I made a list, checked it twice, but have had trouble finding ingredients. I'm out of Brer Rabbit Molasses, and have been to two stores looking for it, but one store only had Grandma's (not the same) and the other store didn't have any molasses. The very young man working there didn't even know what molasses is. ! ? Try explaining what molasses is to someone that's never heard of it. Poor deprived young man. When I do get my molasses cookies made, I'm tempted to bring him some. I do know where to get it, but I was trying to find it at a less expensive store. Oh, well.

Then there's peppermint oil. I'm making a trip to Whole Foods tonight to hopefully find it, because regular stores don't have it. I could order it from King Arthur, but I've procrastinated too long, and need to get my goodies made, at least some of them, before Saturday.

What I have made is the cream cheese cut out cookies which I told about in the cookie thread. Then I made chocolate-cherry biscotti with the intention of shipping them and the molasses cookies off to my brother in Australia. Well, the molasses cookies haven't happened yet, (see above paragraph) and the biscotti was too crumbly. After eating a few, I decided they couldn't be shipped. Alas, we'll have to eat them here, lol! Poor DB, he's going to have to go cookieless this Christmas, cause I doubt I can ship them soon enough now.

Nancy, I hope everything goes well for you in your kitchen. If the workers know cookies are in store, maybe they'll get finished quickly!
Sally

Nope....too early.

Yep - I have Egg Nog Snickerdoodles and Peppermint frosted done, and the Oreo Truffles are done too. I have finished the Peanut Butter Balls, but they are not dipped yet. I was going to do that this morning, so why am I on the CF instead, Hmmmm? LOL! I also have to make more Jewel Cookies (3rd batch! They keep disappearing ;-)) and Cherry Almond Biscotti. Oh, and I have a batch of Ann T's Cherry brandy balls done and some Bourbon Pecans from Hele, but those have been hit hard and I may need to make more of them too.

Good luck with the kitchen Nancy, I hate it when I get all geared up to do something and then I hit a speed bump that changes the whole plan.

Sally - good luck finding the Brer Rabbit, I haven;t seen that brand in years. My grocery only carries Grandma's now.

Linda - It's never too early!!!! LOLOLOL!

Happy baking everyone!

A

I think I can still get Brer Rabbit molasses. I still have enough for one batch of cookies in my cupboard.

Not much baking here, yet. I'm still deciding what to make. I did make a loaf of pumpkin walnut bread with a maple glaze this weekend for my neighbor as a thank you. He got up on my roof and blew the leaves off for me. A task I will not do! I think the leaves bothered him much more they bothered me! If he'd had his way, he would have had me cleaning my rain gutters too. ;)

I didn't know Brer Rabbit was so different from Grandma's.
I don't use much molasses, but I'm curious. How are they different?

Spouse and I have tea and a treat every night so I bake year 'round, especially cookies and quick breads. I normally don't bake especially for Christmas, except for our church holiday bazaar and other organizations.

I did spend a day (actually two days if I count mixing the doughs on one day and baking the second day) making vast amounts of cookies to send overseas to my soldier daughter and her comrades who won't be home for the holidays. I went with ones with broad appeal and good shipping qualities - chocolate chip, chocolate chunk, snickerdoodles, molasses cookies, cranberry hazlenut biscotti, oatmeal with candied fruit (her favorite), brownie bites and gingerbread gems.

Nancy, thanks for posting this. Since my foot surgery all I am doing is keeping my foot elevated, The foot gets really angry when down.
I am really missing not being able to do any baking for the holidays. Soooo this is my enjoyment, reading what you are all baking and cooking.
How many times in the past did I think that I was so busy and wasnt getting things done soon enought. Well not this year, I am sitting here in envy!
Keep posting as I am anjoying!

I'm going to make plum pudding this weekend for the first time in several years.

It's technically not baking, as it's an English boiled pudding.

Working full out, it takes about 6 hours to make, 2 hours of prep time and 4 hours of boiling.

So far I've made the Amish Sugar cookies posted on the Cookie thread, really crumbly and a ton of them so that was disappointing, I'm sure I did something wrong. The Magic Chocolate balls turned out well as did the Peanut Clusters.
I made the Chocolate Pudding cookies late yesterday afternoon and they are super. More to do when I can find time.

