Holiday Baking Christmas 2017

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MrsSoup

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Oct 13, 2007
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What is everyone baking this holiday season?

Are you sticking to your tried and true treats or trying a new recipe? If a new recipe, what are you trying?

Do you gift your treats to friends and neighbors or just bake for your family?
 
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MrsSoup

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I plan on baking:
  • Gingerbread Men
  • Peanut Blossoms
  • Peanut Butter Balls
  • Oreo Balls
  • Sugar Cookies
I'm mostly sticking to my tried and true but I have decided not to do peanut butter fudge for gifts this year to cut down on the amount of peanut butter treats I give out, just in case there are nut allergies. Being in a new place, I don't know the people i'm gifting very well.

I am trying a new cookie, White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Sugar Cookies (recipe is on Pinterest). It will be a new twist on sugar cookies and they aren't cutout cookies so that's a huge plus in my book. I will do these for gifts and save my usual cutout cookies for us.

I usually do two rounds of baking, one for gifts and one for us (to include cookies for Santa) closer to Christmas. This year i'm only gifting a couple people, a friend that i've made here and one of my neighbors. I'll also make a tray for DH's office. I'm hoping to do my gift baking this weekend.
 

Miss JoDee

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Apr 22, 2011
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I am doing the usual but not as many.
Chex Mix
Peanut butter Kiss
Snickerdoodles
Scotcharoos
Sugar cookies
Sugar and Spice cookies
Rice Krispy treats for Gluten Free family members when they're here.
I may make something for the staff at the forest preserve and the farm where I worked.
 

Ahorsesoul

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Oct 13, 2007
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At this time of year I usually am not trying out new recipes. I have 2 loaves of banana bread and cranberry bread done. Both gluten free and the recipes I used is are ones I have eaten since I was in grade school. I made Lana's White Polar Bears recipe. And of course my famous Chocolate covered cherries. I did dark chocolate and white chocolate this year. And I made my mom's brown sugar fudge. I think that will be about it for sweets this year.
 

Holiday_Mom

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We bake a lot at Christmas. We have nut allergies so I leave out the nuts from all the recipes that call for them.

What a great idea to serve Rice Krispy Treats for a gluten free treat. I noticed that they sell a Christmas version of Rice Krispy cereal this time of year. I think I'll add that to my grocery list.

I make Stollen, a fruited bread, for Christmas morning. We make several kinds of cookies for the parties we host. If we are invited out, then we offer to bring some cookies.

Our normal selection is Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Sugar Cookies, Cut out cookies, Speculaas, Springerle, Gingerbread men and Andes Mint cookies.
 

luludou

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Dec 28, 2007
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I bake less and less as I always have tons of leftover. I made orange-raisin cookies, fudge, r-krispie treats (with the Christmas version!), skor squares. All tried and true recipes. Might try a chocolate - tea bread this weekend.
 
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teachermomof2

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Oct 27, 2007
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I'm baking:

Butter Cookies
Apricot Thumbprints
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut Butter Temptations
Caramel Cups

Also making Pretzel snaps with chocolate and peppermint kisses, chocolate covered oreos and chocolate covered peanut butter and ritz cracker sandwiches. I'll also make cracker candy.

I used to make more, but we ended up with tons of leftovers.
 
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tanya

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My baking list is: NOTHING- not a single thing!
Baking is not my thing- tried it, dont really like it and because I dont like it Im not very good at it. Give me a complicated, detailed main any day!

I will make a batch of chocolate spiders (no cooking required: mix, form and let set) and something that I found last year- salty cracker biscuits, crushed candy canes and drizzled chocolate. I will also make chocolate mousse for Christmas Day. Anything else will come from the gourmet bakehouse or my cleaner who bakes like an angel- she loves it!
 

Lana

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Oct 13, 2007
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I am taking my recipes to work today and going to try to make a list of what is needed. Not sure if we will do all or cut down making several things. I know my trays will be cut down since one won't go to Jaymees or to Ryans work.

Seems we do more candy than baking.
 
