# Christmas baking...



## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

GreySorrel said:


> Who is baking for the holidays? I am baking blackberry pecan bread, banana and pumpkin bread, then pecan bars which are a lot like pecan pie, pecan dream cookies, and brownies with chocolate chips that have either peanut butter or caramel centers.
> 
> I will divvy it up and distribute it to a few close friends and neighbors...does anyone else do this? I use to bake a lot more but with working 6 days a week I don't have as much baking time as I once did.


Can I get on the Friend's List? :lol:


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I make candied nuts, and caramels, and old fashioned fudge. put it in a tin, and voile! a gift they really appreciate.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

My mom and I are making monkey bread (also called pinch bread or pull-apart bread). We make ours completely from scratch. I know a lot of recipes use canned biscuit dough, but we don't. We also might make some English toffee.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

My mom, sister and I do a baking day every year. We have a few old stand by recipes: whipped shortbread, mom's soft raisin cookies, rice krispie squares, almond rocha bars (and non-almond rocha bars for my allergic husband). Then we usually bake a few different things, this year was a cinnamon roll/loaf thing and pumpkin cranberry muffins. We then each take home a container, and set one up for my brother and grandmother. Our baking day was last Monday. My husband and I finished our goodies on Thursday. Maybe I'll whip up a few things for us to tide us over until Christmas.


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## GreySorrel (Mar 5, 2012)

Everything sounds so delicious! TinyLiny, can I be on your list?! And if you were closer RegalCharm, I would bring you over some! The folks I work for, when I bake when it isn't the holiday season, I always try to bring them a little something for their morning coffee or just because. 

Guess were all busy this year...anyone use any certain type of baking tin or dish? Do you make cookie dough a few weeks ahead of the holidays then freeze it till you need it? Never tried that but heard you can do it.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

Let's see I want to make some pecan pralines, pecan cake, assorted cookies....but will probably only do one or two!


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## gssw5 (Jul 30, 2013)

I love to bake during the holidays and give people the goods. There are so many festive containers and tins my goal is to fill as many as I can give them away before my kids eat everything.

I make banana bread, cranberry bread, brownies, love cookies my grandma's recipe, and chocolate chip cookies.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

GreySorrel said:


> Who is baking for the holidays? I am baking blackberry pecan bread, banana and pumpkin bread, then pecan bars which are a lot like pecan pie, pecan dream cookies, and brownies with chocolate chips that have either peanut butter or caramel centers.
> 
> I will divvy it up and distribute it to a few close friends and neighbors...does anyone else do this? I use to bake a lot more but with working 6 days a week I don't have as much baking time as I once did.


no but can I send you my address? Sounds yummy


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I am currently making a dulce de leche cheese cake. Eventually, I will make fudge, rum balls, and sugar cookies. After xmas last year I got a Nordic acorn cakelet pan. The "finished product" in the pictures were so cute, but if it came with a recipe for "best results", I threw it away.


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

YUM!! This post is making me hungry!! I always bake horse shaped iced sugar cookies for my students but usually don't do any other baking for other people unless I'm just really feeling energetic (which I'm NOT these days!) LOL But I have had a several Christmas parties already (and more coming up) where I need to bring an appetizer or dessert. On top of my normal cooking I figure that's enough for me! My husband and I have no self control when it comes to baked goods so it's probably best we don't have a lot of baked goods sitting around. Although, I wouldn't mind being on some of your friends lists!


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Everything sounds delicious! For those of you making lots of pecan goodies- are you in the south? 

I bake rich loaves of cinnamon streusel bread and tie festive ribbons on to give to my hay farmer and farrier- both of whom are gems! For family I make snicker doodles, (DH's fave), traditional iced sugar cookies, and home made chocolate walnut fudge (DS's fave)


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

I love to bake anytime, but the holidays seem to make it special! I have friends that wait all year for my fudge. One year I didn't do it and one friend came knocking on my door to see if I was ok! Now I make sure she gets some every year. Sugar cookies, fudge, peppermint pinwheels and all kinds of breads. I'd love that recipe for cinnamon streusel bread. My hubby's favorite, but I'm never very impressed with mine.


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Heading out back for the night feed pretty soon, but I'll PM you with the recipe when I get the chance! 

