Christmas Baking 2012

[Avis]

I have a cookie cutter shaped like a big moose. Last year I made big ole moose gingerbread cookies. A whole batch of dough made about 18, they were so big. But they were yummy. And fun to share.

[Tisha]

Lisa, if you want to try something new, I can post my buckeyes recipe... Basically pb , rice krispies, icing sugar balls dipped in chocolate. So yummy!!


-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

Oooooo! Those buckeyes sound really good ... recipe, please!

[Dr. S]

I was thinking I wanted to try making nanaimo bars. Anyone have a favourite recipe to share?

This is recipe I got from my Boss. I haven't made it yet but will do it over the week-end.

There's a bit of waiting time as you'll see. It's a free transalation from French...

Melt together :
½ cup of butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups of graham cookies in crumbs
1 cup of coconut (not specified)
½ cup nuts (not specified)
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Put in a 9 inch square pan put in the fridge until harden

Cream ¼ cup of butter add:
2 Tablespoons of instant vanilla pudding
2 cup of icing sugar
4 Tablespoons (or more) of milk (enough to have the texture of icing)

Put over the first layer and put back in the fridge

Melt 3 oz of chocolate semi-sweet.
1 Tablespoon of butter

And lay over the preparation. Put back in the fridge.

[CAW]

I bought my baking this year.

A military spouse I know has a home business of home-baked goodies. I ordered Boy's birthday cupcakes from her (for his Navy League Cadets meeting that fell on his birthday).

So I ordered one of her large Christmas Baking trays. I picked it up yesterday with approx a dozen of each: macaroons, raisin butter tarts, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough truffles, white chocolate almond bark and snowballs.

We should be set for a while...as long as I wear noise cancelling ear phones all day because the macaroons keep calling my name.

[toobusy]

I was thinking I wanted to try making nanaimo bars. Anyone have a favourite recipe to share?

This is recipe I got from my Boss. I haven't made it yet but will do it over the week-end.

There's a bit of waiting time as you'll see. It's a free transalation from French...

Melt together :
½ cup of butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups of graham cookies in crumbs
1 cup of coconut (not specified)
½ cup nuts (not specified)
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Put in a 9 inch square pan put in the fridge until harden

Cream ¼ cup of butter add:
2 Tablespoons of instant vanilla pudding
2 cup of icing sugar
4 Tablespoons (or more) of milk (enough to have the texture of icing)

Put over the first layer and put back in the fridge

Melt 3 oz of chocolate semi-sweet.
1 Tablespoon of butter

And lay over the preparation. Put back in the fridge.

There is a custard powder that you buy to make these bars - I will try this recipe using that instead of the pudding!

[irun4me]

I love to bake....too much. But this summer I didn't want to turn the oven on. Came up with a variety of no bake brownies (cheaters version)
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff394/Irun4me/More2012Summer067.jpg

I bought 2 Bite Brownies and dressed them up. Turtles-caremel sauce, pecans and drizzled white chocolate. Smores-chocolate sauce, marshmellows and graham cracker crumbs (melt a little). Peppermint Patties-also melt a little to get them to stick. Skor bits and white chocolate. Peanut butter and coconut. Peanut butter and chocolate..... Possibilities are endless. Quick, easy, great variety and they diappeared very quickly!

[FishPants]

Ooo I just thought of something else I can do. I love that chocolate roll with the marshmallows and cherries in it that's rolled in coconut...

[scrumhalfgirl]

There is a custard powder that you buy to make these bars - I will try this recipe using that instead of the pudding!

Bird-something?

Where do you buy that - i kept seeing it in recipes online.

Thanks Sonia!

[Samantha]

There is a custard powder that you buy to make these bars - I will try this recipe using that instead of the pudding!

Bird-something?

Where do you buy that - i kept seeing it in recipes online.

Thanks Sonia!

Bird's Custard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird's_Custard

[FishPants]

I don't know about out east, but here Bird's Custard Powder is in the baking aisle, or with the instant puddings. I have got it at Save On and Safeway. I can't 100% say Superstore. I always have some on hand, since we use it to make the trifle

[CAW]

I don't know about out east, but here Bird's Custard Powder is in the baking aisle, or with the instant puddings. I have got it at Save On and Safeway. I can't 100% say Superstore. I always have some on hand, since we use it to make the trifle

Bird's is in the baking aisle out east too. It is a staple in my cupboard. We use it every time we make crepes.

[FishPants]

I don't know about out east, but here Bird's Custard Powder is in the baking aisle, or with the instant puddings. I have got it at Save On and Safeway. I can't 100% say Superstore. I always have some on hand, since we use it to make the trifle

Bird's is in the baking aisle out east too. It is a staple in my cupboard. We use it every time we make crepes.

In the crepe batter, or as a filling?

[Dr. S]

Ok, so I made these nanaimo today. And I added some comments to my recipe in red.

I was thinking I wanted to try making nanaimo bars. Anyone have a favourite recipe to share?

This is recipe I got from my Boss. I haven't made it yet but will do it over the week-end.

There's a bit of waiting time as you'll see. It's a free transalation from French...

