Christmas baking

[Night Elf]

When you refer to getting your Christmas baking done, are you talking about baking for other people or for your own family? Yesterday, I told dd I wanted to start our baking and wanted to start with a type of cookie we've never made before. So now I'm wondering if it's too early in the season to start making baked goods since they are only for my immediate family. Things baked last about a couple of days at a time. We'll all gain 10 lbs. or more if I bake all month long.

[marbel]

I just mean all my baking, whether for others or our own family.

 

But I do a good bit of baking early in the month, and freeze it.  There are a lot of cookies that freeze well. I might make a batch, leave a few out for sampling, and freeze the rest.  Then I have a nice assortment of cookies ready for offering to company, giving away, or just eating. 

[Chris in VA]

Just us. I don't do a lot, just Peanut Blossoms (kiss cookies) and maybe some cut-outs. We get so much from parishoners, I don't really have to bake!

 

(Aside) My husband's mom used to bake and sell cookies in order to have $ for Xmas presents for her 7 kids. As a single mom on assistance,she could get flour and sugar and baking ingredients cheaply. Now that she doesn't have to do that anymore, she uses her skills at mass quantity baking to give cookies away! She makes the dough ahead of time and freezes it, and then takes out what she needs when she wants to bake. Can't compete with her at cookie time! (Not that I'd want to--she's lovely and we don't compete at anything, really. :laugh: )

[Desert Strawberry]

I just mean all my baking, whether for others or our own family.

 

But I do a good bit of baking early in the month, and freeze it.  There are a lot of cookies that freeze well. I might make a batch, leave a few out for sampling, and freeze the rest.  Then I have a nice assortment of cookies ready for offering to company, giving away, or just eating. 

 

 

This. I will probably hand out cookies to the neighbors at Christmas time. 

 

I am due with #5 in the next few weeks, Gem can't have wheat, so store-bought cookies aren't an option. I want to start early and freeze ahead so that we have a good-sized stockpile for Christmas. We will be doing various trays of nibbles throughout the day for Christmas so that I don't have to cook. I want one to be cookies. My kids will eat ALL of the cookies at one sitting, no matter how many I make. I will serve a few, freeze the rest. 

 

I'm not planning any other "Christmas" baking. I will bake a few things for breakfast or a treat here and there, but not anything out of the ordinary. 

[JustEm]

My mil and sils did all their cookie baking on Saturday, mainly because no other weekend worked for all of them. They freeze the cookies and will hand them out and eat them for themselves closer to christmas.

[Sherry in OH]

I agreed to make eight dozen cookies for a bake sale.  Otherwise, my baking is mostly for my own family.  When we lived in our old neighborhood I would give plates of cookies and homemade candies to the neighbors.  I tried to continue the tradition when we moved, but the neighbors seemed more confused by the gesture than welcoming so I stopped. 

 

I don’t make as many varieties as I made when giving bulk of the cookies away.  My candy making has also dwindled.  This year it will be limited to peanut brittle and dipped pretzels.  

[ScoutTN]

Both.

We will bake quick bread of some kind about halfway through December for teacher gifts. Piano teacher, swim coach, SUnday school teachers etc. An economical gift. I will freeze some for us too. Cranberry orange bread and pumpkin bread this year, I think.

 

We will make gingerbread men (DH's favorite) and cut outs. DD will probably find somerecipe that she wants to try for something fancy. I will freeze some so that they don't all disappear too fast. We too get plenty of sweets so I really do it because it is a fun activity for us to do together. I remember making Christmas cookies and fudge with my mom.

 

When I was a grad student with no money I made cookies for Christmas gifts because the most expensive ingredient was my time and after finals, I had plenty of that.

[Lady Florida.]

Just us. I don't bake for anyone else, except when ds was younger and our hs group did a cookie exchange. 

 

My Christmas baking just means cookies. Decorated sugar cookies and snickerdoodles are usually what I make. One of these days I'm going to try ginger snaps, but I'm the only one in the house who likes them, so it will be a small batch.