** I bake mine in my great grandmother's bread pan that she gave me many years ago- I think it's circa 1930's, and I cherish it- I can still smell her home made bread baking just thinking of it. There are some things that money could never replace! that, and her white ceramic pie plate that she used to bake 'mile high' apple pies like no one else in the world


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## GreySorrel (Mar 5, 2012)

Oh Northern Star you make me miss my own grandmother....I have her pastry board and have threatened the family with using it as a chopping or cutting block! The breads, pastries, pies, etc. she use to make...*sigh*


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

We call our baking day "cookie day" because that's mostly what we make. Plus we decorate the cut out cookies. The usual ones are : cut out cookies, danish wedding cookies, thumblilina cookies, mincemeat cookies, no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, peanut butter fudge, and sometimes chocolate mice.

Fay


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Ooow, Mslady, I _love_ the no bake oatmeal cookies! And chex mix - we always made both growing up. _Unfortunately_...and shockingly...no one else around here likes either. This means I am forced, at gun point, to eat all that I make.:wink: So, I don't make those particular yummies.:-(


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

quick fudge 

1 jar 18 oz. (Now 16oz)
1 container of cake frosting (I find that vanilla is better than chocolate)

put peanut butter in a microwave bowl for 60 seconds
add cake frosting, microwave for another minute.
stir up good and put into a pan or flat dish.

refrigerate until cool. cut into squares.

you can add chopped nuts if you want to. taste like PB and not to sweet so it taste pretty good too.


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Blue, I'm back for a quick moment with that streusel coffee cake recipe-

I decided not to PM it, but rather post it for others as well. I think it's a cool idea to share our fave recipes, actually! 

*Streusel Coffee Cake*
(I make mine in a loaf pan which seems moister and nice to wrap as a gift)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1 egg
-------------------------
*Streusel Crumble*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbs. butter (melted)


Beat 50 strokes-batter will be thick and a little lumpy
Pour 1/2 of the batter into a greased loaf pan, then sprinkle 1/2 of streusel crumble. Pour rest of batter, then the rest of crumble on top.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. ** I always go with the shorter time which makes a moister loaf.

** Someday I'm going to experiment and fill the middle with 1 can apple pie filling as well- this is already rich, but with the apple, I think it'd be delicious!


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

I will be trying this tomorrow! Thanks!


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

RegalCharm said:


> quick fudge
> 
> 1 jar 18 oz. (Now 16oz)
> 1 container of cake frosting (I find that vanilla is better than chocolate)
> ...


That sounds like it would taste similar to Alton Brown's rendition:

Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

I have threatened to make ^ for _years_, now. I imagine it would be just like De le Rosa candy, which I love. It just seems like every Christmas I either run out of time or I decide we already have enough "junk".


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## Wild Heart (Oct 4, 2010)

My mother, as well as my sister and I will be battling over use of our small kitchen. 

My mom loves to make kolachki's, oatmeal raisin cookies, as well as her "famous" cheesecake. My sister is making a variety of other cookies as well as a few dutch apple pies. As for myself, I like to stick to peanut butter pies and black forest cakes.


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## Clydesdales (Sep 12, 2013)

We are making Lemon butter as gifts for friends...and I'm going to make a Banoffie Pie....sounds fiddly but it is the easiest thing to make, and if I feel lazy I don't even need the oven. I'm also going to make a coffee and walnut roulade.
Mum will be making a chocolate ripple.
Then we'll be making Ginger Bread Man and lollie wreaths.!!

I nearly forgot the Trifle!!!


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Clydsdales, what's banoffie pie? And coffee and walnut roulade? And for that matter, what's chocolate ripple? They all sound wonderful.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I don't like pumpkin pie by itself. blah. So, easy fix....get a frozen pumpkin pie (not the kind that are already baked), and top with a heavy layer of pecan streusel about 2/3 the way through the baking process, continue baking and, Poof! A pie truly worth eating.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Missy May said:


> I don't like pumpkin pie by itself. blah. So, easy fix....get a frozen pumpkin pie (not the kind that are already baked), and top with a heavy layer of pecan streusel about 2/3 the way through the baking process, continue baking and, Poof! A pie truly worth eating.


This sounds awesome


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## Clydesdales (Sep 12, 2013)

Blue,
Banoffie Pie is a pie case with Carmel on the bottom then a layer of sliced banna then a layer of whipped cream and more sliced banana on top.

