My Christmas Plan~Baking

In the past weeks I have mentioned that I bake quite a few gifts for Christmas. I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make each year.

A few baking tips. I always refrigerate my cookies before I bake them. They make a better cookie if the batter is very cold.
Often people ask me how I get my cookies all the same size. I have been using a cookie scoop for years. It makes the cookies all look uniform. I have two sizes.
I always use parchment paper to bake my cookies on. Someday I want to get a Silpat liner.

In the coming week I will be making and freezing my cookie dough. You can do it a couple of ways. Mix up your dough wrap securely in plastic wrap and then put into a freezer bag. When you are ready to make thaw in the refrigerator.

Mix up your dough and line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop cookies onto a cookie sheet and flash freeze. Once frozen, drop all cookies into a freezer bag. When your ready take out and bake.

Deluxe Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Mix powdered sugar, margarine,vanilla, almond extract and egg in a large bowl.

Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerator about 2 hours or until firm.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out half he dough at a time 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges are just brown.
Decorate with sprinkles or frosting as desired.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening (part butter or margarine, I usually use about a quarter to a half cup butter)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

You will also need:

2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Shape into dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in mixed of sugar and cinnamon
Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Cookies will puff up and flatten out while baking.
Bake @ 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Gingerbread (for cookies or a gingerbread house)

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg beaten
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. In a medium saucepan heat to boiling (stirring occasionally), sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
2. Remove from from heat, stir in baking soda (it will foam up)
3. stir in margarine till melted
4. with a fork, stir in eggs and then flour
5. on a floured surface, knead dough until mixes. Divide dough in half, wrap half with plastic wrap and set aside.
6. roll half the dough, with a rolling pin slightly thicker than 1/4 inch.
7. cut with your favorite cutters.
8. Bake @ 325 degrees on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes.


Chocolate Chip Cookies
(this recipe is just the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe with one change instead of butter, I substitute shortening for a softer cookie~I always get compliments on these cookies.)

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening (or if you want to make the traditional recipe use 1 cup butter softened)
3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional~I never use them)

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat shortening (or butter) both sugars and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat in flour, stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tsp. onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
note: I always under bake these cookies and they seem to come out better.

Soft Molasses Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
5 cups flours
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water

Cream shortening with sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Stir in molasses. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix thoroughly (this is a very sticky batter)
Bake @ 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
(these are so, so yummy!)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies1 (15 oz) can prepared pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups Sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 (12 oz) package of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Mix the pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugar and spices together until well blended.
2. In another bowl, mix the flour and leavening's together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
3. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop by spoonfuls on well-greased baking sheets (I use parchment paper so I don't have to grease my pans).
Bake 11 minutes @ 375 degrees or until edges begin to brown.Remove cookies immediately and cool on wire racks.

Christmas Tree Cookies
(Press cookies for use in a cookie gun/press)

1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp almond extract (or your favorite flavoring)
food coloring of your choice

1. cream shortening, adding sugar gradually
2. add egg, dry ingredients, flavoring and a few drops of food coloring
3. decorate with tiny candies/sprinkles
Bake @ 375 degrees 10-12 minutes

If you are one who does not really like to bake or you just don't have the time to bake. I have listed some easy no bake recipes below.

just out of the oven

Pretzel Treats

These are so, so easy and so festive!

1 bag of waffle shaped pretzels
1 bag of Hershey's kisses (unwrapped)
1 bag of green and red M&M's

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Place pretzels in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place a Hershey kiss on top of each pretzel.

Bake for 4-6 minutes until chocolate feels soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove from oven and quickly press and M&M candy into the Hershey kiss. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Place in clear plastic bags (you can find these at the dollar store) with a pretty ribbon.

note: you can make these for so many different occasions, just change out the colors of the M&M's. baby showers, Easter, birthdays, St. Patty's Day, New Year etc.



No Bake Scats


1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk

heat in a heavy sauce pan until well blended (and butter is melted) stirring often.

Remove from heat and add:

1cup peanut butter
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups quick cooking oats

mix and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Refrigerate until firm.



Buck Eye Balls

1 1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

melt butter and peanut butter in a heavy sauce pan. Remove from heat.
add graham crackers

Shape into one inch balls, place on waxed paper and freeze until firm.

melt 12 oz chocolate chips and six oz of milk chocolate in a double boiler. Dip balls into chocolate with tongs.

Place on wax paper refrigerate until firm.



Mock Toffee

On a baking sheet spread out one sleeve of saltine crackers. In a sauce pan over medium heat melt:

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
once mixture is gooey, pour evenly over crackers.
Bake @ 350 degrees for five minutes until bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle 2 cups chocolate chips on top

As the chocolate melts spread it evenly around. Pop into refrigerator until set. Then cut apart and put into gift bags.



Chow Mein Noodle Cookies

1 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 12 oz bag of butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
1 large can or two small cans of chow mein noodles


Melt both bags of chips in double boiler. Remove from heat
add peanuts and chow mein noodles.
drop by spoonfuls onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Refrigerate until firm.

and last but not least.....my pumpkin bread recipe. I've been making this recipe for over 20 years and it is so yummy and moist.

Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

3 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

3/4 cup +1 tbsp oil

2 cups pumpkin (either fresh or canned, but be sure to buy solid pack pumkin and not pumpkin pie mix)

1/3 cup walnuts (o[ptional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

In a bowl mix all ingredients except nuts and raisins. Add those after other ingredents have been mixed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Spray loaf pans with non stick spray divide batter evenly into pans (I usually get about 7 small loaf pans from one batch). Bake 60-70 minutes. I think I check them at about 45 minutes, I don't recall that they take quite as long as the recipe says. Your oven may vary. Test with toothpick. When inserted and comes out clean bread is done.

A couple of more ideas would be to make homemade marshmallows. You could make up a fun gift basket with some hot chocolate and marshmallows.

How about homemade cinnamon rolls . I think I am making these for our librarians this year.