[SamanthaCarter]

I don't think it's too early. Time in December has a way of getting away from you, so if you want to do some baking for gifts, I'd go ahead and start. No reason why you can't give it away early, because most people are sick of that stuff by the time Christmas day rolls around anyway!

 

Also, yes, the freezer is your friend. I've found that most drop cookies do well if you drop them on a tray, freeze them and then store them in a freezer bag. On baking day, lay them out on the cookie sheet and let them sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Then bake them at 25F lower than the original recipe called for (and for longer of course). 

[KungFuPanda]

I bake for us or the occasional cookie exchange. I'm not much of a baker, but I've done two batches if cookies over the last two weeks. I'm thinking a new batch each week is the way to go and freeze a few so you can have a variety on Christmas Day.

[Night Elf]

I didn't think about freezing cookies. That sounds like a good idea.

[redsquirrel]

I bake loads of cookies and give them away as gifts. I make the dough early and freeze it. Then, when I have the time I pull it out and have a baking day. I freeze the cookies and then we bag them up to hand them out. I give a bag of 4 dozen cookies as a gift to close friends and family and I have many bags of 1 dozen cookies to hand out to ballet teachers, neighbors, etc

[FaithManor]

Christmas baking here refers to baking that I feel obligated to take to an event. I don't like cooking much less baking and am a minimalist in this regard. DH will make some heathbar candy from his family recipe and a gluten free cheesecake to take to my mom's on the day which will relieve some of my angst since I'll also have to make baked French toast and a quiche for the holiday brunch that we all share.

 

Yes, I take two cooked items because my narcissistic sil either makes nothing, or if she does bring something it will be burned to a crisp. So, mom and I make extra to cover for the inedible items, LOL.

 

Prior to that, the kids will be lucky to get some morning muffins at some point, or brownies once.

 

So, personally, if I refer to holiday baking, it is always about what I'm taking to other people's homes. I'm lucky this year. One event that requires me to cook. Our only other event, the youth Christmas party at church which we are hosting, has other cooks from the church doing the meal, while we provide all of the decorating and activities which makes me very happy because this is right up my alley.

 

 

[cjzimmer1]

For me Christmas baking is all the cookies/bars I make for my DH And kids to eat as well as everything I give away (my extended family doesn't bake much but loves the cookies we grew up with plus some new favorites I've found).  I bake 15-20 kinds of cookies/candies/bars and each variety I make between 2 and 6 times the original recipe.  At Christmas after the gift opening, I bring in my treats.  It fills the 10 foot dining room table.  Then my mom, 2 sisters, brother in law, niece and nephews will get a gallon bag and each is allowed to go a fill it up with whatever they like.  The leftovers go to my dad (I also have a stash that stays at my house).  I will start baking this weekhing gets stored in the freezer until then.  I need the whole month to bake or I would never have time to get them all done.

[JFSinIL]

I didn't think about freezing cookies. That sounds like a good idea.

 

Yup, freezing is how in years past I managed to have up to 18 different types of cookies for my platefuls for neighbors, etc.  Save delicate cookies that do not freeze well for last minute baking.

 

Also - I use freezer bags, layers of waxed paper between layers of cookies, and use a straw to suck the last bit of air out of each bag before sealing and placing in a box (so do not get mushed up) in freezer.  We have two used hand-me-down upright freezers in the basement (thanks Aunt Marge!) and one is only plugged in in December. :-)

 

Since I am still getting my stamina back from the May crash I probably will not make near as many cookies this year.

[regentrude]

Not too early. Some baked goods (gingerbread type cookies) get much better if they rest for several weeks before they are eaten.

Now the secret is to find a place to hide them from the family.

 

My best friend begins baking mid-November.

[Dory]

I mean both. Any baking that is meant for Christmas in some way or another is what is my 'Christmas baking'. I like to have people over throughout the month for games, visiting and such and I like have Holiday baking out for that. Usually I start baking a month in advance and I freeze half of it (or more). In order to keep little fingers away from the frozen cookies I store them in ground beef boxes. Our ground beef comes individually wrapped in 1lb packages and then a bunch of those in a box. I just keep the empty boxes and put my containers of cookies and such in them. That way I know they'll still be around when I need them.