After the holidays I'd like to see a thread on Cookie Making 101. Knowing what can be frozen as dough, which ones or kinds can be frozen after they're baked, etc. I had not baked much in years so that would be a big help to me. Anyone else interested?

jude

jude, that is a good idea, let me work on a few ideas. After the holidays would be a good time.

Nancy

Haven't done too much baking yet. That will happen early next week. But what we have done is sugar cookie dough is in the fridge. We have baked and decorated almond flavored press cookies, chocolate peanut blossoms and a dried fruit panettone bread (I don't care for the glazed fruit). Wayne is just now putting a "Left over fruit basket pie" in the oven. So that is the extent of our holiday baking. Just getting warmed up for next week. NancyLouise

If you find a bottle of the full flavor Brer Rabbit Molasses and compare it to the Grandma's you'll see that the Brer Rabbit has much more potassium and other nutrients, and it's tastes really good. Maybe if I did a blind taste test, I might like Grandma's but Annie, whose recipe it is, recommended Brer Rabbit. After going to 2 Whole Foods and Central Market, I found the molasses at a Tom Thumb. They had 4 bottles, so I bought them all. All the Whole Foods were out of the Peppermint Flavor, which is their version of the oil. Everyone else only had the extract. Sooo, no peppermint bark for this weekends coworkers. I have 2 coworkers that I will see for the last time before Christmas on Saturday, so that's when we're doing our gift exchange with them. I was hoping peppermint bark would be in their bags. Oh, well. One of the employees at Whole Foods says he and his little boy just smash up candy canes and mix them in with melted white chocolate. Would that be good enough?

Now, after driving all over Dallas, I'm heading into the kitchen to get started on some other kind of treat.

Sally

I have made the following so far:

Chocolate Chip
Extra spicy gingersnaps
Schokocrossies (chocolate covered cornflakes)
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Rum balls (also made some with peach schnapps, amaretto and eierlikoer)
Coconut Macaroons
Florentine

Still have some things in the planning, but will have to see if I get the time this weekend.
Lisa

Chocolate Covered Cornflakes? Mmmm that has potential! Please share the actual recipe or the gist of one if you can!

I agree, Ellen, I'd love to hear about chocolate covered cornflakes, I'll bet the grandkids would love them and I could try to convince myself that the cereal makes them a bit more healthy, LOL.

I made the florentines last night and got craftyrn's cuccidati baked, they are supposed to sit for 5 days before glazing.

The Princess and Bruvver are spending the weekend with me, so we'll be baking on Saturday, tonight I'm making fudge and prepping the sugar cookie dough.

I've got to have cookies for Elery's family dinner, cookies for the office pot luck, cookies for the family Christmas Eve party and anything leftover Amanda will take to Dave's family!

Boy, this working full time all day really cuts into the baking time, LOL.

Annie

I have to do some grocery shopping tonight. On Saturday my daughter and a friend are coming over for a day of cookie baking. Our list includes walnut slices, soft sugar cookies, hazelnut espresso cookies, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate crackle cookies. I've purchased large storage containers so that each can take home their share - to share with others.

I haven't baked anything yet. I do have some frozen gingerbread dough which I promised to make into house shapes for the kids. I wasn't too inspired this year but my sister and baby have booked a flight for a visit just after Christmas. I will wait until then so I have someone to cook with. I was going to have a cookie exchange but time came and went and yet I again I missed my chance. I will watch this one for ideas as for something different to add to my regulars of Imperial Cookies, Lemon Walnut drops and butter tarts.

Sally, I agree on the molasses, Brer Rabbit is best, but Grandma's is passable if you can't find anything else. I think the peppermint bark with the crushed candy canes and white chocolate sound good and would look really pretty, even if it might not taste quite as good. I think some dark chocolate, melted and sprinkled with crushed candy canes and drizzled with white chocolate would be pretty and fancy too, or use white chocolate and drizzle with dark chocolate. For some reason, that just doesn't sound as pretty to me.

Sharon/Chase always makes "bark", maybe she'll check in, although she's been whacked really hard with snow there around Toronto.

Annie

I made my fav...oatmeal scotchies,
chochlate chip,chex party mix,Im baking Saturday.I want to make sugar cakes a family favorite handed down generations,sand tarts,Im making chochlate chip batter but Im using chopped reeses peanut butter cups yum..

bulldinkie, I just love chex mix, I hope I have time to make some more.

Do you care to share the recipe for the sugar cakes?