A coffee walnut roulade is like a jam roll, but is coffee flavoured and cream rolled in the middle.

Chocolate Ripple is, a Chocolate Ripple biscuit then whipped cream another biscuit...it goes on until the dish is filled.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Thank you Clydesdales. I will definitely be trying that roulade!


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Clydesdales, your desserts sound so rich! When I saw the word, 'Mum', I thought for _sure you_ were from the UK until I didn't see plum pudding on your list! 
I need to get SueC on here- she's an Aussie (Western Australia) and a fab cook! 

**Planning on my Christmas cookie/chocolate fudge making day tomorrow- chocolate fudge made by my great grandmother was the best I've ever and probably will ever taste in my life! I strive for that perfection of a confection each year, and so far have my DH and DS's vote of approval....

I make it the old fashioned way with powdered cocoa and have to beat it with the butter and vanilla when it comes to a hard boil at the end- the fudge squares are harder and granular, but soooo rich and nothing like the store bought soft fudge found today. Sigh... when I think of the wonderful things that dear tiny Danish lady taught me


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I shamelessly make fudge with marshmallows and whatnot. Even that is pushing the outer limits of my abilities.


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## Clydesdales (Sep 12, 2013)

I rarely cook or bake...because I don't like it...but when I do I make things that easy but always a winner! 

I tried to make a lemon meringue pie, as a test run before Christmas.....it took forever and looked really good when I finished....but tasted yucky....only my older brother liked it...


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

Northernstar, that sounds like perfect fudge. I love that kind and all you can find around here is that creamy kind. 
Any chance you'd share that recipe ? Please, pretty please.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

Does anybody here make potato candy ? That stuff is so good, found a recipe on line and going to try it next week.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Missy May said:


> I shamelessly make fudge with marshmallows and whatnot. Even that is pushing the outer limits of my abilities.


Hey, nothing wrong with that! Many probably don't make fudge at all, so I'll bet your dear ones are thrilled to have it!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

We'll have traditional Christmas pudding and a Christmas (fruit) cake (with marzipan and icing). Maybe something light like a lemon meringue but any more and all the efforts of my dieting will be thrown away in the space of a few days!!!


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Currently sitting in a chair for the first time today! haha

Horses/Baking/Horses/Baking.... Just came in from feeding the horses for the night.

Very pleased with baking day, but will say time didn't allow for the fudge, even though I had the ingredients ready. How amazing we gals can be sometimes to visualize how we'll 'conquer' all our baking and candy making in between working with and caring for our horses all in a day! 

A few hrs on Thursday will be set aside for fudge making, as all else is now done 

Couldn't resist a quick photo before heading out to feed the mares- funny how this looks like work accomplished in an hour or two! haha









*Here's that old fashioned fudge recipe :*

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup cocoa (I use at least 1/2!)
2 tbs. corn syrup
1/4 tbs. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts

Heat sugar, milk, cocoa, corn syrup and salt in saucepan over med. heat stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Place candy thermometer and cook to 234 deg. (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed) Remove from heat; add butter.
Cool w/o stirring to 120 deg. Add vanilla; beat with wooden spoon until candy is thick and no longer glossy for 5-10 min. Quickly stir in nuts, then spread in greased pan. Cool until firm. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Enjoy!


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

jaydee said:


> We'll have traditional Christmas pudding and a Christmas (fruit) cake (with marzipan and icing). Maybe something light like a lemon meringue but any more and all the efforts of my dieting will be thrown away in the space of a few days!!!


Ah, but don't we horse owners have the advantage with all of our good hard work to burn off these tasty tidbits? 

Frankly, I don't eat very many sweets at all, but thoroughly enjoy watching DH and DS's enjoy them! I ate one teeny cookie today while baking, and only because it was a 'runt' haha


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

Northern Star , thanks for the fudge recipie. That kind of hard sugary chocolate fudge is the best and I've never turned out a good batch. My Aunt used to make it but I didn't get her recipie. 

I love creamy peanut butter fudge and my recipie is easy but it needs to be made on a sunny day. Too much humidity can keep it from setting right. Same for the no bake choc oatmeal cookies. 

Enjoyed your pic. I totally agree that to the unknowledgeable eye it looks like a one or two hour job. NOT. I baked 3 kinds off cookies today and I was in the kitchen for hours. Still have 3 more cookies\treats to make.Just like you I looked at the results and thought "that shouldn't have been such a big job". 
I only cook one tray at a time. One year I tried coking 2 at a time to speed up the process but I didn't like it.

