My Aunt Doe's Shortbread and Mince Tarts.
As a matter of fact I think that's really all I'm going to make as there is an incredible array of German Stollens available here this year and I think I'll buy a couple of those and some German Cinnamon Star cookies and that'll be it for sweeties. Okay maybe some Spanish turrones and German chocolate hearts as well...again bought in the bakeries.

I discovered a few years ago that all the Christmas sweets were sticking on to me and hanging on for the rest of the year!
So we take it much easier now than in former years.

Happy Baking!

SharonCb

Banana bread, pumpkin and/or zucchini bread. I bake cookies for my kids, but I am not really fond of baking cookies :)

Shortbread, my recipe is similar to the one Annie posted with the rice flour. I also add a little bit of brown sugar. And Chocolate Walnut Biscotti, dipped in semi-sweet chocolate.

Cinnamon Rolls and Soft Molasses Cookies.

Deanna

Definitely Molasses cookies and probably spiced pecans, because everyone wants some. I'm never the baker that some of you are, because my will power is seriously lacking!

Really easy question 'cause I'm only making two!

Shortbread and Sherry's Santa's Helpers.

My great grandmother's Civil War sugar cookies & homemade mincemeat tarts and/or pies.

/tricia

hee hee hee - Sharon, I'm making those Santa's Helpers too. Wow, weren't they GOOD!?!?!?!

Gingerbread kids and gingersnaps, without a doubt.

I'm thinking of making that cranberry-pear pie again, my boyfriend said it was the best pie he ever had! I'd also have to choose grannie's mini walnut butter tarts. My neighbors would keep us fattened up as one of them is a three-at-a-time baker!!

oops, sorry clair = forgot to answer your question. I've gotta say Sherry's Santa's Helpers and Nut tassies - because Scott loves those.

That's easy. The stollen I make every Christmas Eve, and Lucia Buns, the Swedish saffron buns I bake every December 13 on the feast of St. Lucia.

Pepperkaker and.... and.... and.... crispy sugar cookies.

Frosted and decorated sugar cookies, Makayla would never let me do anything else, and if I get to choose, then it's molasses/gingersnap type cookies, whatever recipe suits me at the moment. If everyone else is choosing, then it's a pumpkin roll.

Annie

Sugar cookies to decorate with Zane, and variations on Winnie's Bread for DSW. *same dough can be used for regular rolls, cinnamon rolls, little smokies in a blanket, and cheese rolls*

Wait, wait... does pie count? Because if it does, I'm in trouble.

Iced cut-out sugar cookies and gingersnaps.

Can't come up with an answer...I love it all too much.

Nancy

The way I'm going I'll be lucky if I get around to baking even two holiday sweets.

The two that top my list would be Cream Cheese Brandy Cherry Balls and probably Shortbreads or maybe Cripy Chocolate Truffles. Then again I might make Sherry's cookies from the Cookie Exchange last year.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cream Cheese Brandy Cherry Balls.
=================================
Source: 1983 Oct/Nov. Entertainment and Recipe Booklet

1/2 Cup maraschino cherries, quartered
2 Tablespoons Brandy
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 Cups flaked coconut
. Marinate cherries at least 4 hours or overnite in brandy Melt Chocolate
chips and butterscotch chips and add cream cheese. Stir in cherries,
marshmallows and walnuts and refrigerate until cold enough to roll into
balls. Roll in coconut. Refrigerate. The longer the better. The
flavours intensify.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table - Cookies

Crisp Chocolate Truffles
========================

1 jar 7 oz marshmallow cream

2 T butter

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

2 C Rice Krispies

14 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening

white chocolate chips.
.

In heavy saucepan combine marshmallow creme, butter and chocolate
chips. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is
smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir rice Krispies into hot mixture, mixing until thoroughly combined.
Drop mixture by rounded meauring teaspoons onto waxed paper lined
cookie sheet. Shape into round balls and Refrigerate about 1 hour or
until firm.

Melt bittersweet chocolate with shortening and dip each chocolate ball
in melted chocolate and place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Melt
white chocolate and place in zip lock bag. Cut tiny hole in corner of
bag and drizzle white chocolate over truffles. Refrigerate until firm.

Place in small candy paper cups.

I knew you all would come up with some great choices. I didn't know about Santa's Helpers, but found the recipe and may have to give this a try. And thanks, Ann for the recipes and pictures, which always inspire me! I may just have to broaden the menu to more than two, and give some away.

Today, I am trying a savory yeasted cornbread which looks very promising. I hope it turns out well. I'll know for certain in a few hours, whether or not the recipe is a keeper.

Oh my, a very difficult decision.

