Has Anyone...christmas Treats

Decorating By yummy Updated 19 Dec 2010 , 9:57pm by yellobutterfly

emms73 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
emms73 Posted 28 Oct 2010 , 10:03pm
post #31 of 110

fudge
oreo truffles
buckeyes
dipped pepermint sticks
gift jars with dry ingredients(they add wet)
dipped marshmallows
nut clusters
chex muddy buddies
possible mini apple pies

sweetflowers Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sweetflowers Posted 28 Oct 2010 , 10:09pm
post #32 of 110

I was thinking the same thing, mini-fruit cakes sounds wonderful, can I too please get the recipe?

Lita829 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Lita829 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 2:06am
post #33 of 110
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tclanton

Wow! Ok - so how long do you leave them or could you leave them in their baskets before passing them on to their new owners. I guess I am a little paranoid of mold and stuff like that.




I normally deliver them a day or two after packaging. I've never had a problem with the flavors mixing.

Everyone one's ideas sound awesome. What are buckeyes?

emms73 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
emms73 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 2:53am
post #34 of 110

buckeyes are also known as peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate hth

Lita829 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Lita829 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 3:17am
post #35 of 110

Oh...Thank you for the quick response. They sound yummy. Whats better than PB and Chocolate...ummmmm NOTHING!

Bela89 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Bela89 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 3:39am
post #36 of 110

I usually make between 10 and 15 different varieties. I usually make :

chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crackles, snickerdoodles, cranberries and pistachios biscotti dipped in white chocolate, white chocolate chunk cookies, double chocolate coconut cookies, chocolate gooey butter cookies, cranberry-white chocolate cookies, lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze, cream cheese delights, swedish christmas cookies, mocha-nut butterballs, chocolate snowballs and can not have cookies without my coconut cookies that everyone loves.

I make the dough and freeze it. Then I take about 2 days to bake and put them in tins for the family. I have them pick it up if they want the cookies.

Children Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Children Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 5:21am
post #37 of 110

Last year I made:

chocolate chip cookies
snickerdoodle cookies
chocolate dipped biscotti
fudge
pralines
divinity

I think this year I will do more "holiday cookies" and possibly cookies in a jar.

Children Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Children Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 5:25am
post #38 of 110
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bela89

I usually make between 10 and 15 different varieties. I usually make :

chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crackles, snickerdoodles, cranberries and pistachios biscotti dipped in white chocolate, white chocolate chunk cookies, double chocolate coconut cookies, chocolate gooey butter cookies, cranberry-white chocolate cookies, lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze, cream cheese delights, swedish christmas cookies, mocha-nut butterballs, chocolate snowballs and can not have cookies without my coconut cookies that everyone loves.

I make the dough and freeze it. Then I take about 2 days to bake and put them in tins for the family. I have them pick it up if they want the cookies.




Would you mind sharing the recipes for the chocolate gooey butter cookies and the mocha-nut butterballs. They sound delicious icon_smile.gif

EvMarie Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
EvMarie Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 5:57am
post #39 of 110

My Mom has been designated baker for years...until I took over with gusto! She works so much I pretty much handle it these days. When she isn't working like a dog....WE make around 10-15 kinds in bulk. We bake ahead & freeze. Then, on the night of our Christmas Eve party, we set them out on their own table & my 6 Aunts/Uncles & their kids' families go "cookie shopping". We provide dollar store type boxes for them to fill & take home. They eat them for breakfast Christmas morning. YUP....BREAKFAST!!! It's a nice sugar rush for the Christmas Day cooking!

We make:
caramel cups, lemon cups, pecan cups, clothespin, date nut pinwheels,coconut fudge cups, tada (italian tea cookie), buckeyes, a couple choc/peanut butter varieties, banana nut drop, pumpkin maple raisin, coconut washboards, soft chocolate chip, pineapple mini-tart, kolachi, cherry wink, orange drop, mocha crinkles, snowballs, thumbprints, a couple of bar cookies, peanut butter fudge, oh...and pumpkin rolls.

And, since I'm getting better at the cut outs...this year, I'm going to make favors for the Christmas Eve party. Not sure what design yet.

Emmar308 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Emmar308 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 10:28am
post #40 of 110

A few people have asked me for the fruit cake recipe, so instead of pm'ing several people, i will post it on the recipe's page in the next couple of days if that is ok? (I'm currently up to my eyeballs in cake batter!) Happy baking x

HannahLass Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
HannahLass Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 11:46am
post #41 of 110

Yay, year 2 for me of making christmas baskets. Last year I did way too much and i spent 8 hours a day for a week baking and covering cakes and covering chocolates. It was chaos and that was with a whole lot of prep already done. Scaling it back this year but already looking forward to it.

