Who is baking?

[DeniseM]

Tonight I made a chocolate rum cake (1/2 cup rum in the cake and 1/2 cup of uncooked rum in the glaze!) for DH to take to a company potluck tomorrow.

Sugar cookies (DH's favorite) Gingerbread cookies (DS's favorite) and Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (my dad's favorite.)

 

[donnaval]

I baked old-fashioned anise cookies, sesame seed cookies, spiced pecans, amaretti (almond macaroons), cherry cookies, and this year I tried something called spumoni cookies but they weren't worth the effort. I love Christmas cookies!

 

[SDKath]

Droooooool.

 

[pjrose]

My Dad always spent weeks before the holidays baking all kinds of goodies, most of German origin. He made huge plates for neighbors, postal carrier, secretary, etc etc etc. I can't even begin to guess how many dozens and dozens of cookies he made of each type.

For years DH and I made cookie-cutter cookies. We have a great collection of cutters, but the cookies never were very good - probably tough because we over-handled the dough. We haven't done it for years.

Today my daughter bought a box of ready to bake Pillsbury cookies with little green trees in the center to make on Christmas Eve. I'm feeling so guilty!

 

[wandering gnome]

anise cookies

Do you have a recipe that you would be willing to share. My great aunt used to make these.

 

[DeniseM]

The secret to not over handling the dough is to chill it and only taking a little of the dough out of the refrig at a time as you cut and bake it - chilling it will make it firmer and you won't have to work extra flour in to handle it. You don't want to knead it at all.

 

[laura1957]

I started my baking last night - I have a box of assorted goodies with me at work. Everyone who has walked into my office this morning has been a fairly happy guinea pig

Mini Cheesecakes, pumpkin cookies and cheesecake cookies - with and without chocolate and/or peanut butter chips and cherries.

Tonights it will be pumpkin cheesecake and more pumpkin cookies, and cappucino cheesecake (if it works out!!)

 

[Dori]

I have finished the shortbread, marachino cherry balls, Skor squares and sweet Marie bars. Now I have to make the pumpkin pies, but I'll leave those until late Christmas Eve. I didn't have time this year to do my homemade chocolates, so I'm feeling a bit guilty about that!

Bon Appetit!

Dori

 

[falmouth3]

No baking this year, but I made 2 kinds of fudge, 2 kinds of truffles, and my famous cashew brittle. I may make some pecan turtles too.

Sue

 

[Kay H]

I don't bake for Christmas any more but I'm ging to have 2 grand kids on New Year's day so I'll probably buy the refrigerated dough at the grocery store and we'll bake them. Lazy, huh?

 

[grest]

I made good old-fashioned Maine whoopie pies...yummy!
Connie

 

[swift]

Sugar cookies, Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate fudge, & Chocolate/Peanut butter bars.

 

[Chrisky]

I like to bake fruitcakes, they keep well. I bake one that uses whole oranges processed into the cake and soaked in Gran Marnier, and the other one is a Kingston dark fruitcake soaked for one week in rum. This year for a change I baked a 2 layer red cake and frosted it with a cream cheese icing.

 

[ctreelmom]

Peanut Butter Blossoms, Egg Nog Cookies, Ginger Bread Men, Chocolate Covered Pretzels, and homemade Irish cream liqueur. My kids cleaned out my cookie stash to bring to their friends and teachers, so now I get to make more!

 

[rickandcindy23]

Hey, hey, hey, where are the recipes? I am ready to bake, if I had some of your recipes. I have nothing to do today, so I might as well bake.

My hubby makes the best Cherry Mash candy you have ever tasted. I can give you all the recipe, if you want it. It is basically a cherry fudge made with cherry chips and marshmallows, instead of chocolate chips and marshmallow creme, then he melts semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips together in the microwave, mixes that with crunchy peanut butter and crushed peanuts, which makes a top and bottom chocolate layer for the cherry fudge. Remember the old Cherry Mash bars? Those aren't as good as this, which is yummy, and the kids and extended family just love it, so he makes about 20 pounds and gives a bit to everyone at Christmas. It is very festive in color and fits right in with the fudge and divinity that others make.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I would love a good toffee recipe. I love toffee, I am addicted to Heath bars, so I don't buy them EVER, but I would make my own toffee for the holidays.

