This will be my first holiday season since I retired from my "day job" and will actually have time to offer special stuff during the holidays.

Any ideas about what some of you may be offering?

I'm thinking pies/dessert style cakes, pumpkin rolls, cookie/candy trays. Any new exciting things I haven't thought of? Maybe some gift items?

My shop is by appt only, but I am really thinking over keeping some regular hours during the holiday season.

Love, it's never too early to think about the holidays. I've already started thinking about Halloween, and Thanksgiving and of course Christmas and New Years.

During the year most of my orders are wedding cakes and celebration cakes. I don't do standard small cakes except at the holidays. My clients know to get their orders in early...usually the big orders (for business gifts) start coming in Sept. even if they want them for Christmas.

Halloween seems to be smaller things like petit fours, cake balls, minicup cakes (the challenge is to come up with ideas that haven't been seen around here before so CC is a big help for ideas. I think people like "finger food" size for there Halloween gatherings. I've made the mini ghost cupcakes that were a big success. I didn't take pics but this is the idea (I usually get so busy I forget until it's out the door)

http://www.cakepicturegallery.com/v/halloween-cake-pictures/Baby+ghost+mini+cakes+photos.JPG.html



Thanksgiving is very traditional here so the most creative I can get is with the cutouts on top of the pumpkin, apple, mince pies... I think I'll borrow some ideas from Pipp Konstanski in Idaho

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pippijewelry/sets/72157626171987878/detail/

Christmas is usually 8" or 9" one tiered cake with sugar paste decorations that I'll start making soon or bundt cakes that are decorated with marzipan fruit that I make and hand colour. I start my fruit cakes in September so they can sop up lots of whiskey and my mincemeat is jarred in early November. So you see we actually might be starting a little late right now.

I start a notebook of ideas right about now.

LOL!! I've had a list going since last year's holidays. I knew I would have more time and have been gathering ideas and testing a few recipes.

Thanks for the response. Hope to see some more ideas!

I know this topic is a couple months old, but I'd love to resurrect it. I'm a small operation, so I was thinking of primarily doing carrot cakes and pumpkin cheesecakes with candied pecans, but then it occurred to me - those both require refrigeration and that might be a problem. Do you guys have any other Thanksgiving offerings you'll be promoting?

I've decided to do pies, dessert cakes, pumpkin rolls, red velvet rolls, cake balls, cheesecakes, cookie trays. I decided to not do any candy this year. I am open by appointment only and since this will be my first year to extra holiday stuff, it's kind of an experiment.

I'm actually thinking about doing some regular "open" hours in Dec. I'll see how I feel about it then. LOL!

I'm going to try these snow globe cookies

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/bakingtips/snowglobes.php

I'm using this cutter instead because I think it will stand up better

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/snow-globe-copper-cookie-cutter?go=EmlBackInStock&utm_source=BackInStock&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1814

I plan on baking and freezing the cookies, making the fondant decors ahead of time. We'll see!

o my goodness!! those are so cute and look like a LOT of work. Post some pics so we can see how they turn out. I really love the placecard cookies further down the page.

ok those are the cutest cookies i ve ever seen but i imagine all the work, about how much are you thinking of charging for them?

for the holidays im thinking something simple, tell me what you think.

for thanksgivin i was thinking bundt cakes with a candle in the middle wich will have a pretty ribon and some fondant ivy leafs on fall colors casually placed around the bundt.

I have already gone from 3 days a week to 4 and next week I am doing 5 days. No more orders after next Friday...

Wow, LKing ~ My orders for Thanksgiving are SLOW!!! I live in a small town and there are several people who bake from their homes during the holidays. Hard to compete!

Anyhow, hoping the Christmas season will be busier.