Christmas 2010 sweets

[Darienne]

OK. So I'll start. Today my DH cut orange peels for me to begin the candying process for chocolate-dipped orange peels. And I have begun the confection give-out to friends and folks who help us in various ways all year long. Folks like vets, computer guys, oil delivery guys, postal lady, etc, etc.

I've had a huge...well, less huge every week it seems...bottle of rum-soaked fruits for a Black Cake which never got made last year and I guess it's really too late to make it this year either. Should add some more fruit to the mix.

I have a list of cookies and cakes that I intend to make. Plus Pot Lucks we are invited to. Plus the Christmas Eve Party to which Ed always brings his French-Canadian Tortiere and I bring some confections. And, and, and...

Who else has started on Christmas or holiday goodies? And what are you making?

[tmriga]

*I make all my doughs for the holiday season before Thanksgiving.

*Almost all my cookie recipes are converted to slice'n'bake style, so I have enough logs of cookie dough to build a doghouse in the chest freezer. The pie doughs and pastry doughs are also waiting there.

*I've been collecting biscotti recipes off the Internet.

*I bought a kitchen scale, because I will be attempting pate de fruit for this year's goody baskets. Next purchase will be from Amazon, where I found a multi-purpose probe themometer for boiling all that sugar.

*I called my supplier for dry ingredients (Mennonite farm store outside Kutztown, PA) and ordered my flour, sugar, etc.

Yeah, now all I have to do is make sure I have all my pans, trays and molds prepped, and I'm good to go.

Theresa

[Darienne]

*I make all my doughs for the holiday season before Thanksgiving.

...

Yeah, now all I have to do is make sure I have all my pans, trays and molds prepped, and I'm good to go.

Theresa

OMIGOSH!!!!!

[Mjx]

I'm doing the cooking for my boyfriend and his family (I like to cook, no one else does, it all works beautifully), and this year I'm slated to prepare a chocolate torte (to go with coffee in the afternoon), some ambiguiously identified part of a deer ('deer back') in an as-yet undecided style, 'brown potatoes' (please don't ask, but it involves a lot of butter and sugar, and is a traditional Danish thing), some other sort of potatoes (I'm planning latkes, if no objections are are raised), an as-yet-undetermined vegetable or two, ditto salad, chestnuts poached in a chicken broth that is then reduced, and crêpes Suzette. I'm probably going to have several surprise requests at the last minute, so I'm not thinking about it too closely. Oh, and I'm planning to make tobacco truffles again (nobody crucify me for this: there is only a tiny bit of tobacco involved, all are informed of its presence, all are adults, no ex-smokers).

I usually make a Christamas pudding, but have dragged my feet on it this year, and am running short on time...

[tmriga]

What can I say, it's easy when you're retired, like I am. I'm also disabled (severe rheumatoid arthritis) so what I can get done in advance makes things easier later on.

Theresa

[gap]

We've started the warm (30+ Celcius) days in Melbourne now, so my Christmas chocolates were made a couple of weeks ago and are currently using all available storage space in our freezer. 700 pieces of moulded lemon ganache, gingerbread ganache, strawberry, passionfruit, hazelnut praline, peanut/lemon and coconut. I've also got some chocolate dipped caramels stored in an esky.

A bit closer to the date I'll do a range of Christmas flavour macarons as well.

I do the chocolates each year and love it - it's all done ahead of time and because it takes a good 20+ hours to do all the work, everyone is happy for me to take it easy on Christmas Day and I can enjoy a few drinks without having to worry about the kitchen.

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Gap, I think you'll have to tell me your address so I can sneak in while you're out and "free up" some of that freezer space for you

Sounds ridiculously delicious!

I'm planning to try making a buche de noel/yule log this year... it's not a tradition for us but I like the look of them.

[Snadra]

I picked up Sean Moran's 'Let it Simmer' at the Borders book sale last week, and flipping to the back found a picture of rockmelon icecream with ginger 'jewels', all packed back into the rockmelon shell and sliced for serving. I knew right away it would be our dessert on Christmas Day.

I used to try to do some baking, but I find the humidity wrecks most things, so instead I make just a few things through the month to be consumed right away. This year I will probably do a stollen to take to the office for morning tea the day of our department lunch, and I might do some gingerbread men to go with it.

Gap, I'm impressed by your chocolates! Stuart, wanna plan that attack on the chocolate freezers together? I'm sure Gap could use the space...

[djyee100]

A freezer full of chocolates...what a dream.

