2016 Holiday Baking List. (What Are You Making?! Tell Me!)
It’s here! It’s here! Eeeeep. Christmastime is officially HERE.
Okay, so we’ve spent the last 24 hours turning our house into a major winter wonderland for Max. We are both SO in the Christmas spirit – Max is just at such a fun age right now! – and have three trees up so far. I’m super excited for baking this year because the last two years? I could barely do it. I mean, I DID it, but I was spending most of every second with Max and didn’t have tons of time to bake or make Christmas treats.
We love love love to make huge cookie trays to take to friends and family over the holidays (Eddie actually makes the best trays ever, it’s crazy) and I love to bake to continue my Mother Lovett tradition. Baking cookies like this is relaxing for me, because most of my time spent in the kitchen is doing recipe testing over and over again for the same recipe and then spending a huge chunk of time styling it. Baking these old, known recipes are easy and fun, it’s an escape and enjoyable experience for me. I crave it for nostalgia purposes.
Here’s what on my list this year! Oh oh oh ALSO. After five years of telling you guys that I didn’t want to bake gingerbread (not a fan of it), I’m going to do it this year with Max. Who has a fantastic recipe?
Tell me below: what’s on your list?!
thin and chewy spiced oatmeal cookies. a new fave.
peanut butter blossoms. it would not be Christmas without them.
pink peppermint bark macaroons. they are just too pretty.
peppermint pattie brownies. AND…
peppermint pattie cookies! i can’t choose.
mother lovett’s pink and green thumbprints. because: classic.
mother lovett’s orange cookies. my mom dies over these.
soft gingersnaps. i always double this recipe. sometimes i make four batches! so good.
perfect cut out sugar cookies. i can’t wait to do this with Max!
my soft snickerdoodles AND these chewy chai snickerdoodles. they are to die for.
double dark chocolate peanut butter cup cookies. obviously.
doubletree hotel chocolate chip cookies. only choc chip i need.
double chocolate cheesecake cookies. these are ridiculous.
a few batches of truffles. probably old school oreo, chocolate coconut truffles, maybe buckeyes?
also I’m sure lots of orange cinnamon pull apart bread.
My cousin Lacy and I also always make Tracy’s citrus peels and her amaretto. These make for the most incredible gifts – you guys HAVE to make them. We also make whiskey pretzels and I think I’m going to do a blog post on those this year because we’ve really turned the recipe into our own.
SO! What am I missing?!
53 Comments on “2016 Holiday Baking List. (What Are You Making?! Tell Me!)”
Love that you’re fully into the Christmas spirit already! And that baking list = perfect. I always bake a batch of White Chocolate Blondies for Christmas, but I’m still trying to figure out if I’m doing Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies or some other variation.
Does this count as baking? I make Christmas Granola (http://www.rachelphipps.com/2014/12/christmas-kitchen-christmas-spice.html) so I can have a festive breakfast (with a side of advent calendar chocolate!) before work every morning, and as a family we always eat our weight in my Mum’s Classic Cheese Straws (http://www.rachelphipps.com/2014/12/christmas-kitchen-classic-cheese-straws.html) – they’re one of the most popular posts on my blog ever, everyone always asks for them, and as we’re hosting NYE this year we’ll be making *loads*..!
I’ve gotten into the habit of making a huge batch of my cranberry coconut granola to give as gifts! I love to bake and always make cookies too, but I think sometimes people like getting something different (AND that can possibly be construed as “healthy” – hello breakfast yogurt parfait!) when the sweets are everywhere.
I ALWAYS make ginger cookies – specifically 101 cookbooks’ sparkling ginger cookies. They are my FAVORITE! I’ve already RSVP-ed to a cookie swap and can’t wait to start holiday cookie baking! Can’t wait to check out some of these recipes!
I was never a fan of gingerbread until I tried the cookies in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. The dough is irresistible, and the cookies are darn good too. They are even better after a couple of days.
You have quite an extensive list! Mine is much shorter. I’ll be making Chai fudge and peanut butter fudge, Christmas spice cookies, buckeye balls, cinnamon and clove hard candies, sugar cookies, Russian tea cakes, candy cane cookies, and some sort of chocolate bark.