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Minta

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Oct 14, 2007
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These are the standards each year for my baking marathon which this year will start in Dec 20th.
Chocolate Chip cookies with M&Ms mixed in (2 double batches)
Peanut Butter Blossoms cookies (double batch)
Peanut Butter Reese Cup Cookies (double batch)
Cut out Sugar cookies (triple batch)
Cherry Vanilla shortbread cookies (double batch)

Orange Cranberry Bread (mini loaves - double batch)
Applesauce Bead (mini loaves - double batch)
Pumpkin Spice bread (mini loaves - double batch)
Banana bread (mini loaves - double batch)

These are what I am doing this year (every year I rotate a couple)
Oatmeal Scotchies
Molasses drop cookies
Chocolate Mint Snowballs (this is a new one)

During the next couple weekends I will make cookies to have on hand for lunches, snacks or when we watch Christmas movies:
Oatmeal Raisins
Chocolate cookies with vanilla chips
Chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips

I am thinking about making fudge and maybe trying buckeyes the last weekend before Christmas/Christmas Eve
 

Lolwlias

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Oct 14, 2007
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I hope to make:

Monster cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites
Banana Split Bread
Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Baby Ruth Bars

I say "hope" because sometimes my weekends just don't go as planned.
 

AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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I did all cookies ahead this year - as usual - have following in freezer:

Chunky Chocolate Gobs - Oreos, Mounds and Choc Chips stirred into choc cookie dough

Kieflees - Ground pecan, powdered sugar, egg white filling - from scratch dough uses the egg yolks - baked cookies tossed in powdered sugar

Peanut Butter Choc Swirl cookies - Two doughs mashed together then baked - so good!

Gingersnaps

Espresso Snowcaps - One of my all time favorites and I CAN'T FIND the dough in the freezers! UGH!

Andes Mint Cookies - Recipe off the bag :)

Chunky Chocolate Gobs without Oreos and Mounds + Andes Mint Chips

Chocolate Coffee Butterscotch - Standard choc chip cookie with instant espresso powder and butterscotch chips along with the semi sweet chocolate chips

Snickerdoodle Bars - The closest I can come to making snickerdoodle cookies that taste right. These are delish!

I am really, really hoping to get a chance to make some Rugelach before the month is out - we'll see how it goes and how I feel!
 

MrsSoup

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A friend of mine made Oreo Balls for Bunco but she made them with butter and marshmallows instead of cream cheese, like you would make rice krispy treats. They were fluffy and delicious! I want to try making them like this at some point this season.
 
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jollykelly

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Usually I make 9 different types of Christmas cookies. I found that that they did not get eaten and were thrown out. It was such a waste of time and money. This year, I stuck to everyone's favorite:

Cut outs
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Cocoa Drops
 
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halimer

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Aug 30, 2008
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Long Island, NY
I've made:

2 rum cakes
2 caramel cheesecakes
2 pans of toffee
100+ dipped oreos
crunchy peanut butter balls
3 whiskey cakes
2 pecan pies
1 raspberry cheesecake
and
2 babkas for us!

Still going to make snickerdoodles (Jess's recipe) and chocolate chip cookies
 
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MrsSoup

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That is an excellent recipe Debbie!
 

ChristmasPir8

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Wow ladies I am impressed. I tried homemade chocolates in ice cube trays and it didn' make many and some are a hit mess LOL. So... I still have chocolate left over to use.

We always do the pretzel with kisses and M&Ms

I think we will also do cinnamon pretzels. Not sure what else. Honestly it just goes to the neighbors. Maybe coworkers.
 
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AuntJamelle

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So many yummy recipes!!! Everything sounds wonderful! Those Oreo balls made with marshmallow intrigue me, Mrs. Soup! Any chance of getting the recipe?

We do not really eat the cookies I make - some of them of course, especially the Kieflees since those are a tradition in DH's family - but I ship tins of cookies to family and friends out of state and I send in big platters to DH's work, my son's school and bring them into my work as well.

Will be doing that this weekend and sending/taking all in on Monday. That should clear out a good amount of space in the freezer!!!