Annie

Yes, finally got all the cookies done & sent out 1st 2 boxes to DS & DGD families in NC
Here's my baking for last week -- ( date is goofy )

And have a new favorite--a Doris Greenspan recipe-- Expresso Chocolate Shortbreads

I did:

from 10 o'clock-- outer ring
Russin Tea Cake
Rocky Road Bar
Rugelach
Expresso Choclate Shortbread
Vanilla Lemon Drop
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
Almond Anise Biscotti
Ginger Orange Cranberry Drop
Orange Snowball
Eggnog Shortbread
Thumbprint with red currant jelly
Pecan Tassie
Black Forest Crinkle
Pistachio Cranraisin Shortbread

In center:
Nutmeg Camel Cutout ( Nancy's recipe for cut outs)
Poppyseed Pinwheels
Cookie Press Red Peppermint Tree
Anise Pillow
Cuccidatti

Now to finish the candy-- so far only peanut brittle, sugar plums & Cranbeery White Choc Cream cheese fudge done-- tomorrow it's Tiger Bark & microwave caramels

Well, I made Honey Date Oatmeal cookies, but we ate them all. Yesterday I made Peanut Butter Blossoms, Pretzels with the Rolos and Pecans on top and a white chocolate chip candy with cherry chips and pecans in it. The last one didn't turn out like the recipe said it would, but I'll still put it on my treat plates because it does have a decent flavor. Last year I made white chocolate bark with crushed candy canes in it. Everyone really liked it. Still have more cookies and candies to make.

Have you all heard of Alfajores de Dulce de Leche?

OH my goodness - what an awesome cookie. A friend made them and sent me some and I plan on making some this weekend.

I have a can of sweetened condensed milk in the pantry that I'm going to boil and make my own caramel for the filling.

If anyone is interested, I've got the recipe. I'll be happy to post it.

DH is doing our holiday baking & I'm providing instruction & moral support from my transporter (I've got both legs in casts since this morning so I'm not walking anywhere any time soon). We've made & frozen...

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls (got 43 rolls)
Chocolate Croissants (used frozen puff pastry)
Russian Tea Cakes
Ginger Snaps
Snickerdoodles
Pennsylvania Dutch Soft Sugar Cookies
Rolled/Cut Sugar Cookies (great-grandmother's recipe)
Chocolate Pecan Pie

The family's all sentimental this year 'cause of my health & is gathering here between Christmas & New Years. That's why we're doing the baking. I don't think we're going to attempt any more cookies. We are going to make some dipped pretzel sticks the end of next week.

I love seeing all the pixs of the holiday baking. I have a strong mental connection between baking & Christmas.

/tricia

Actually, the Schokocrossies are the bane of my existence because no matter what I make, slave over, etc.....Everybody asks me if I am going to make Schokocrossies and they are always the first thing to disappear. LOL
You need chocolate and corn flakes in a 2:1 ratio according to weight. For example, i have bags of corn flakes that weight 375 grams so I use 750 grams chocolate. Melt the chocolate, pour over corn flakes and use teaspoons to make small mounds on wax paper. Allow to sit until set. You can also add nuts, M&Ms, raisins, etc., but my kids love them just plain. This year, I made one recipe with milk chocolate and drizzled white chocolate over them and vice-versa for the other recipe.
Lisa

Shaun, I hope that you aren't going to boil an unopened can of condensed milk. That method is unsafe and not recommended. Best way to make the Dulce Le Leche is in the oven.

Please post the cookie recipe.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Dulce De Leche
==============
Preheat oven to 400ðF

Pour one or two cans of sweetened condensed milk into a pie plate.
Cover tightly with foil.

Put plate in pan larger pan and pour in hot water. (bain marie).

Bake for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Check after first hour and stir.

Milk will be come a beautiful dark caramel colour.

Stir until smooth and refrigerate.

I use a stick blender to smooth it out.

Really Ann? Why is it dangerous? What happens?

Ann, nevermind, I googled the danger of making the dulce de leche and I see what you are talking about.

The instructions I had were to remove the lid and replace it with foil, but I think your way of doing it in the oven seems easier.

Thanks~ I'll post the recipe in the Holiday Cookie thread so we can keep them all together.

I baked yesterday and the day before for a bake sale.

And have a little left over for a few teachers gifts.

I made World Peace Cookies, Orange Gingerbread with Rum Glaze, AnnT's Walnut White Chocolate Fudge, loaves of Country White Bread, Marshmallows, Toffee, Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting and Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins.

