Baking for Christmas: Love it? Planned event?

[EmConMom]

I was just wondering what everyone does as far as baking Christmas cookies. For example, my family and friends plan a day where we all make dozens upon dozens of cookies and then split them. We usually have 4 or 5 mixers going and rolling, decorating, icing, sorting, etc 'stations'. We listen to Christmas music, chatter, laugh and just have the best time.

 

Please share your baking traditions....:

[AndreaInNC]

No traditions .. just bake them as I have time .. sometimes I bake more cookies on Christmas Eve than any other day.

 

My youngest DD is 12 and she and I love to bake together ..

[pogiporkchop]

I usually like to do one big baking beginning of December aside from the time I bake peppercookies, which are time consuming but well worth the effort if done correctly. I only make peppercookies at Christmas, just like my grandma used to.

[able]

you shoiuld make this a poll...i personally dont do much holiday baking.

[Firemansgal311]

I bake a batch (10dz) of cookies a week at least. lol. So making a few more along with cakes and pies and such is no big deal.

 

It's just someting I do

[Illinoismom]

I will start baking and candy making this weekend, and I will continue until Christmas Eve. Well I hope too last year I just couldnt get in the mood and so many people missed having their cookies

[Tracy72]

I wish I could bake cookies....but for some reason I cant get them to come out the best....I cook them to long because I always think they aren't done and then over cook....but I wish I could do them..I would love to !

[misshayley]

Well today I made 10 dozen cookies (only 50 more dozen cookies to go)

[kselzer]

i try to make a few dozen of about 6-10 different kinds of cookies. I love baking but last year I put it off to almost the last minute - this year i will try not to procrastinate :)

[Tracy72]

what is your alls secret to good cookies?

[elena_398]

I love it in that the kids and I have fun doing it together. My husband even helps out

[mccabefamily29]

LOVE it

[sammy50]

To make soft, chewey cookies always use unsalted real butter instead of margarine or crisco.

And never, ever cook them too long. Take them out when slightly browned and they will keep on baking for a bit. (At least this is what I do and they always turn out terrific.) I usually take one week right after Thanksgiving and for a few hours each day do all of my Christmas baking.

In addition to the traditional sugar cookies I also make several gumdrop cakes. My friends and family do not like regular fruitcake but they seem to love the gumdrop cakes.

[JenT1292]

I can't wait to get started!

[Melissa]

I don't like baking, I like eating. I hate the mess in the kitchen.

[cleverbffool]

I love baking especially sugar cookies between our family we have a contest who get get their cookie closest to the way grandma used to make, they always come close but never the same, there's a rumor that it was her hand lotion mixed in with the dough which gave its distinct taste.

[EmConMom]

we have a contest who get get their cookie closest to the way grandma used to make, they always come close but never the same, there's a rumor that it was her hand lotion mixed in with the dough which gave its distinct taste.

We try to do that with banana creme pies, my grandmother made some every year for Christmas and in the 3 years since her passing, we just cannot get it right. Our are always watery, or just not quite there.

 

She never let anyone watch her while she was making them, only could watch them bake in the oven (and clean up her mess) She would gladly give out her recipe but would tease us that they won't turn out right.

[CrayZMama80]

I bake every year. And everyone that know's me asks me what day I'm going to do it. Then they come over the day after to have some.. lol. Now that the kids are older, they help out a bit. It's a total tradition with us.

[mandifour]

I love to bake, usually make a few batches for the kids to bring to my hubby and his crew at the fire station the couple shifts before Christmas and make some for my youngest to take to school, and some for home. No one in my house is too big on junk food so a dozen cookies will last a few days. I also love to make peppermint bark!

[Bunniq]

I don't bake, but when my youngest aunt starts baking she can get me to do just about anything for her! She always makes extra for me to take home!

 

I simply adore people who can bake. mmm mmm good.

 

:holiday08

[jenn293]

Last year for gifts I made, brownies, choc. chip cookies, nuts & bolts and buckeyes. I bought the nesting tin cans and stacked them on top of each other filled with the above mentioned and tied a nice bow around it all to secure it. They were a BIG HIT,and hardly cost anything to make.

 

I am a cake decorator so I see cakes all the time so it is nice to get to make something different even if it is once a year!!!

[alimfp]

Absolutely LOVE IT!!! I bake things to send to people (many online friends that I have addresses for), then for family get togethers. So there is many days of me baking. LOVE IT!

[smangham]

To make soft, chewey cookies always use unsalted real butter instead of margarine or crisco.

And never, ever cook them too long. Take them out when slightly browned and they will keep on baking for a bit.

Thanks for the tip....I learned something new today!

[zoemariesmamma]

I always bake up a storm!!! My mom and my sisters do too...this year we are going to Kohls to get the apron/mitt sets for all of us and put aside a day to bake away!! I always make buckeyes too..they are great and easy but take about a million years..this year my mother in law asked me to do a "few" for her (12 dozen). Guess i better get started!!

[michphilly]

I love baking for Christmas. I just have a question. Has anyone done a cookie swap? What do you do to have one? Which cookie do you think is the best?

 

[ms_mckenna]

Baking is usually me and my DD with my DS sitting in the floor licking spoons etc. DH and I always make chex mix for friends and teachers and that is something we do together. Funny I have never thought about it before but we are usually watching a Christmas special and we pretty much know what we will be doing in cooking. I guess we have just been doing it so long its kind of unspoken. :)

[Jordi56]

I love to bake, especially at Christmas time! Cookies, cakes, pies, candy, breads - you name it, I want to bake it and and share the goodies with family and friends. The kitchen is my favorite room in my house during this time of the year! My daughter and I make and freeze most of our cookie dough after Thanksgiving and do all our baking a few days before Christmas. I don't care about decorating that much because I hate putting everything away but I do enjoy baking during the holidays.

[BuffyAnn]

We bake ahead...dozen cookies for each invited guest (each person brings 1 type of cookies)

Bring copies of the recipe for cookies, serve hot cocoa and coffee and exchange. So if 15 people come you have a nice variety!!!:)

[Tracy72]

Thank you everybody for any tips that you have put here for us that aren't so hot at baking...lol

[cwife]

I love making Christmas goodies. I usually start the second week of December and go straight until Christmas day. I make more candy than I do baking though. Baking is usually just a few different types of cookies and banana bread.