But I'd have to choose my Great Aunt's Cream Cheese Cookies and my GGGGrandmother's Ida Cookies. And then I'd have to sneak in my GGrama's Ice Box Cookies too!

It would break my heart not to make their cookies every Christmas.

Michelle

Gingerbread and....oh my. I thought I had an answer until I saw Ann's post with those truffles! Ah, but mine would never look like that. Probably something with cranberry in it -- maybe cranberry oatmeal cookies or a cranberry biscotti.

Darn-- only 2 ? Would have to be cut out & decorated sugar cookies for one choice as this is something I do every year with a couple of the grandkids.

Second choice -- Mom's Polish walnut crescents made with a cottage cheese dough.

Diane

Well if it's only two..them I'm half way done..
LOL

Molasses Chews (double batch)~in the fridge chilling.
One rolled in sugar, the other frosted with vanilla frosting.

Aunty Doe Shortbread~in the oven baking.
But I'll need to do another batch..one batch isn't enough! LOL

Chocolate dipped pistachio shortbread moons and stars. They are the "signature" cookie on the cookie trays I give to family and friends. They are so good with a cup of tea in the afternoon!

Everyone would miss the chocolate walnut fudge I put in with the cookies, so I'd have to make that, too.

Am going to look up those highly praised "Santa's Helpers."

Oh, my--I'm the only one who wants fruit cake?! I've been making my version for about 25 years now, and if I ever stopped, my children would probably have me put away. I got the recipe from a wild old woman who used to cook for wagon trains (not "settle-the-west" wagon trains, but hunting party wagon trains, apparently), and it's part of our family history.

For a second--obviously fudge wouldn't count since it isn't baked--either sugar cookies (iced) or shortbread.

Pecan tartlets (my hubbies favorite) and mixed chip cookies(everyone's favorite), and if I put nuts in the chip cookies, I can't eat any of the goodies and I won't have to work out extra after the holidays!

Ann, those cream cheese brandy cherry balls look really good, I might have to make a batch of those for my husband to take to work for the people in his group, they love anything with alcohol in it. Their current favs are rum balls, rum truffles, and amaretto truffles. I'm not sure my husband should be encouraging them though since he's the boss.

I'd probably choose my Shortbread Lemon Pecan Stars and biscotti - no wait....cinnamon babka....or maybe CindyMac's cinnamon rolls....or Sugar-crested Molasses cookies....gee, it's hard to choose just two, isn't it.

Teresa

Slowlane - No, you're not the only one. I would want to eat fruitcake, but I leanred my lesson about trying to make it. The two times I tried, they were not very good.

Besides, wouldn't you have had to start that before now?

Sin Bunns:

Fluffy Cherry Cheese Cake:
{{gwi:1492318}}

Pizzelles:
{{!gwi}}

Apple Upside Down Cake:
{{!gwi}}

Sinbuns and Braided Bread:
{{gwi:1476807}}

I'm a simple girl myself: Pecan tassies and sand tarts.

The pictures looked yummy and all of the ideas are fabulous. Normally, I don't have much time to bake at Christmastime, so I almost HAVE to limit myself to a few things. I'm an elementary school music teacher, and with productions to direct, finding time for baking is impossible. This year I'm home recovering from surgery and looking forward to baking. I made cookies last week before I went in for surgery, and then today I had energy and time to bake a loaf of pumpkin bread. My husband is eyeing the recipe for brown sugar cookies that I found hidden in the back of my recipe box, hoping that I'll make him some!

DonnaR/CA

i hope your recovery is quick, donna. good luck to you!

and boy, claire...for at least one of us, picking out 2 recipes would mean doubling our repetoire :) once in awhile during the holiday season, i make a batch of Mom's lemon dream bars. they are MY favorite and pretty darned easy but even during the holiday season, i can't say that i usually bake anything. once in awhile i'll make a ny style cheesecake or some of those "hello dolly" bar cookies with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and nuts and coconut... i don't even really like coconut but i love those things :) and last year i made spritz cookies for the first time ever--that was almost fun! anyway, no problem here cutting the list down to two.

NY CHeesecake and Canoli's

Cream wafers, a real PITA that I have to make for everyone in the family and an easy one, peppermint brownies. But I can't ever imagine stopping at 2!

Help me find the Santa's Helper's recipe!

Eileen: Lou's Fluffly Cheesecake and Canoli's

Granjan, here's a link to Sherry's Santa's Helpers recipe. It sounds so good! On another thread some people asked if they can be made small; I don't know if anyone has tried then that way, but I'd like to.
What are your cream wafers?

Here is a link that might be useful: Santa's Helpers (about halfway down)

Definitely Santa's Helpers and my sugar cookie cutouts which are super buttery and yummy and made with lemon oil instead of vanilla.