The Orange Gingerbread and Pumpkin Muffins are from Food Gawker and both DELISH! The GB, doesn't have eggs and is really good with the orange zest in it. It was written as a cut out recipe, but I made logs and slice and baked after a good long chill. EASY

I have a copy of that recipe Shaun, but I think mine is filled with Nutella. I found it and printed it and tucked it in the binder.

I think the key to "boiling" the can is to make sure it's under A LOT of water.

Shaun, Ashley loves alfajores, she had them when she went to Costa Rica. Sol sent me a can of the boiled milk but I ate that with a spoon. Ahem.

And now, I find on the grocery store shelves in the "international" section (yeah, I'm talking a trip out of White Cloud, LOL), canned Dulce De Leche, already made. Here it's with the hispanic foods and I think Nestle makes it.

Annie

Thanks Annie. I had a can of the sweetened condensed milk in there so I'm trying it out Ann's way, in the oven.

OK, but stay away from it with a spoon, somehow it disappears. I'm figuring it's evaporation. Yeah, that's it...

Annie

Hahah!! It's cooking now! I'll have to be careful of that evaporation. Thanks for the warning.

Well well well..... it really worked! I just loved licking that spoon after I took the picture~ Fantastic stuff!

Doesn't anyone have failures but moi? Made slews of cookies and candies but my chocolate raisin clusters were gritty (?), my Divinity did not do but was more like taffy, and the cookie recipe for currents soaked in brandy was tasteless. Guess all you pros don't have such troubles but, believe me, I've not given up on the Divinity or the raisin clusters. Any comments delightfully accepted. Happy Baking!

If you speak of my Victorian Currant Cakes, I would like to troubleshoot with you. Tasteless they are not :-)! Remember, though, I said they are much better the next day than the first. But never tasteless. Did the currants soak overnight in warmed brandy? Did you use freshly grated nutmeg? Even without those important things, though, it would still be a good butter cookie. I hope other people won't be scared off this recipe. I was actually thinking of not making them until after Christmas when we'll be back home, but it seems my son-in-law is looking forward to them a lot. I defend my cookie, LOL!

PWM, I think Divinity is an art. Mine has been too thick, too thin, everything in between. The humidity has to be right and the egg whites have to be beaten right and I think you might have to have a specific hair do or something too!

I make divinity for Mother. If it doesn't get thick enough I pour it into a pan, cut into squares and use it as topping for hot chocolate. That works even if it isn't thick enough to stay in squares. Also makes some decent cookie filling if beaten into some confectioner's sugar and butter if needed.

Failures? Not yet, but last night I left the sugar cookies in the oven about 2 minutes too long, they are crispy instead of soft. That's OK, we'll frost them and the kids will love 'em anyway.

Annie

"PWM, I think Divinity is an art. Mine has been too thick, too thin, everything in between. The humidity has to be right and the egg whites have to be beaten right and I think you might have to have a specific hair do or something too!"

My southern husband says you have to hold your mouth just right when you make it..... I dunno, I've not tried yet!

Alexa

My biggest failure has been my mind, lol. Annie, I did get the idea to make something else with the white chocolate and candy canes - truffles. So, have I remembered to buy cream yet? No. I was going to make those blasted molasses cookies that I love so much, found the Brer Rabbit, and was ready to go. Looked in my cabinet and waaaaa, I had maybe a quarter cup of brown sugar. So, yesterday after work I went to the store, and had lost my list. I remembered the brown sugar, but forgot the cream to make the truffles. I was so tired and dispirited, I just baked the dough for the cookies I had already made, and that's gotta be enough for my Saturday coworkers. They're getting Lar's Butter Cookies, World Peace Cookies and Snickerdoodles.

PWM, I was not thrilled with my snickerdoodles, but DH liked them. I think I'm cookied out, though. Last night, none of my cookies, even my WPC's tasted bland.

Sally

I think I am re-naming these cookies Delicious de Leche.

The recipe is on the Holiday Cookie thread.

Gorgeous Shaun!

Whoo hoo!!! I am done. DH is off to the post office right now to get everything in the mail. The year changes, but I make the same treats every year it seems. Peanut clusters, micro caramels, toffee, peanut brittle, buckeyes, Sharon's peppermint bark, and caramel corn with almonds this year. The peanut brittle about did me in...every single store in town was out of raw peanuts so I had to buy them in the shell and shell them myself. Not fun! Merry Christmas!

