Christmas baking

[clairethewitch70]

This year I am determined to bake more things for Christmas. I always bake mince pies from an old M&S Christmas book. I have lots of unused Christmas cookie cutter, including a stacking star Christmas tree, chocolate moulds, Christmas themed silicone cake tins.

Please inspire me and share your favourite recipes. If anyone wants me to I will type in the mince pie recipe.

pretty simple but you can make mini christmas jellies (red and green) by tipping it into the chocolate molds. they are great for putting out as finger food since people can just pop them into their mouths. i use this champagne jelly recipe for adults and just ordinary strawberry for kids.

you can use this sugar cookie recipe and cut into fun christmas shapes before icing

and you could use the cake tins for this chocolate christmas cake recipe

all the best x

not quite baking but i have made marmalade..dh likes it and I'll keep a jar fro Christmas morning
and today I made some Pear and Apricot chutney, so that should be nice to go with cheese and cold cuts...I try not to cook for daaaaaaaaaaaays after :o

Going to mak a Yule log and maybe a stollen. Also going to try and have a google for Austrian treats...as ds1's gf is here and I like new recipes...any suggestions gratefully received!

These parmesan crackers are sooooo good because they're about 90 percent butter and really easy to make. They're great for a cheese course and with chutneys. I've had several people ask me the recipe and they're really good for gifts.

www.westoftheloop.com/2016/12/06/edible-gifting-parmesan-thyme-crackers/

I'm doing gf mince pies, I always do shortbread, and I'm going to do two sorts of truffles.

I’m making mince pies this year and I will make cranberry and white chocolate cookies. I call them Santa cookies.

Nigel slaters spiced biscuits are so good. I’d eat the whole lot on my own.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ginger_biscuits_87673

I always bake Nigella’s Clementine cake. It’s dead easy and makes the house smell wonderful.

www.nigella.com/recipes/clementine-cake

Best recipe for classic christmas shape cutters:

250g Butter
250g Sugar (I use icing sugar)
2 eggs
500g selfrising flower
Lemon peel (optional - you can use other flavours like cinnamon or rum,...)

Knead all ingredients into a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and keep in fridge for at least one hour ( I usually do mine the day before).

Rooll out the dough on flat work top (about 5mm) use your cookie cutters Christmas sapes and place on a baking tray.
Pre heat oven to 200°C and bake for about 8 min.
Let them cool and decorate with icing sugar lemon mix and sprinkles.

They do keep well and taste better if left for a few weeks in an airtight container.

(PS: DC love making these)

Tom Kerridge Spiced Orange cake. Gluten free too.

Does anyone know if a Yule log can be baked in advance and frozen then decorated just before?

I'm going to be doing three types of cake this week using the boiled fruit method so apparently it's not too late for them!

And will be trying the biscuit recipe above to do with the girls

We made spinach and cheese muffins last night (healthy weaning recipe)...we all said how nice they'd be with some salt and some stronger cheese as a starter/tea along with some ham/olives/crackers etc.

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow do you by any chance have a tested recipe for the yule log?

I always make lebkuchen from a bbc good food recipe, mince pies and gingerbread men.

Still on the lookout for a nice soft gingerbread men recipe - most of the ones I make come out hard. Anyone got on?
Also going to try and make a chocolate orange load cake as dh was raving about one he had in a cafe recently. The gauntlet has been thrown down!

no specific recipe @sleepismysuperpower1 ...fatless whisked sponge, no flour, use cocoa instead
fill with chocolate buttercream ...lurpak butter, icing sugar, cocoa, splash of rum or brandy, smother remaining icing over outside

make sure you have cut the end off at a jaunty angle to stick to the side like a branch

rough up icing with a fork to look like bark, dredge with more icing sugar

...taste of my childhood right there!

You can make ganache instead of buttercream..it's a bit more grown up then :o

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow thankyou! :)

Placemarking for ideas

homemade lemon curd is fab and shortbread with added cherries or cinnamon and/or dipped in chocolate

I have made chocolate orange cookies before and am going to make them again this year!
My mom always made a Yule log truffles and marzipan fruits but I have never been brave enough to try

I used to make (ginger) star shaped cookies - push skewer into them on baking tray to make a hole before baking, and do it again as soon as you take them out of the oven, thread with string and hang on tree........away from dogs!
You've just reminded me how much I love marzipan, and might try to make a stollen.

Thank you for all these ideas

I do Nigella's sticky ginger cake, always a hit.
www.mydish.co.uk/recipe/9040/nigella-lawsons-sticky-gingerbread.

Again not baking but homemade cranberry sauce is super quick, easy and much better than shop bought.

Selfsettling - I always make my own cranberry sauce and freeze it ready. One carton of fresh cranberries
One orange, squeezed and rind
A big slosh of port
Lots of sugar
Brought to the boil, and simmer until all cranberries burst.

I've never made gingerbread, alas, but one of the cleverest ideas I've seen is for Rudolph biscuits.

Make standard gingerbread men and stand them on their heads. Hey presto! The arms and legs turn into Rudolph's antlers, ice on eyes and mouth. Glace cherries for his nose.