Im making: (so far at least)
almond cherry fudge
gingerbread snowmen
decorated sugar cookies
pistachio cranberry biscuits
shortbread
gourmet rocky road
tiger butter



EvMarie do you have a recipe for pumpking maple raisin and would you mind sharing? they sound amazing!

Bela89 would you mind sharing your recipe for lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze? oh and the coconut ones?

Ooh Im getting all excited haha is it wrong to be this excited about Christmas in October? I've already started making christmas baubles lol

HannahLass Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
HannahLass Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 11:49am
post #42 of 110

oh and on a packaging note, I wrapped each type of cookie in cellophane and tied it up with a ribbon. candy went in cellophane bags too. Worked for me but I'm going to work on presentation this year as the christmas boxes i had just didn't do it for me. Been looking at wicker baskets online.

eatdessert1st Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
eatdessert1st Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 11:52am
post #43 of 110

I've made my gift baskets simpler over the yrs:
I do batches of the jam/jelly in the summer and fall
Raspberry Chambord jam
Raspberry Habanero jelly
Grand Marnier marmalade (have to wait till kumquats are available)
caramel popcorn (freezes well)
fleur de sel caramels
espresso fudge/ regular fudge (freezes well)
PB kiss cookies (the dough freezes well)
orange nuts (for my DH)

I start picking up pretty containers and baskets on sale way before Christmas. I've found some beautiful antique jam/jelly spoons on ebay to give w/ the jams.

Melanie Mc.

Tclanton Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Tclanton Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 1:08pm
post #44 of 110

I LOVE BUCKEYES!!!!!

cakeythings1961 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cakeythings1961 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 1:49pm
post #45 of 110

Oh, my! You all have inspired me to start some serious planning!!!

Last year, I had foot surgery in December, so there was no cookie baking for me. icon_sad.gif I made just a few batches and froze them before the surgery, but I was actually in a lot of pain, so it was all quick, easy things like red & green m&m cookies and mexican wedding cakes.

So this year I'm going all out!!

Gingerbread house (this year I'm doing Ralphie's house from "A Christmas Story")

Irish whiskey cake
Itty bitty pecan tarts
Peanut butter fudge
Dipped & decorated pretzel rods
Salted caramel brownie muffins
Gingerbread people--decorated to resemble the recipients
Biscotti
Cranberry-orange loaves
Linzer cookies--several flavors
Shaped candy cane cookies
Mexican wedding cakes
And lots & lots of decorated cut-outs

My gift baskets will also include small jars of my jams and homemade vanilla.

And this year I'm trying two new recipes--homemade marshmallows and red velvet whoopie pies.........we'll see how they turn out!!

BTW, does anybody have some good ideas for inexpensive containers to use for gift baskets?

iris219 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
iris219 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 1:51pm
post #46 of 110

Wow, these sound great. Do all these cookie's freeze well? I've never done this before and it sounds great. But my biggest enemy is time. So if I can make the cookies way ahead of time and freeze them, it would be great for me. Has anyone froze a particular type of cookie? How did they taste after you thawed them out?

HannahLass Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
HannahLass Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 2:41pm
post #47 of 110

Hi Iris,
Last year I made all of my cookie dough in advance. For a couple of weeks before christmas Made it rolled it in to sausages in greeseproof paper. wrapped it in cling film (ceran wrap) then in foil labelled them and froze them. All I did was lift them out of the freeer slice them into rounds and pop em in the oven. All backed and held their shape, tasted great and saved a lot of time. xx

cms2 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cms2 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 2:43pm
post #48 of 110

I am so inspired by you guys! thumbs_up.gif

EvMarie- I LOVE the "cookie shopping" idea. What a great way to bring people together and who wouldn't love to come over and go "shopping" for cookies!!! I esp. like that everyone will be getting what they like and no cookies will go uneaten!

Thanks everyone for sharing and to the OP for starting this thread.

iris219 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
iris219 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 2:49pm
post #49 of 110
Quote:
Originally Posted by HannahLass

Hi Iris,
Last year I made all of my cookie dough in advance. For a couple of weeks before christmas Made it rolled it in to sausages in greeseproof paper. wrapped it in cling film (ceran wrap) then in foil labelled them and froze them. All I did was lift them out of the freeer slice them into rounds and pop em in the oven. All backed and held their shape, tasted great and saved a lot of time. xx




Thank you for the information, but I also wanted to know if anyone froze fully decorated cookies weeks in advanced?