Those chewy oatmeal cookies are happening TODAY! I am ready to get my bake on! So glad you are still enjoying my soft gingersnaps. They are a favorite at our house too! Let me know if you find a good ginger bread recipe. I might have to try it with my boys! Happy baking! xo
I’m going to make stain glass cookies with my girls.
What an amazing list!! I want to try them all! Gingerbread is a must for me around Christmastime, I just can’t get over the cuteness! My go to gingerbread recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addition. By far it is the BEST I’ve ever tried :) http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/12/01/my-favorite-gingerbread-men-recipe/
Always Orange Cranberry Chewy Snowballs, Hershey Sprinkle Cookie Bars…and Snickerdoodles!
I love that you are already thinking about your baking list #priorities ! I absolutely LOVE holiday baking – it’s seriously one of my favorite things to do around the holidays. I am going to make Snowball Cookies (aka. Russian Tea Cakes) because it’s a family tradition, and we usually stuff them with hershey kisses. I also want to make cookies like these Peppermint Candy Candy Twists (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/candy-cane-cookies/93832e29-3b4f-4977-ae5a-9820053b254c). Can’t wait to see your baking results!
Are you doing a 12 (or 25!) days of Christmas for holiday baking on the blog? :)
Ooh, totally going to add gingersnaps this year! I always make this old Washington Post recipe for midnights… The chocolatiest chocolate cookie ever, and a batch has like a gazillion cookies in it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/midnights/7200/
I haven’t finalised my list yet but I’ve collected SO many recipes I’m dying to make. Your post gave me extra suggestions! Now the decision’s going to be even harder, haha!
– Charmaine
http://charmainenyw.com
Those classic pink and green thumbprints of my nana as well! Wow.
I’m making chewy chocolate-fudge stuffed gingerbread, among others. It’s already gone through a happy round of approval among my folks. I’d post the link to the recipe but it’s not live yet. I’ll probably also make some bars (not sure which ones) and something fancy and Christmassy shaped. And maybe something with booze in it? And something with peanut butter and chocolate. And and and
It’s not Christmas for me without ricotta cookies (although I just found out my grandma makes them WITHOUT RICOTTA. Which explains why mine are always a million times more light and fluffy than hers!) and pecan cups, which I’ve never even baked myself because I just make sad noises at my grandma until she mails me a batch. Sometimes it pays to be the only family member who lives out of state- no sharing!
Maybe this will be the year I finally stop slacking and make my own though! (Oh and snickerdoodles, but less because Christmas and more because they’re my brother’s favorites and his birthday is 12/26. This year: snickerdoodle icebox cake with homemade vanilla pudding! Yes!)
Happy birthday to your poor brother, mine is the 19th. It sucks to be born so close to Christmas… And my daughter in law is the 23rd, a grandson New Years Eve.. Just a lousy time for kids..
You had me at Double Dark chocolate, hehe.. those peanut butter cup cookies are getting baked asap!
You make £27/h that’s great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online , seriously I couldn’t be haappier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in £35/h and sometimes even as much as £85/h…Heres a good example of what I’m doing, …….>>>>>
You make £27/h that’s great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online , seriously I couldn’t bee haapier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in £35/h and sometimes even as much as £85/h…Heres a good example of what I’m doing, …….>>>>> http://www.NYTrends66.Tk
Bookmarking this! So excited for cooking season! eep those double chocolate cheesecake ones!? happy saturday!
It wouldn’t be the holidays without Deb’s toffee. I actually do it without the coffee and its more of a butter toffee.. add salt on top and people go WILD for it. Easy and fun. https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/12/coffee-toffee/
I also am obsessed with Deb’s slice and bake cookies: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/a-slice-and-bake-cookie-palette/ I do dark chocolate/orange and white chocolate/cranberry – so easy and the dough freezes super well!!
This list makes me wanna bake nonstop for the rest of the weekend! I’m making your salted dark chocolate truffle cookies for a cookie swap next weekend, and your double chocolate chunk raspberry cookies for another cookie swap later in the month! I made them this summer and knew they had to be a holiday cookie. I haven’t planned the rest of my baking, but those double dark chocolate peanut butter cookies have been calling my name since you posted them..omg.
