of yet; We camp over Halloween weekend with friends, but I'll have the RV kitchen if I want to bake fresh or I can pre-bake anything I decide on. In discussions with the other wives right now!

Thanksgiving:

- Southern Living Deluxe Cheesecake - I'll use the cherry pie filling I canned earlier this summer as the topping!

Christmas:

I make the dough for all of these cookies ahead and flash freeze for baking later, unless otherwise noted.

Chunky Chocolate Gobs – 2 Batches Minimum
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/190769734186576899/

Cocoa Kiss Cookies – Santa’s Fav Cookies Book – Pg ? – Two to three batches in freezer
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/190769734186576895/

Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies – 2 Batches
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/02/24/soft-baked-peanut-butter-chocolate-swirl-cookies/

Seven Layer Magic Bar Cookies – Instructions for baking then freezing up to 3 months…2 batches
http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/07/soft-and-chewy-seven-layer-magic-bar-cookies.html

Vanilla Dipped Gingersnaps – Gooseberry Patch “Merrry” – Pg ? 1 Batch

Stained Glass Cookies – 1 Batch (DS will get a kick out of these, he can help, etc.)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/190769734191572691/

Swirled Sugar Cookies – 1 Batch (Freeze then slice log of dough)
http://salttree.net/2012/10/swirled-sugar-cookies.html/

Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies – 1 Batch
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/157555686938095019/

Lemon Cookies? Need to decide on recipe!

Kieflees – Get recipe from MIL! I had it, then lost it at some point post fire/during moves – Freeze after baking, roll in powdered sugar after thawing...

PW Cinnamon Rolls - Make these for gifting to friends, therapy staff, teachers, co-workers, etc. - Can freeze after baking and icing!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/notes-on-cinnamon-rolls/

 

[CheeryChick]

What do you find works best for cookie dough/cookies? Making up the dough beforehand and freezing it, or baking the cookies and then freezing them? Give me some tips!

 

[AuntJamelle]

I have always shaped the unbaked dough so that it is ready for baking and then I flash freeze them on cookie sheets lined with wax paper.

Once they are frozen, I transfer them to ziplock bags. Then I pull the dough from the freezer and bake from frozen as needed.

I've done this mostly with "drop" cookies and those that are rolled into balls. I've done once or twice with cutouts but you do have to be more careful with them in the freezer to avoid breaking.

The stained glass cookies I plan to make this year are baked and then frozen. I think you can also do it that way with any cookie, just plan to add icing after thawing.

I love making the cookies ahead - such a life saver!!!!

 

[Winged One]

Last year we made candy cane cookies and they worked a treat so plan on repeating.

I always have a log of orange and lemon cookie dough in the freezer in December, to slice and bake as needed. I usually have another roll of the same basic recipe but using chocolate chips instead of fruit as well.

I want to make the spiced Christmas cookies again this year, we haven't made them since Ddleft crèche for school, 6 years ago. But we used to love those.

And I would love to actually make a Yule log this year.

I may make mince pies, but Marks &Spencers do good ones to buy, so it's always a trade off of time and faff, M&S usually wins on that.