I love the idea of "cookie shopping" but for me I would have to make at least 100 of each kind of cookie as my family is so big. This is why I would need to do these way ahead of time. I would never have time to make all these cookies and then cooke as well for the holidays. Any suggestions, ideas, etc. Would be greatly appreciated it.

Tclanton Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Tclanton Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 3:08pm
post #50 of 110

Try going to the dollar store in your area and see what they have. Go early because they all get picked over. Another I like to use for gifts (and would work for cookies also) are plain brown paper gift bags from Micheals. You could decorate the bag if wanted (or if you have children, let them help or man the project), but normally I use red and green ribbon of choice, or that ribbon that is actually made of paper - the name fails me - sorry. Often Target has a "dollar" section near the front of the store which may have something you could use.

Lita829 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Lita829 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 5:13pm
post #51 of 110

I get the gift containers from Michael's, the Dollar Store, or Target. You can really find some neat things to package up your goodies. I agree with Tclanton....try to go earlier in the season because they do become picked over.

HannahLass Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
HannahLass Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 5:47pm
post #52 of 110

Tclanton do you mean raffia? I think that is like paper and it's pretty.

cookiemama2 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cookiemama2 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 5:59pm
post #53 of 110

Last year I bought these pottery bowls and wrapped everything up with celophane.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1540128.html

I have to find something new for this year!

Tclanton Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Tclanton Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 6:14pm
post #54 of 110
Quote:
Originally Posted by HannahLass

Tclanton do you mean raffia? I think that is like paper and it's pretty.




Yes and thank you very much. My mind kept thinking Taffeta and it just didnt sound right! It makes a beautiful compliment to a country brown paper bag. I did all my Christmas presents one year with these and it looked awesome under the tree.

Thanks again Hannah!!

Tclanton Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Tclanton Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 6:26pm
post #55 of 110

Oh and another idea - go to your local Goodwill or thrift store and buy a variety of bowls (very cheap) throw them in the dishwasher and create your gift.

EvMarie Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
EvMarie Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 9:45pm
post #56 of 110

We are die hard dollar store people for containers. Either boxes, or they sell plastic holiday-ish buckets/bowls that might work for some baked goods. The boxes are pretty flimsy...but, the cookies get eaten so quickly doesn't matter...

We have been freezing cookies for many years. My mom taught me a trick with bread. It seems to work pretty good. Rip off a piece of a plain piece of bread and throw it in your gift box full of cookies. Then, freezer wrap. Any "freezer issue" will be absorbed by the bread. It just be a few little pieces of bread. Maybe a quarter to half a slice per gift box. Doesn't matter what kind. Chocolate doesn't freeze well for long periods of time. Other than that...we freeze all kinds of stuff. No decorated cookies though. I never tried it.

icon_smile.gif

Coral3 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Coral3 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 10:13pm
post #57 of 110

I've started my christmas baking already - well, only the rich fruit cakes which are better if left wrapped up for a few months before eating. I've made 12 small ones I'll decorate closer to the time and give as gifts.

EvMarie Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
EvMarie Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 10:17pm
post #58 of 110

This is sad....I've NEVER had a fruit cake. If anyone has a great recipe or tips/tricks to share I'd be all ears!!!

Thanks!

GL79 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
GL79 Posted 29 Oct 2010 , 10:26pm
post #59 of 110

Oh wow! you guys are amazing, I think I'll start a new tradition in the family since this year I just bought a house and I'm broke.

EvMarie Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
EvMarie Posted 30 Oct 2010 , 1:52am
post #60 of 110

GL79 - making ALLLLLLL those cookies gets quite expensive really. What might be a great idea is a cookie exchange. My family is pretty big so on Christmas Eve everyone brings something for the dinner. We switch off houses every other year. One year it's my Mom's house, the next it's my Aunt's house. They end up with a little more cost because of decorations & they just generally get into it more. My Mom loves to make more than what she's "assigned" to make it nice....but if you're on a budget those are great ways to have a special time with out the focus being on gifts.

Ohhh, we also watch a Christmas movie. National Lampoons, or an oldie black and white or I loved Elf with that SNL guy. Forget his name right now. One year we made a ginger bread house. Just bought one of those kits at Michaels but all the kids and even the teenagers loved it.

We have 20 some grandkids & 20 some adults so, we party like rock stars on Christmas! Oh the adults split up the "bar" costs too! (wink wink)

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%