I'm proud that I've only eaten 4........ummm wait.....? 6 cookies all day.

Fay


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I finally started today.

Gingerbread men dough and sugar cookie dough are chilling in the fridge. Next up is rice krispie trees, cherry snowballs, chocolate crinkles, chocolate dipped pretzels and melty snowman cookies.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

We're a little busy with house building and so we are finally getting our Christmas tree tomorrow morning (pine seedling cut from verge, pines are weeds here in Australia), and dressing it up. I will be making traditional *Thick Honey Gingerbread* from my grandmother's recipe book:

500g honey
125g butter
~600g wholemeal flour (wholemeal spelt is especially great)... more if dough too sticky
400g medium-ground almonds (do your own in food processor, skin-on kernels)
Heaped tbsp cinnamon
One tsp cardamom
Two heaped tbsp (or more) finely grated fresh ginger root
125g mixed peel
Finely grated rind of one lemon
2 eggs
One tbsp baking powder
Extra raw almond kernels for decorating

Heat honey and butter together gently in a large glass mixing bowl in the microwave (saves washing a saucepan). The butter needs to just melt. Then gradually add all the dry ingredients except the flour. Then add the eggs, and finally knead in the flour. Roll out 2cm thick as a rectangle on your non-stick paper, slide it on a tray, brush with milk. Use a knife to score the 20 to 30 rectangular pieces you'll cut after baking - whatever size you want to make them. Then decorate each piece with almonds. Minimalist: Push one almond kernel into the middle of each piece. If you love almonds, one in the centre of each piece, four more in the corners! Bake for around 30 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius in a fan-forced oven, on the middle shelf. Take care not to burn or excessively dry this wonderful stuff! But use a skewer to test that it'd cooked through in the middle.

We keep bees, plus we like healthy foods which naturally taste great and have lots of goodies in them, like those almonds and spices and the wholemeal flour, and we really dislike over-sweet things...

Here's a nice recipe for *home-made marzipan*:

250g fine almond meal (here I do buy the commercial, cream-coloured stuff)
125g icing sugar
Juice of half a lemon
4 tbsp rose water
50g corn flour

Knead together to form a dough. You can then roll the marzipan into thick logs, and dip the logs in chocolate. These are great to eat slices of when the chocolate has set (pop them in the freezer for 10min if impatient!). Or you can make them into small potato shapes and then roll the little *marzipan potatoes* in cocoa to resemble the appearance of a brushed potato, haha!  You can even use a skewer to make "eyes" - very cute and tasty. Note this recipe has around a quarter of the sugar of commercial marzipan and tastes wonderful, instead of sugary...

Merry Christmas to all of you!


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## faiza425 (Dec 21, 2012)

My immediate family will just make and frost sugar cookies. 

My grandma, however...struffoli, ricotta cookies, lemon and chocolate balls, jumbalone, biscotti, cookies I don't even know the name of...and you know if they don't all get eaten, you'll get sent home with a plate!


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

I like to bake for my co-workers, and while I haven't decided exactly what I'm making yet, these are some of my favorites:
Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies
Melting Moments Cookies
Cutout Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
Fudge
Divinity
Cookies and Cream Fudge
Peanut Butter Fudge

I might try some peanut brittle as well, or maybe some rock candy.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Ooow, I forgot about divinity. I have never mastered the art of making it well, but my mom can make it superbly.

I made my little acorn cakelets. I put to much batter in and they came out with a bit of a flange, look like a nice relief one could tack to the wall.  I used pound cake from the box and added strong coffee and mostly Kahlua in place of the liquid. They taste good, anyway.


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

Missy May said:


> Ooow, I forgot about divinity. I have never mastered the art of making it well, but my mom can make it superbly


It's really weird. My grandma is a MARVELOUS baker, and she can't ever get divinity to turn out. Neither can my mom. I've made it two or three times and it comes out every time. Maybe it's the recipe? If you want, I can give you the one I use. I think the most important parts are making sure it is not overcooked or undercooked and to make sure you stop mixing as soon as it loses its shine and starts making stiff peaks.