Here, the only thing I'm fixed on is stollen, made with homemade citrus peel and a roll of almond paste to symbolize the baby Jesus in the manger. Gotta make this one, because I like to sift on the confectioners sugar until it looks like a snowdrift. I might add, that's about as close as I like to get to snow, period. Another possibility, an orange chocolate chip brioche I baked awhile back--that one may be due for a return engagement. A couple years ago I also made brownie-stuffed vanilla cookies for friends and neighbors, one of Alice Medrich's recipes (aka chocolate hamentaschen). People have been asking for those cookies ever since, so maybe it's time to bring back that treat too.

The recipe for the brownie-stuffed vanilla cookies is here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rosemary/2008/03/for-purim-hamantaschen-for-cho.html

The cookie recipe and a better photo is on Googlebooks here, Page 62-63:

http://books.google.com/books?id=gh354XCbhcoC&pg=PA62&dq=alice+medrich+Chocolate+Hamantaschen&hl=en&ei=7V30TP6VKI6asAOC3cSrCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Kerry Beal]

Haven't gotten around to thinking about white fruitcake yet - maybe I should look in the freezer and see if I have any still there!

Just came up from the chocolate room - finally got started on my holiday chocolates. Molded a dozen and a half 3D santas and such, some chocolate suckers, some little double santa's, a couple of plates of flowing caramel chocolates and some poprock bark. A reasonable start.

[gap]

and some poprock bark

That just reminded me of my popping candy in the cupboard. I was thinking of doing "champagne" as one of the macaron flavours and I think you just gave me the inspiration for the texture

[Pierogi]

After several years of non-baking due to an escalating medical condition and work pressures, I've become part of the "leisure" class by retiring earlier this year. So I'm really looking forward to re-visiting my Christmas goodies, and adding a couple of new ones this year.

For SURE the list will include these classics from my past:

Sherry/Bourbon balls (will probably make these tomorrow, since they taste best aged)

Polish tea-cakes

Butterscotch pretzels

Snowballs (aka Mexican wedding cakes)

Peppermint sugar cookies

Bishop's Bread (aka Pierogi's Not-A-Fruitcake)

I'm thinking of adding:

Kahlua truffles

Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies

Alfajores

Old classics which COULD make the cut:

Cranberry/Orange Nut Bread

Orange Poppy Seed cookies

I'm very excited to get back to the smell of creamed butter permeating the kitchen for days on end !!

[Darienne]

I picked up Sean Moran's 'Let it Simmer' at the Borders book sale last week, and flipping to the back found a picture of rockmelon icecream with ginger 'jewels', all packed back into the rockmelon shell and sliced for serving. I knew right away it would be our dessert on Christmas Day.

I would like to see a photo of this dessert for sure. Let me know how it turns out. Oops. That would be Christmas day. Never heard of a rockmelon and will look it up. Just what is a ginger jewel?

[Snadra]

I picked up Sean Moran's 'Let it Simmer' at the Borders book sale last week, and flipping to the back found a picture of rockmelon icecream with ginger 'jewels', all packed back into the rockmelon shell and sliced for serving. I knew right away it would be our dessert on Christmas Day.

I would like to see a photo of this dessert for sure. Let me know how it turns out. Oops. That would be Christmas day. Never heard of a rockmelon and will look it up. Just what is a ginger jewel?

Whoops! Forgot to translate: a rockmelon is a cantaloupe, basically. The ginger 'jewels' are ginger pieces cooked in a syrup with a beetroot until they go red. They look great in the book, although I do wonder about the flavour imparted by the beetroot.

[Mjx]

I forgot to mention fondant: I love working with the stuff, so I make it every year, but since I don't have a marble slab, things can get a bit... overwrought.

I've had really good results blending in lemon and ginger (combination of ground, and bits of crystallized ginger), vanilla bean seed and cayenne, and almond extract with small pieces of crystallized fruit. I've throught about trying peppermint extract and... something, but so far that 'something' eludes me. Chocolate is good with it, but there is so much mint-chocolate stuff about, as it is, that I'd rather not go there.

[tmriga]

I forgot to mention fondant: I love working with the stuff, so I make it every year, but since I don't have a marble slab, things can get a bit... overwrought.

I've had really good results blending in lemon and ginger (combination of ground, and bits of crystallized ginger), vanilla bean seed and cayenne, and almond extract with small pieces of crystallized fruit. I've throught about trying peppermint extract and... something, but so far that 'something' eludes me. Chocolate is good with it, but there is so much mint-chocolate stuff about, as it is, that I'd rather not go there.