 

[maggie]

I've made 3 pans of Fantasy Fudge, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (a recipe from Consumer Reports years ago that is supposedly Hillary Clinton's recipe), chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate covered pecans, chocolate covered almonds, and peppermint bark. I have discovered candy cups that are a holly paper, instead of plain brown paper or foil, and got some cellophane bags with snowflakes printed on them so it makes a festive looking little gift. Anyway, it's something I would like to get. Having read this thread, I'm thinking rum cake next.

 

[DeniseM]

Rum Cake Recipe

Just to get things started...

Rum Cake

Batter-
1 chocolate OR yellow cake mix
1 - 3.4 oz. instant pudding - chocolate OR vanilla
1/2 c. oil
1/2. c. water
1/2 c. dark rum
4 eggs
1 c. finely chopped nuts (I use walnuts) - set aside

Glaze-
1/2 c. butter (no substitutions)
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. rum - set aside

1. Mix together all batter ingredients, except nuts. Batter will be thick.
2. Spray bundt pan thoroughly with veg. oil spray.
3. Pour chopped nuts in pan, and roll pan to coat bottom and sides with nuts. Leave extra nuts in pan.
4. Pour in batter.
5. Bake 1 hr at 325º
6. Cool slightly and then remove from pan.
7. Wash bundt pan for next step.

While cake is baking make glaze-
1. Combine all glaze ingredients, except rum, in a saucepan and bring to a boil over med. heat, stirring constantly.
2. Boil about 5 min. or until glaze thickens. (Depends a LOT on humidity.)
3. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
4. Poul glaze into clean bundt pan.
5. Carefully put cake BACK IN THE BUNDT PAN.
6. Leave cake in bundt pan 1-3 hours to absorb glaze.
7. Check to see that all glaze has been absorbed by tipping pan and looking for fluid.
8. Do not leave cake in pan over night - glaze will solidify and it will stick to the pan.
9. To remove cake from pan, place cake plate upside down on the top of the bundt pan, and hold them firmly together as you invert the cake - it should slide right out.
10. Allow glaze to set up before covering the cake. You can sprinkle with decorative sprinkles while it's still moist, if desired.

*If you don't want alcohol in the glaze (Party Pooper! ) just add the rum before cooking the glaze and the alcohol will cook off, but leave the rum flavor.

 

[geekette]

Brought 2 pecan pies into work today. Coworkers are very happy. I gave them a choice between pecan pie and pineapple bread pudding. Pecan pie won, of course, since it is a known quantity.

 

[luvsvacation22]

I better get cooking! I have only made a few lemon cakes, but today I will make Gingerbread cookies, Amaretto Tortes, sugar cookies and Christmas cupcakes!

 

[rickandcindy23]

Denise, I think I am going to make that cake for Christmas dinner. Well, for Christmas dessert.

I am tired of pies and want something different.

 

[pittle]

Denise - the cake sounds wonderful and looks great. I think I will try it too and surprise the family! I did make cookies last night, fudge today, and got all the ingredients ready for pecan pies and a chocolate chess pie that has chopped pecans and coconut for Christmas dinner.

 

[Mimi39]

Cookie Disaster

My molasses spice cookie recipe called for 2 cups of flour, but that wasn't enough and they sort of melted into a blob. I added more flour and put the dough in the refrigerator and will try again tomorrow. Other than that my deviled almonds turned out great and I'll make fudge tomorrow. I think I'll make a pumpkin pie because that is a sure thing!!!!!!!!! Oh and, of course, Chex mix!

 

[Amy]

Denise, That cake looks and sounds great! Unfortunately DH is allergic to alcohol so I don't cook anything that requires alcohol other than some small quantity that burns off during the cooking process. I'd love to jazz up an otherwise ordinary cake, though. Any suggestions for a non-alcoholic substitution for the rum in your recipe?

 

[bcthn]

I made a lot of goodies this year and gave quite a bit away. I've gained a few pounds, though, so I didn't give enough away. Gingersnaps, spritz, snickerdoodles, peanut butter snowballs, pretzel treats, cornflake treats, and chocolate raspberry bars.