I’m making your white chocolate lemon butter cookies…made them for the first time last year and they were a huge hit! Loved, loved, loved them!
Most years I make 4-5 different things for coworkers’ goodie baskets. This year, though, I’m due with our first kiddo anytime between now and Christmas (aaahhhhh so close!) so we’re keeping it SUPER simple. Buckeyes (already rolled and in the freezer, ready to be dipped), pumpkin spice caramel thumbprints (dough made and portioned, in the freezer, ready to be baked and filled), and Chex mix (easy peasy). I’ll probably get those all pulled together and delivered to work in the next week or so… just in case. haha
You make £27/h that’s great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online , seriously I couldn’t be haappier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in £35/h and sometimes even as much as £85/h…Heres a good example of what I’m doing, …….>>>>> http://www.JobNews6.Tk
Great Post!!!
They look very yummy!
I am re creating a chocolate dessert that I created for the California State fair this year. I baked a rich moist gingerbread in Wilton’s silicone shot glass mold. I filled it with a mousse made with egg nog liquor and sprinkled Chocolate shavings on top. It wan a blue ribbon and ended up getting best of division and 2nd place in best of show, which means it was 2 nd plaCe of all 300 entries that day
I almost did not take it. It was really tricky getting,it out of the mold. My daughter insisted I try again and I am glad that I did
I’m making cookies with Grandma Polly: pfeffernusses (I know, that word!) and crispy thin oatmeal and cutouts. And then my other grandma’s recipes for pizelles, biscotti, and jam thumprints. I can’t stop thinking about your peppermint patty brownies and cookies. Which one should I make? I know you’ll say both.
What in the world is the last picture of… I don’t see a link for that one… and I’m making a puddle drooling..
Found it… third times a charm!!
Just so you know this is my favorite post you do all year. I made the spiced oatmeal cookies and chewy chai snickerdoodles last year and holy heck they were ridiculous!! I may try the chewy gingersnaps this year, been looking for a chewy yet flavorful and not too caky gingersnap!
Deb’s gingersnaps are the bomb diggity. This is also literally the best cookie recipe ever. I usually only eat cookies to get to the chocolate chips, so that’s saying something.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/11/gingersnaps/
Christmas Holiday is a very special baking time of the year for our family, we make nutrolls from a family recipe that has been past down through generations (a two day affair). I have been rolling out nutrolls ever since I was 5 years old (44 years now), and even though my grandmother is no longer with us, every December that my mom and me make nutrolls, she is very much with us in every tasks that we do, I can see her smile and hear her laughter as we make these scrumptious delights that we share with all our family and friends.
I love when we fall back on the classics this time of year. I ask everyone what cookie is their fav this time of year and go from there. Hubby picked 2 this year so on Thursday I made 6 different cookies :) I too make peanut butter blossoms, oatmeal gumdrop, peanut butter/choc chip shortbread, birdsnests and 2 new ones this year – eggnog snickerdoodles and a marachino cherry/choc chip shortbread. My MIL makes a bunch of different ones as well and we trade off – like a mini cookie exchange. I will make my hello dolly squares the week of Christmas – love this time of year!
Girl, you gotta try Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies from her new book, Cookies. They are a show stopper. Life changer. They’re all about using the best chocolate money can buy and inserting it in a bit of beautiful dough. You can slice and bake but I did roll, cut and bake. Gorgeous. Decadent. Exactly what you need for a holiday feast. Also, Dorie’s cookie book is basically a bible from which you should govern the rest of your life. In other words, just bake up the entire book. You’re welcome.
Thanks for this list! I want to make everything peppermint!
This year we are changing the cookie rotation up. One of our guests is deathly allergic to all nuts, so…….so far we are having giant chocolate chip cookies, chewy spice cookies, coconut slice and bakes, lemon ricotta cookies, mint capped brownie bites and oatmeal cream cheese butterscotch bars!!! The orange cookie recipe you posted sounds like a good one to try
Those recipes all look divine! I’d love to see some sort of vegan Christmas recipe- maybe blondies (cinnamon roll blondies would be fantastic…) or something with almond extract. I love that almond flavor during Christmastime! Just a few suggestions! :)
We are not huge gingerbread fans so I just do sugar cookies with a gingerbread cookie cutter.
