What Ya'll Baking for Holidays?

[FarmerChick]

Any signature desserts and such for the holidays?

So far all I did was some sugar cookies and Tony ate them up...LOL

Going to tackle gingerbread cookies probably next week.

Hmm...other than that, it is about it for my holiday baking...but I know a bunch of you are good bakers out there...anything fancy you do for the holidays???

Are you starting to bake like mad yet???

Just wondering what everyone has on the "to do " list of holiday baking.

 

[MorelCabin]

So far I have made Santa's Whiskers...but they're all eaten up...then I baked ginger snapp cookies...but they're all eaten up...then I baked more ginger snapps...they're all gone too. I made some oat delights, but they dissappeared...I also baked some shortbread cookies and we have about 5 left in the bottom of the cookie jar. I have been baking for three weeks...and I will still have nothing for Christmas....sheesh!

 

[keljonma]

Walnut or Hazelnut Torte
Preheat oven to 375F

The Cake:
butter
7 eggs, separated
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup (3 oz) coarsely chopped walnuts or hazelnuts
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

Butter two 9 layer cake tins, place a circle of waxed paper or brown paper in the bottom, and butter that. Set the tins aside.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy; continue beating until very stiff.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light yellow and very creamy.

Blend the nuts and bread crumbs together, and fold them into the egg yolk mixture.

Mix a heaping tablespoon of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then lightly fold in the rest of the whites. The batter should be evenly mixed but not overworked.

Pour it into the cake tins and bake for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched. Cool them for 10 minutes in the tins, then invert them on a cake rack and quickly remove all the paper from the bottom of the layers. Cool completely before filling and frosting the cake.

The Chocolate Filling:
1/4 pound semisweet chocolate (4 squares or cup of chocolate bits)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs

Melt the chocolate and sugar in the top of a double boiler until satiny smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Refrigerate until ready to use. If the filling gets too hard, let it come back to room temperature and beat it briefly. Fill and frost the cake layers and keep the cake in a cool place until ready to serve.

A light cake but very rich. Serves 10-12. A moist cake that stays fresh for days.

 

[keljonma]

Poor Man's Fruitcake aka Raisin Nut Loaf

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups raisins
1 tsp salt
3 cups water

Bring to boil in a very large pot. Let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely to room temperature.

Sift together over cooled mixture:

1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tb baking soda
3 cups flour

Mix well. Stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Pour into greased loaf pans.

If using large pans, this makes 2 loaves; a smaller loaf pan will give you 3 loaves. The mini loaf pans will yield 5 loaves from one recipe.

Bake at 300F for about 1 hour, until tester in center comes out clean. This cake freezes well.

Moms note: If you're making it for Christmas, make it by Dec 15th, wrap it well and put it in a cold attic, cellar or garage.

My note: I found through research that this is considered to be a Civil War era recipe. Although, it is possible that it is older than that. This recipe was also very popular during World War I and World War II.

 

[keljonma]

And this recipe, which has been in my mother's family for generations. Even though it is a time consuming recipe, no Christmas is complete without them.

My grandmother brought this recipe over to the States with her from Europe in the late 1800's. There was a large mixing bowl that was used to make this recipe. When my sisters and I started baking, there were no measurements at all for this recipe! Mom just KNEW how the dough was supposed to look and feel. Finally, in the 1970's, we measured out the ingredients for the dough as mom was making the cookies.

ETA: I'm sure my grandmother and her mother did not use Crisco . ..... I'm guessing they probably used some pure, clean lard. But since I'm the oldest generation living, I can't say.

In Austria, when filled with nuts and rolled into crescent shapes, these are sometimes known as Kifli.

Austrian-Hungarian Nut or Fruit Filled Cookies

Yeast Dough
1# shortening (Crisco)
6 cups all-purpose flour
6 egg yolks
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cake or envelope yeast dissolved in scant 1/3 c warm milk
1 tsp vanilla extract OR orange juice OR lemon juice
1 pint sweet cream

Measure shortening into large bowl. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over shortening. Blend well. Add the yeast mixture.

Slightly beat egg yolks with vanilla (or juice). Add to flour mixture. Add sweet cream.

Knead until dough leaves hands and bowl. Cover bowl with clean tea towel if no lid is available. Refrigerate minimum 3 hours (can refrigerate overnight).

When ready to make cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Take small ball, roll on heavily-sugared (granulated) board. Cut into squares or oblongs.

Spread with nut filling (see below), roll into crescent shapes and place on cookie sheet.

If you like fruit-filled, try putting preserves (cherry, pineapple, apricot) or lekvar (prune, plum) on squares and pinching two corners together.

Bake about 20 minutes.

Nut Filling
Grind walnuts, add to beaten egg whites. Add flavoring of vanilla and tsp cinnamon (more or less) and sugar to taste.

Moms note: Cannot give exact measurements, however, if you use 1# walnut meats, you will probably need about 3 or 4 egg whites. Texture should not be dry nor too moist.

 

[keljonma]

On top of the recipes I posted, the traditional year end baking included fruit cakes, various butter cookies, as well as mincemeat, lemon meringue, coconut cream, and pumpkin pies.

Also, purchasing ribbon candy from Boston Candy Kitchen was a family tradition while growing up.

 

[MorelCabin]

Wow you really go at it! We're more into h'ordeurves type stuff than baking...except the cookies.
Here's a couple of really great dipping recipes...serve with crackers, tostitos or baked pita

Hot Crab Dip

1 pkg cream cheese
3oz can crab
few drops tobasco
1 tbsp lime juice
Grated cheddar cheese

Mix first 4 ingredients and put in small baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake until bubbling
Serve with tostitos or baked pita



Cold Shrimp and Crab Dip

1 pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1tsp worchestersire
few drops tobasco
1 can salad shrimp
1 can crab

Mix together and serve with crackers

 

[keljonma]

Wow you really go at it! We're more into h'ordeurves type stuff than baking...except the cookies.
Here's a couple of really great dipping recipes...serve with crackers, tostitos or baked pita

Hot Crab Dip

1 pkg cream cheese
3oz can crab
few drops tobasco
1 tbsp lime juice
Grated cheddar cheese

Mix first 4 ingredients and put in small baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake until bubbling
Serve with tostitos or baked pita



Cold Shrimp and Crab Dip

1 pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1tsp worchestersire
few drops tobasco
1 can salad shrimp
1 can crab

Mix together and serve with crackers

Hey, MC, that hot crab dip sounds awesome! I might have to make that for the church's New Year's get together.

Mom always started baking for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Both my parents come from large families, so holidays were family-packed. My dad was the oldest of 15 and my mom, one of the youngest of 12. I guess since my grandmother came from Austria, all the in-laws just figured it was best to just let my mom do all the baking.

 

[sylvie]

Horseradish Dip for potato chips

16 oz container sour cream
Half pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup prepared horseradish (not the purple stuff)
Salt-dash

Sour cream into bowl.
Mix horseradish into sour cream.
Whip heavy cream into whipped cream.
Fold whipped cream carefully into sour cream mixture.
Taste for sweetness and add salt to just eliminate sweet.
Chill to blend flavors and serve with potato chips.

note~
Every Christmas Eve I trudge out to the garden and try to find the horseradish, dig, grate and make it fresh.

 

[FarmerChick]

we are horseradish fans
thanks.
that sounds delish and yes, grated fresh is best definitely!
I will make this for my Dad...he will be surprised and love it. cool