Try orange with ginger and dark chocolate. One of my colleagues on another forum, Michele Foster, had her recipe for spiced pound cake with orange rum and chocolate sauces published on the FN site. I've made this, and it's an amazing cake. Here's the link to her recipe - maybe it will inspire you to create a new flavor combination.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/spiced-pound-cake-with-orange-rum-sauce-recipe/index.html

Theresa

[RobertM]

So far I've dipped about 15 pounds of toffee, 5 pounds of pretzels, and made my milk chocolate truffles (buckeyes, tiger tails, caramels, plain milk, orange, s'mores, Honey pots (see Grewling) - probably a couple I've forgotten). Next up is the dark chocolate - finish up with a few white chocolate and will fit in the bark in between -

I should take some pictures before I get to crazy - oh yeah, one more thing to add to my growing list....eeek

[merstar]

I'm planning to do the following:

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

Jam Thumbprints rolled in Coconut

Cinnamon Cookies

Chocolate Espresso Chews

Hazelnut Crisps

Bittersweet-Chocolate-Covered Coconut Macaroons

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Orange Biscotti

Cinnamon Quick Bread

Caramel Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce

[emmalish]

I'm not planning on making too much this year. I just baked a batch of gingerbread snowflakes that I now have to decorate. I'm also planning on making ginger chocolate crackle cookies, fudge, and marshmallows. I'll probably be adding to that list, but I'm still browsing recipes.

[CKatCook]

I was looking for a way to get inspired this year. I have not begun to decide what all I am going to make. I am very interested in how to turn cookie recipes to slice and bake. Then I could just spend a good day or two getting it all done. I usually make quite a bit, so I better get at it. So far the list is:

Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Classic Brownies

Jam thumbprints

I just cannot decide from here.....

[andiesenji]

I've already made a large batch of candied ginger, ditto orange peel and lemon peel, dried fruits that are slowly being converted to glacé and also two pounds of chestnuts.

I've roasted and seasoned almonds, pecans, peanuts and macadamia nuts. Have some others to do but first have to measure out what I will need for cookies and etc.

Yet to do is some sticky macaroons that will eventually be coated in chocolate for gifts.

Cookies in the prep stage (dry ingredients measured and stored with the recipes)

Lime and banana, mincemeat, Ginger, Cardamom & Black Pepper, dense black cocoa brownies with cherries, blondies with macadamia and dried pineapple, oatmeal/cranberry gems, "stained-glass cut-outs" and molasses "rock" cookies, plus a significant stack of pizzelle wafers.

I have panettone dough, stollen dough and kringle dough in the freezer.

[brokenscale]

OK. So I'll start. Today my DH cut orange peels for me to begin the candying process for chocolate-dipped orange peels. And I have begun the confection give-out to friends and folks who help us in various ways all year long. Folks like vets, computer guys, oil delivery guys, postal lady, etc, etc.

I've had a huge...well, less huge every week it seems...bottle of rum-soaked fruits for a Black Cake which never got made last year and I guess it's really too late to make it this year either. Should add some more fruit to the mix.

I have a list of cookies and cakes that I intend to make. Plus Pot Lucks we are invited to. Plus the Christmas Eve Party to which Ed always brings his French-Canadian Tortiere and I bring some confections. And, and, and...

Who else has started on Christmas or holiday goodies? And what are you making?

what do you use to candy your peels? The recipe in Chocolates and confectionaires says to use sugar and light corn syrup. Im not a fan of light corn syrup its just there to prevent crystalization so I used some of the juice from the orange itself. We then rolled them in sugar and dried some in the oven to dip in chocolate which i will be doing today

[Darienne]

Sugar and water. My candying mentor, andiesenji, taught me all I know. Which is way less than she knows.

Andie's recipe for microwave candied citrus peel is in Recipegullet. There are several threads on candying peels, etc, on eGullet.

[Mette]

Just finished the fruit-cakes (won't have much time to mature), mincemeat ready for the tarts, kiddie baking this coming sunday (not actually baking the kiddies, although I am sometimes tempted) and the chocolate assortment is in the cellar:

• chocolate covered orange peel
  
• chocolate covered marcipan
  
• choclate covered marcipan with freeze dried raspberries (this is a winner!)
  
• Chocolate covered marcipan and gianduja
  
• cinnamon ganache chocolates
  
• aniseed ganache chocolates
  
• black currant ganache chocolates
  
• espresso ganache chocolates
  
• white chocolate bars with cranberries
  
• hazelnut gianduja chocolates
  
• Little choclate santas
  

Happy preparing :-)

[Darienne]

Hmmm....I guess Denmark is a bit too far to go for a snack. Too bad. It all sounds wonderful. Particularly the chocolate-covered Marzipan with freeze-dried raspberries. That warrants asking for a recipe, please?