Always peanut butter blossoms, sugar cookies, and a new cookie.
I have to make my surrogate grandma’s peanut butter fudge, and my family insists on homemade toffee and slow cooker nut clusters. I feel like at Christmas, everything should be dipped in chocolate ?
Love this post!!
Christmas baking is the very best and I always think the more variety, the better.
Thanks to growing up in Germany, I always make typical German cookies like Kokosmakronen (egg whites, sugar, desiccated coconut, quite often baked on little wafers and dipped in chocolate), almond cookies (dough with butter, egg yolk, ground almond, flour, sugar, to be rolled into little balls and decorated with one whole almond), chocolate surprise cookies (kind of like a sable dough that melts in your mouth, with powdered sugar, real vanilla and cornstarch, rolled into balls and filled with dark chocolate chunks), Lebkuchen and Wespennester (translates into ‘wasp nest’, yummy… also made with egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, flaked almonds, shaved chocolate, baked on wafers). I think you would love the coconut cookies, because they are soft and crunchy at the same time and just soooo coconut-y :) You can find a recipe here http://www.food.com/recipe/kokosmakronen-german-coconut-macaroons-266954
There are a lot of German cookie recipes calling for just egg yolks or just egg whites, so it works out perfectly!
You make £27/h that’s great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online , seriously I couldn’t be haappier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in £35/h and sometimes even as much as £85/h…Heres a good example of what I’m doing, …….>>>>> http://www.JobNews6.Tk
I will make these cookies
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/lemon-ricotta-cookies/#_a5y_p=2215971
but I am not sure what else I will make. Will be checking out your list.
I have never been a huge gingerbread cookie person, but I made a gingerbread skillet cookie last year and it was totally *life changing* for me. Thick and soft skillet cookie > thin and crispy cookies, at least in my opinion. :)
http://bethcakes.com/gingerbread-skillet-cookie/
I have maybe a silly question- do all these cookies not go stale? Do you make them ALL right before a party or how does it work? I love the idea of having these to take and to put out at our own holiday parties. Just not sure how one makes it work. Thanks!
You make £27/h that’s great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online , seriously I couldn’t be haappier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in £35/h and sometimes even as much as £85/h…Heres a good example of what I’m doing, …….>>>>> http://www.JobNews6.Tk
Mom used to make a pudding candy, similar to fudge, but softer, and uses cook n serve pudding mix, my sister and I have done it for years. Im thinking of it, I want to try vanilla with maraschino cherry pieces in it. Butterscotch is my absolute fave! Gotta have walnuts, I can eat a whole pan of it! We have to carry on, mom passed in 2010. And wasn’t making it by 2005 or so.
You make £27/h that’s great going girl good for you! My story is that I quit working at shoprite to work online , seriously I couldn’t be haappier I work when I want and where I want. And with a little effort I easily bring in £35/h and sometimes even as much as £85/h…Heres a good example of what I’m doing, …….>>>>> http://www.JobNews6.Tk
Very belated response!
This year, I’m making eggnog “The Boozy Doozy” (http://tielan.dreamwidth.org/957200.html) and will probably drink it long before we actually get to Christmas. I have the macerated fruit for a really tasty fruit cake (and asked my FB feed for recipes, since I knew I could get my hands on my mother’s but wanted to see what else was out there; whereupon my mother was semi-offended that I hadn’t asked for hers). I’m going to make Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetarian christmas platter for a friends’s christmas picnic (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/dec/04/yotam-ottolenghi-recipe-vegetarian-christmas) because it was an absolute hit at last year’s picnic, and, if I have time, my mother’s Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Rum Truffles, which I can’t find a linked recipe for. Then on Christmas Day, I’m responsible for making the pavlova for family lunch. Plenty of cooking, not enough time!
Thanks for the list. I have a cookie exchange coming up and will be making one of these. I just have to decide which one… they look so delicious.
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