Christmas in July 2019 - Day Twenty-One

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PamelaG

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Moving into Week Four - Christmas in the Kitchen. Christmas Menus is the topic for today which I'd like to split into two parts - menus through the month for today and then Christmas Eve/Christmas Day tomorrow. Are there special foods that you cook, bake, serve during the month of December? Do you bake traditional cakes/cookies every year? Special foods you buy only in December? Is this the time you eat a lot of meals from your freezer when festive events are going on in the evenings - school, church, work, neighborhood, groups and clubs?
 

MrsSoup

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I bake an assortment of cookies every December for food gifts and for us. I usually split this into two, one earlier in the month and one closer to Christmas. I do the food gifts earlier before people might bake for themselves and then ours later, closer to Christmas. I typically bake the same things but may add in something new to try. So far I haven't found anything new that has been good enough to add to the annual rotation that I can remember anyway. I typically stick to sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, peanut blossoms, peanut butter balls, oreo balls, peanut butter fudge, sometimes peppermint bark for gifts, snickerdoodles....I think there is more but I can't remember at the moment.

Since we don't really get cold here in the winter I don't typically do any special foods in the month of December as a whole aside from the sweets.
 

PamelaG

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I bake an assortment of cookies every December for food gifts and for us. I usually split this into two, one earlier in the month and one closer to Christmas. I do the food gifts earlier before people might bake for themselves and then ours later, closer to Christmas. I typically bake the same things but may add in something new to try. So far I haven't found anything new that has been good enough to add to the annual rotation that I can remember anyway. I typically stick to sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, peanut blossoms, peanut butter balls, oreo balls, peanut butter fudge, sometimes peppermint bark for gifts, snickerdoodles....I think there is more but I can't remember at the moment.

Since we don't really get cold here in the winter I don't typically do any special foods in the month of December as a whole aside from the sweets.
Your cookie selection sounds wonderful. Wish I lived closer and was on your list of cookie gift recipients :).
 
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Minta

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I bake a lot of cookies in Dec. I will bake chocolate cookies with vanilla chips, a batch of regular chocolate chip and a batch of oatmeal raisin early in Dec so my family has cookies to enjoy. During the week leading up to Christmas I do a 3 day Christmas bake fest. I make a ton of goodies for my family to enjoy plus we give tins and platters of cookies to family and friends for Christmas which we deliver on the 23rd.

Cookies I bake double or triple batches of each:
Cut out sugar cookies
Chocolate with red and green M&Ms
Chocolate cookies with Peanutbutter chips
Chocolate chip snowballs.
Chocolate Mint crackle
Fudge Brownie Cookies with cherry center.
Gingerbread
Peanut Blossom - for our household only
Reese Peanutbutter Cup - for our house hold only

Breads I bake:
Orange Cranberry
Banana
Applesauce Spice
 

PamelaG

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I have made Pumpkin Bread (sometimes I swirl in some Nutella) and Date/Walnut Bread, usually in the mini loaf pans. I always give our open house guests a loaf to take home with them as a thank you for coming gift. Must start that again this year - the breads and the open house.
 

AuntJamelle

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Let's see...I'll start with Christmas baking...I have a long list of tried and true I pick from each year.

I used to make dough and freeze. Now I bake the cookies and then freeze. Works great and so much easier on me! I designate a Monday to send in cookies to DH's work (2 platters), my work (1-2 platters) and to DS's school (1-2 platters). So that weekend before I'll take cookies out to thaw and arrange platters.

Usually at the same time I'll pack cookie tins for all boxes to be shipped - then I take boxes to post office on my lunch hour that Monday.

2019 Cookie Lineup:

Chunky Chocolate Gobs - Chopped up Mounds candy bars, Oreos and Choc Chips
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
Vanilla Dipped Gingersnaps
Kieflees
Sea Salt Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies
Pecan Sandies
Lemon Snowballs
Browned Butter Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies
Buttery Spritz Cookies

Misc. Sweet Treats:

Oven Caramel Corn - Keeps for weeks in airtight containers so good for shipping even!
Candied Nuts - Cinnamon Sugar Pecans or Toffee Walnuts usually!
PW Cinnamon Rolls - I bake these fresh over a weekend and send in to DH's work, take in to my work and send some in to DS's school :) A few pans get frozen for later! I usually make a triple or quadruple batch!

New Cookies I'm Hoping to Try Out This Year:

Maple Cinnamon Star Cookies - Will freeze baked, dip in white chocolate and add sprinkles after thawing

Rugelach - Apricot Jam and Ground Walnut Filling

Super Soft and Simple Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms

Orange Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies

Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies
 

Minta

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FrostyShimmer

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I always bake gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, M&M cookies, and chocolate chocolate chip peanut butter thumbprint cookies. Recently I've added homemade gingerbread houses to this list. I probably average seven different kinds of cookies each year, but so far none of the other recipes have made it to the permanent list. I also make cinnamon rolls.

Last year after Christmas I got a cookie cutter for making tiny little individual gingerbread houses not much bigger than a normal cookie. I'll have to give them a go this year.

Last year I did gingerbread with hot lemon sauce. That will definitely be repeated this year! I'd love to try to make an old fashioned plum pudding.