Melt together :
½ cup of butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups of graham cookies in crumbs
1 cup of coconut (not specified) used sweetened
½ cup nuts (not specified) used sliced almonds
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Put in a 9 inch square pan put in the fridge until harden Left 4 hours

Cream ¼ cup of butter add:
2 Tablespoons of instant vanilla pudding
2 cup of icing sugar
4 Tablespoons (or more) of milk (enough to have the texture of icing)

Put over the first layer and put back in the fridge Turned out more white than yellow. I left it 2 hours

Melt 3 oz of chocolate semi-sweet. Needed to double the chocholate and butter since it wasn't easy covering the whole pan
1 Tablespoon of butter

And lay over the preparation. Put back in the fridge. Left 2 hours before I attempted to cut a square

It's really sweet and really delicious! There is a bit too much chocolate on top compared to the real nanaimo. And I'm not sure I would make it again since there is a lot of downtime and it takes time to make it.

[braveheart]

Looking for a good sugar cookie, or other recipe easy to use for cookie cutters, to use in the classroom.

[scrumhalfgirl]

Thanks for the review Sonia!

I made different chocolate barks on Friday to give as part of my gift to my colleagues. I made white chocolate with craisins, dark chocolate with toasted almonds and milk chocolate swirled with peanut butter. Super easy and turned out well.

Unfortunately, my boss upstaged me by giving store-bought (from a fancy truffle store) chocolates and bark to the same group of staff!

[carm]

Homemade trumps store-bought (even if they're dainty and pretty) any day in my opinion!!! I value that a lot more since buying goodies only takes 2 minutes and a wad of cash or plastic.

[gnu]

Looking for a good sugar cookie, or other recipe easy to use for cookie cutters, to use in the classroom.

This is the one I use: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-r ... r-cookies/

In other news: whipped shortbread fail! Followed the recipe, but managed to overbeat them. At least I think that's what happened. They taste wonderful but I can't even pick them up without them denting.

[abhainn]

I learned at yesterday's cookie baking class that I overbeat all my cookies. Whipped shortbread included. Too long and wayyyyyy too fast but I've been lucky that they have all turned out melt in your mouth, but not crumbly. Maybe let them sit for a day or 2 and see how they are?

[abhainn]

Also, were they baked long enough? Mine are always a little brown on the edges.

Just trying to solution shoot.

[FishPants]

Looking for a good sugar cookie, or other recipe easy to use for cookie cutters, to use in the classroom.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/ ... index.html

I think is is my go-to for sugar cookies. I have packed all my cookbooks and magazines, but the sugar cookies I make every year are from Real Simple and it was an article on large batch baking. They are quite tasty, with a subtle vanilla flavour, and easy to roll and cut (use lots of flour). I usually sprinkle on coloured sugar before baking, but this year I will be doing some like that, and will leave some plain to glaze and put the fun sprinkles on. John wants to help, and I think he will like the glaze/sprinkle combo

[gnu]

Also, were they baked long enough? Mine are always a little brown on the edges.

Just trying to solution shoot.

I appreciate it!

Definitely baked long enough - they were brown on the edges. I ended up with two containers of them so one went into the freezer, I will test the "let sit a couple of days" with the other container. Thanks!

[FishPants]

Shortbread done, chocolate roll done. My made-up trifle recipe actually turned out quite tasty. Now I decide between that one or the PB one (which I won't eat) for Christmas eve.

[La]

I'm still without an oven, so I found some stovetop cookies to make for work tomorrow (cookie day!). Haystacks - just butter, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract heated up in a saucepan. Simmer 5 min, then stir in coconut and quick oats. I used a melon baller to scoop up the mix and make evenly sized haystacks on a cookie sheet, then cooled in the fridge.

Thank goodness they're going to work they're much too easy to eat every time I open the fridge.

My aunt always made those (I think she called them chocolate drops, though) and also butterscotch ones. Nobody in the family has made them in years, though.

[IronGoddess]

I wonder if I could use honey instead of sugar

[La]

I made a yummy and simple Gingerbread cake/loaf this weekend (it was my BD cake, actually ).

Cream together (I used paddle attachment on stand mixer):
1/2 cup room temp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used dark brown)

When thoroughly creamed, beat in:
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the following dry ingredients (sifted)
2-1/2 cups flour (I used cake/pastry flour, but AP would work)
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1-1/2 tsp ginger (could probably up this to 2 tsp)
The batter will be very dense (you could probably roll it out and make it into cookies at this point)

Slowly add 1 cup hot coffee (brewed or instant) while continuing to beat the batter until it's completely smooth. The batter will appear VERY runny, but don't worry.

Turn batter into a well-greased Bundt pan and bake at 350F for 45-55 minutes, or until completely set. Turn out onto a plate once cooled. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes: the original recipe doesn't say to use a Bundt pan (it says 9" cake pan), but I'd be worried it would never set in the center (and be burned around the edges) since the batter is so runny. It doesn't make a lot of batter, so it won't completely fill the Bundt pan. I've also made this into muffins/cupcakes and it's turned out well. Bake those for 22-25 minutes.