Just put some cranberry orange nut bread in the oven. Getting ready to start Sour Cream Fruit and Spice Bread.

Woo Hoooooo! It is snowing.....AGAIN! Third snow for central NC since Dec. 1 and third snow BEFORE Christmas! That is unheard of around here. It's so pretty, big, big flakes and already sticking to the ground.

Teresa in Winterwonderland NC!

I am soooo jealous you ahve snow!!!!! Once again, the big whomping storm is too far south and the other is too far east for us to get anything :-(

Please save some anow for us so we can have a little bit of a white Christmas! And congrats on all the successes and for those who had some difficulties, I hope they all work out in the end.

Alexa

I think I'm about baked out too for now. I had to get the box to New Orleans in the mail yesterday so during the week I made Ann T's Chocolate Chip Shortbreads, the four different times I baked them they all came out good. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding cookies, one pan of those I overcooked and they're pretty stiff, but edible, saved those for us/me. Made the ricotta cookies by hand after my non stand mixer crapped out and they came out tough. I find I have to make at least a double batch of cookies to use my stand mixer. Last week I had made some oatmeal cookie dough so I baked some off for the kids[N.O.]. I made some of the dough for the cutouts/press cookies posted by Lori I believe it was.. mind is gone tonight. I was planning to use my cookie press and somehow both of the tubes were cracked and therefore the press was unusable. I didn't have the energy by then to cut out cookies so I made some into a linzer type cookie with raspberry jam. I just pushed the dough out of the tubes with the ratchet and the end off and cut off slices. One down on pan, then one I cut hole in with a decorating tip. Just liked you'd do for any linzer cookie. Worked out well and since I had both tubes filled, it was for sure the easiest fix. The crew in New Orleans also always gets a pecan pie which I forgot until about ten Thursday night, so, had to whip up some crust and get that baked off. I cook them pretty well done when I mail them but this got a little extra well done. I'm sure it will still taste good. Since I had enough crust for two pies I just put that crust into a foil pan and froze it. We also made fudge for the family down there. It's Christy's tradition and these days it's her that makes it. I did some of the heavy beating.

Today I still had some doughs in the fridge for the Chocolate Chip Shortbreads and the sugar dough so I made those up to have around here. I froze the rest of the Pudding Chocolate Chip dough so we can have fresh cookies at Christmas. Froze some of the cutout dough too. Think I'll try some as Kolacky with it. Since I had that frozen pie crust in the freezer.... we had a couple of Jonagolds that needed to be used so I had the nerve to make a apple crumb pie. We were both so exhausted that we didn't even cut the pie tonight. LOL..

I have all my Traditional baking done to bring with me, to my DD, for Christmas Weekend.

Pizzelles

Biscotti

Braided Bread

Merry Christmas!!!
LOU

Beautiful pictures Lou!

I put everything on hold until today. I'm making a Triple Coconut Cake for our 30th anniversary on Monday. When did THAT happen? How time flies! It's big enough to take us into Christmas and almost to the New Year, so that's my big baking spree. Other than some dinner rolls for Christmas Day, I'm not doing much more. I can see however, you all are a bunch of over-achievers!

Considering I wasn't going to bake too much this year:
Cut out sugar cookies
mint meringues
peanut blossoms
pumpkin cranberry bread
bugle ice cream cones
date pinwheels (chilling in the frig)
peanut cluster
and the ingredients for barkies and oreo balls

Just can't seem to quit!

Beautiful plates of goodies, everyone! I'd take pics, but mine are all in yogurt containers, and whatever I could find to get them stored until mailing.

So...
Molasses cookies - done.
Peanut butter cookies - done.
Snickerdoodles - done.
Lar's Danish Butter Cookies - done - almost gone, may have to make more.
World Peace Cookies - done - almost gone, more dough in fridge for mailing.
Tomorrow I get everthing packaged and mailed. It'll have to be priority, but that's okay, my kids are worth it. I'll sure miss them this year. It's going to be my first Christmas without my middle-est. :-(

Still to do, whatever peppermint candycane-white chocolate-dark chocolate goodie I can come up with, since I have all the ingredients for peppermint bark without the oil. Maybe I'll do that Christmas Eve. Yeah, right. lol!

Sally