For years I used the same old cookie cutters...I believe they were from the sixties. The year before last they finally gave out, and it's just not been the same making the traditional cookies in different shapes. This year a relative found replicas of the old cookie cutters and bought me a set. I'm so excited to be able to make the "right" cookies again this year!!!
 

PamelaG

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I always bake gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, M&M cookies, and chocolate chocolate chip peanut butter thumbprint cookies. Recently I've added homemade gingerbread houses to this list. I probably average seven different kinds of cookies each year, but so far none of the other recipes have made it to the permanent list. I also make cinnamon rolls.

Last year after Christmas I got a cookie cutter for making tiny little individual gingerbread houses not much bigger than a normal cookie. I'll have to give them a go this year.

Last year I did gingerbread with hot lemon sauce. That will definitely be repeated this year! I'd love to try to make an old fashioned plum pudding.

For years I used the same old cookie cutters...I believe they were from the sixties. The year before last they finally gave out, and it's just not been the same making the traditional cookies in different shapes. This year a relative found replicas of the old cookie cutters and bought me a set. I'm so excited to be able to make the "right" cookies again this year!!!
This is the year that I WILL make a Christmas cake. I have it marked in my planner, three months ahead of time so I can get it baked, ready to be topped up regularly with brandy. If that's successful, the Christmas pudding will be my next project. I have Mary Berry's recipes so that's a good start.
 

MrsSoup

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Minta - Is there any chance of getting your recipes for these cookies? I'm also looking for a good sugar cookie recipe too!!!

I think I have my sugar cookie recipe posted somewhere here. It's awesome and makes a lot of cookies.
 

Miss JoDee

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My baking is the same each year but with just DH and I single batches and some goes home with the kids.
Ginger cookies
Sugar cookies
Scotcharoos
Peanut Butter Blossoms (but might change it to Red Velvet Peanut Butter Blossoms) https://iambaker.net/red-velvet-peanut-butter-blossoms/ saw this on bolg titled Christmas 24/365.
Snicker doodles
I also make Chex MIx (only time of year I make it.)
 

Minta

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Chocolate Mint Crack - also know Chocolate Crinkles with a couple tweaks :)
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_crinkles/
I substitute the vanilla with mint extract
I replace the oil with butter
I also add course sugar to the power sugar for rolling the cookie dough in.

Rolled Sugar Cookies
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
3 Tblsp Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 egg
3 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

In Large Bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and egg: blend well.Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. - I usually break up the dough into 3 sections and wrap each one separate.
Heat oven to 400. On lightly floured surface roll out 1/3 dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 5 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and let cool.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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I share the baking with my mum.
Every year we make the same thing as it is what we like. We make,

fruit mince pies,
1 egg biscuits rolled in sprinkles,
Gingerbread men,
Chocolate truffles,
and one other that we decide through the year but is often. fudge or another sweet.

Mum always makes a fruit pudding on the first weekend in October and it hangs on a hook in the laundry until Christmas day.
For my family I make peppermint bark and DH makes a crushed pineapple and fruit cake.

Always plenty of good things to share.
 
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halimer

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I bake rum cakes, pies, oreo truffles and I dip oreos and big fat Bavarian pretzels in chcolate.

I only bake chocolate chip cookies for DS and DDIL and some snickerdoodles (Jessica's recipc)
 

Holiday_Mom

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For years I used the same old cookie cutters...I believe they were from the sixties. The year before last they finally gave out, and it's just not been the same making the traditional cookies in different shapes. This year a relative found replicas of the old cookie cutters and bought me a set. I'm so excited to be able to make the "right" cookies again this year!!!

I have a bunch of old cookie cutters from the sixties/seventies maybe? They are a red plastic that you use by pressing down on the dough. They leave an imprint in the dough. I have other ones that are probably from the fifties or earlier. I used to get old cookie cutters for gifts. They are so much fun to use.
 
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Holiday_Mom

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We do the same cookies each year. If I can, in August, I like to put the dry mix together for each batch of cookies. I separate the sugar from the flour mixture. I label the dry mix package with the name of the cookie. I will be adding the exact recipe to the package since we had a bit of gingerbread cookie fiasco before. I try to make the batches and freeze them between October and November. We pick a date in October to do the baking in December. Here are the cookies that we make:
  • Chocolate Chip
  • Andes Mint
  • Sugar
  • Oatmeal
  • Gingerbread
  • Specuulas
  • Press Cookies
  • Springerle
  • Roll Out Cookie
Because of concerts and extra practices in December, I like to cook up rice, beans, chicken, ground beef, etc. in October and November. I freeze them and then pull out in December. It's nice for those busy weeknights or for the baking days. I never want to eat dinner after baking all day but the rest of the family does.
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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Because of concerts and extra practices in December, I like to cook up rice, beans, chicken, ground beef, etc. in October and November. I freeze them and then pull out in December. It's nice for those busy weeknights or for the baking days. I never want to eat dinner after baking all day but the rest of the family does.
Thinking that this will be a great time saver and something that I am going to try for over the Christmas period. So busy that sometimes we forget to eat properly so no excuses if I have things already prepped.
 
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