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## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

I've always heard its the weather that determines if divinity turns out. I'll never try it because I am an awful baker. Pretty good cook when it comes to regular food, a really good with bbq/ grilling, but baking is pitiful.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Corazon Lock said:


> It's really weird. My grandma is a MARVELOUS baker, and she can't ever get divinity to turn out. Neither can my mom. I've made it two or three times and it comes out every time. Maybe it's the recipe? If you want, I can give you the one I use. I think the most important parts are making sure it is not overcooked or undercooked and to make sure you stop mixing as soon as it loses its shine and starts making stiff peaks.


Yes, thank you...I'd love to have your recipe.


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Missy May said:


> Yes, thank you...I'd love to have your recipe.


 Me too! I haven't had divinity in years, and almost forgot how delicious it tastes. I'm rather 'baked out' atm, especially after that final batch of fudge, but I'd _love_ to have the recipe and make it next year


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

faiza425 said:


> My immediate family will just make and frost sugar cookies.
> 
> My grandma, however...struffoli, ricotta cookies, lemon and chocolate balls, jumbalone, biscotti, cookies I don't even know the name of...and you know if they don't all get eaten, you'll get sent home with a plate!


You have an Italian grandmother?  Hospitality is kind of a religion in Italy. Lived there as a kid.


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

I'll post my recipe tomorrow when I make it. Never had a problem with it, but yes, I have heard that the humidity and the elevation can dictate how your divinity turns out.


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I'm officially done except for the hot punch that I'm will make tomorrow. Finished the sweets up on Sunday as we had enough sunshine to make the fudge and no bake cookies. I hid most of them to keep my 17 y.o. ---and me---from eating it all before our family time on the 24th. 
Made the cheese ball and dip today,....scotch taped notes on them to save for the 24th..lol.

Ahhhhhhhh....that satisfied feeling of being done.I lucked out this year and am off until the 26th! I don't think that has ever happened. I'm sooooooooo enjoying it. Plan on getting in some horse time tomorrow if the weather permits.

Fay


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

I am jealous of all you good cooks! I'm just really figuring out how to cook things, I have no patience for following recipes. or waiting.. I grew up in a house where pumpkin pie was as home made as it got.  

All I made this year was Pumpkin bread (From a box!) and Chocolate Chip Cookies (Thank you Nestle tollhouse).


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## Hang on Fi (Sep 22, 2007)

These are "most" of my baking spoils this year. I'm worn out! 










My baking consisted of: 
* Molasses Cookies
* Buckeyes
* Peanut Butter Cookies
* Scottish Shortbread
* Toffee
* My Granny's Sugar Rollout cookies

No more >_<


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I've been baking but most of it has been eaten already. Only got photos of a few of them
So far I've made:
Raspberry whirl wreath
Christmas chocolate cake

Ginger biscuits some with chocolate and some without


Malteaser cupcakes

Fiery ginger cupcakes

And the centre piece cake that is still in the fridge setting the mousse. It is a chocolate orange roulade and blackberry and winter Pimms mousse cake. It has a chocolate orange sponge in the middle to give it structure
This is a photo of the last time I made this cake

_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Wow! those are really beautiful. you are obviously a skilled baker. did you self teach this? that mousse is awesome!


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Yep all self taught, my mother can burn water, my dad doesn't bake and I lost both grand mothers before I was 10 yrs old.
I just bought books and had a go. I'm a chemical engineer by trade with a background in formulation development and to be honest it isn't that much different. 
Just follow the instructions and then modify them by changing one thing at a time, when you make a mistake google how to fix it, if Google doesn't have the answer then just try something that seems logical and see what happens
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Here's a photo of the lemon and orange shortbread biscuits I took out if the oven about 20 mins ago

_Posted via Mobile Device_
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## aubie (Aug 24, 2013)

Wow yall really have skills.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

*Christmas cookies*

here's some cookies I made. some are gingerbread wiht colored icing, others are sugar, iced in white glaze, then hand painted with food coloring


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

My MIL was Scot and made old Mother Hubbard look like an amateur. She'd take a goose and debone it to keep the skin intact. The meat was removed from the bones and mixed with deboned chicken, partridge breasts and pigeon breasts. All this went together inside the goose skin. The piece de resistance was the pastry she'd put the entire works in, beautifully decorated. This was made ahead and served cold. She'd make a meatloaf in pastry then pour consommé in a few holes that looked like flowers. Awesome hot and better yet when cool.


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