Best christmas baking ideas

[CareBearWithFangs]

For the first time in ages I actually have a decent amount of time off over christmas and I'd really like to bake some Christmassy treats.

What do you love to bake at christmas time? And what's your favourite treats to eat?

I make chocolate salami, although not for Christmas. It's a refrigerator cake, similar to rocky road, but with only rich tea biscuits, no raisins or marshmallows or anything else.

happy to post my recipe if anyone is interested.

Yes please tugamommy

I'd love the recipe too

Another one intrigued by the chocolate salami!

Cinnamon honey butter. Flatten unsalted butter to 1cm rectangle, spread on cinnamon based spice mix of choice and honey, roll into an attractive roll, stick it in the fridge. Use on toast, crumpets, pancakes, porridge etc

Not exactly cooking but delicious and festive smelling.

100g butter
100g caster sugar
100g cocoa
1 egg
200g rich tea biscuits
a splash of port or brandy or anything similar

Cream the butter with the sugar and then add the egg and mix well. Then add the cocoa. It looks like it's too dry and it won't mix but persevere and it will turn into a paste. Add the splash of alcohol and mix again. Finally add the crushed biscuits (into small bits). At this stage it will definitely look wrong and like you have too many biscuits but it's how it's meant to be.

roll into a salami shape with foil and put in the fridge for a day or a few hours in the freezer.

I promise it's delicious!

And this is what it's meant too look like

Thanks for this tugamommy, it is now resting in the freezer and the mixture tasted very promising! Didn't have port or brandy so used rum. And a couple of teaspoons of golden syrup. Because reasons.

Last year I made loads of bbc good food christmas biscotti and gave them as gifts in cookie jars to everyone; they were really easy to make, tasted great and looked good too, and smelled really festive and christmassy while i was baking them. This year nobody is getting anything as i will be too busy to bake, new baby arriving in the next fortnight! and 2 naughty preschool boys to entertain. Also they were actually not a very cheap thing to make becasue of all the nuts and sour cherries, and then cookie jars and ribbons etc; it all adds up. www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8022/fruity-christmas-biscotti

Oh, I'm really pleased you made it! Are you going to try it now or save it for Christmas?

Now. Practice runs are important

Stollen (Delia recipe)
Shortbread
Chocolate truffles (not baking but making!)
Mince pies - still searching for the perfect recipe though!
Chocolate Log
Chocolate Roulade (preferred Christmas Day pudding)

After all that I'm happy to be let loose on a large bowl of clementines.

Absolutely! Let me know what you think :)

Monkey: thanks for that biscotti link - I'll definitely try them!

I had some greek Christmas honey and olive oil cakes and they were delicious! Have asked for the recipe - will share when i get it.

Wow greek Christmas honey sounds amazing.

Hairy Bikers cinnamon buns are gorgeous. However, they are sort of time consuming and don't keep. I'm loving all these ideas for things that will keep in a tin!

Swirls. I mean cinnamon swirls!

Well, we are getting through the chocolate salami! Lovely, esp with coffee for breakfast. It mostly looks the part but I assume all the neat ones on google images had a little bit of non-biscuity paste reserved to wrap round the outside to give a smooth coating, because mine has biscuit all over the outside. But then I wondered if you could just roll it in melted chocolate after its initial refrigeration and leave it to set for a bit.

Cinnamon rolls a good idea if eaten fresh. I have a whole pot of cinnamon which I only bought for French toast (mmmm cinnamon sugar)

This thread is one of the best things I've ever read. I want to make it ALL.

This is a good idea Carebearwith I soak the ingredients for all trad. Xmas bakes e.g. dried fruit nuts etc. in a clip (kilner) jar with any leftover spirits and use it as a base for the cake,mince pies and pudding they all taste delish and you don't have to 'feed' the cake.

Saint Delia's recipe's are the best for xmas IME I love her chocolate\chestnut roulade for the non christmas pud eaters

Oooo all looks amazing, am going to get so fat! Cheers everyone for amazing ideas!

I also made that Christmas biscotti for presents - the kids liked giving them to their teachers. Also christmas iced biscuits and homemade mince pies, yum.

I've baked my first ever Xmas cake this year and am also going to try rum truffles. Any recipes gratefully received

I might have to get the Nigella book - what's it called?

This isn't discounted but I think its awesome, a non pink doll house, the upright kind, looks fantastic!!

www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/cos_4,cos_4.1,cos_4.1.3/154277?utm_source=emailFY14P3W4c&utm_medium=HB-8&utm_term=154277&utm_campaign=emailFY14P3W4c

oh crap wrong thread SORRY!!!

I'm in heaven reading all these amazing ideas.
We do the usual mince pies and gingerbread houses and decorations but will certainly be making the choccie cornflake wreath! Might attempt stollen this year too.

Hi madbus. Shouldn't need to coat the salami in chocolate, it should be smooth enough and no biscuit on the outside. Maybe you need to mix in the biscuits in better...Also you really need to press down to make the shape and then roll tightly with the foil.

Sorry for the crap description! But anyway it will taste great even with bits of biscuit sticking out so it doesn't matter!