Christmas Cooking & Baking Thread

Toto Wolfcastle

I was talking to my parents about Christmas last weekend and I was reminded of the chocolate Christmas tree they made one year. It's from A Simply Delicious Christmas by Darina Allen and it's basically a chocolate Rice Krispie Christmas tree. All you have to do is mix Rice Krispies (and nuts and fruit or whatever else you want) with chocolate, let it set in layers and stack the layers with a bit of chocolate between them to secure them. The layers should be cross shaped and obviously different sizes with the biggest on the bottom and the smallest on the top.

DrJ

Keep the ideas coming folks cos I'm one of those people who adores the *idea* of baking lots of Christmas goodies and then never does it ;-) I have always ended up being ridiculously busy around Christmas every year in the last decade but I have the ambition of taking a Christmas cooking/baking course one year. I'm a fan of retro so the old traditional Christmas cake, Yule Log etc. are on my list. Anyone here accustomed to baking a Yule Log?

Toto Wolfcastle

Getting some Christmas cooking inspiration. I don't actually cook any part of the Christmas dinner but I can still drool over the pictures!

leahyl

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

Getting some Christmas cooking inspiration. I don't actually cook any part of the Christmas dinner but I can still drool over the pictures!

Saw this on Facebook yesterday and was thinking of getting it! I probably won't actually make anything from it, purely for drooling purposes of course :-P Any good?:-D

Just mixed the fruit for the Christmas cake today. The smell in the house is powerful!

Loughc

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

Getting some Christmas cooking inspiration. I don't actually cook any part of the Christmas dinner but I can still drool over the pictures!

Is it included in the rte guide or a separate magazine?

Toto Wolfcastle

leahyl wrote: »

Saw this on Facebook yesterday and was thinking of getting it! I probably won't actually make anything from it, purely for drooling purposes of course :-P Any good?:-D

Loughc wrote: »

Is it included in the rte guide or a separate magazine?

It's separate from the RTE Guide. Tbh it's not as good as I thought it would be. Have a flick through it before you buy it. I just saw the cover online and I got my husband to pick it up when he was out. There are some nice recipes in it but most of them are non-Christmassy.

Loughc

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

It's separate from the RTE Guide. Tbh it's not as good as I thought it would be. Have a flick through it before you buy it. I just saw the cover online and I got my husband to pick it up when he was out. There are some nice recipes in it but most of them are non-Christmassy.

Brilliant thanks for the heads up!!

Toto Wolfcastle

This one is worth buying! Loads of festive recipes, including a few Christmas Day menus. Lovely party food ideas, plenty of leftovers recipes (Christmas cake French toast, anyone?), ideas for vegetarians, gluten free, dairy free and no added sugar recipes, and gift ideas, including homemade food gifts. It's €4.95.

RentDayBlues

So the baking has started, fruit is maccerating in a bucket of port and I'll bake the cake on Sunday

I'm going to make mince pies for the first time this year, do they freeze well if I want to make them in advance or am I better off waiting til christmas week?

RentDayBlues

RentDayBlues wrote: »

So the baking has started, fruit is maccerating in a bucket of port and I'll bake the cake on Sunday

I'm going to make mince pies for the first time this year, do they freeze well if I want to make them in advance or am I better off waiting til christmas week?

Baked my cakes last Sunday!

Mince Pies do freeze very well.

RentDayBlues

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Baked my cakes last Sunday!

Mince Pies do freeze very well.

Perfect thanks, might start these at the weekend

RentDayBlues

Just reading about freezing them, a lot of people seem to freeze uncooked and then cook from defrosted, is this the best way or can I cook in advance of freezing?

What works best for those seasoned mince pie bakers

Cathmandooo

I freeze mince pies uncooked, leave them in the baking tin that you shape them in and wrap in a big bag, when they freeze take them out of the baking tin and just wrap them up in the bag. Works a treat I find.

Hmm mince pies! Will have to start them next weekend.

RentDayBlues

Cathmandooo wrote: »

I freeze mince pies uncooked, leave them in the baking tin that you shape them in and wrap in a big bag, when they freeze take them out of the baking tin and just wrap them up in the bag. Works a treat I find.

Hmm mince pies! Will have to start them next weekend.

That's exactly what I read so will do likewise, do you put them back in tray to defrost or Do they hold their shape?

Cathmandooo

I don't defrost them Just throw them back into the bun tray and bang them in the oven. I pull one apart on the first batch to make sure it's cooked through.

Edit: Oh phew I found a recipe on BBC Good Food saying to cook from frozen http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851639/fromthefreezer-mince-pies

RentDayBlues

Cathmandooo wrote: »

I don't defrost them Just throw them back into the bun tray and bang them in the oven. I pull one apart on the first batch to make sure it's cooked through.

Edit: Oh phew I found a recipe on BBC Good Food saying to cook from frozen http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851639/fromthefreezer-mince-pies

Thanks a million

RentDayBlues

So they're in the freezer, I'm hoping they work out ok, made the pastry without a recipe more from feel so that should be interesting

I'm feeling very happy and very sad, happy to make them and sort of sad that this is my Friday night now, what happened!?!?!?

RentDayBlues

So baking continues today, 2 cakes and another dozen mince pies, problem now is not eating them for another 5 or so weeks@

MightyMunster

I bake and freeze them. Just leave out for an hour or so to defrost and a few seconds in microwave. Turn out perfectly. Try frangipane mince pies for something different.

now online

Started my baking last week, 4 puddings made so far. I'm hoping to make a gingerbread house with the kids this year. Anyone for any foolproof/ kids friendly recipes?

Glitzgirl

now online wrote: »

Started my baking last week, 4 puddings made so far. I'm hoping to make a gingerbread house with the kids this year. Anyone for any foolproof/ kids friendly recipes?

Supervalu sell diy decorating gingerbread men and house kits ! That's about as fool proof as it gets with kids I think !

Mystery Egg

Started pickling today, cake being baked on Sunday! Yaaaaaayyyy!

Toto Wolfcastle

I'm watching Nigella's Christmas Kitchen and I'm starving. She just made rocky road and I want to slam my face into the melty chocolate.

Glitzgirl

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I'm watching Nigella's Christmas Kitchen and I'm starving. She just made rocky road and I want to slam my face into the melty chocolate.

I may try make that again this weekend didn't turn out the best last time lol (and I'm hoping to make a Christmas pudding this year )

Alicat

I wish you could smell through photos...

Mystery Egg

I just made a huge batch of sweet and spicy tomato relish for Christmas pressies.

Toto Wolfcastle

I did a test run of chocolates filled with coffee ganache. They need a little bit of work but they look very impressive and shiny thanks to the mould. I didn't put enough coffee in but I've eaten two and I'm bouncing off the walls.

I also took Rachel Allen's vanilla oat shortbread recipe and added ginger and cinnamon in place of the vanilla and brown sugar in place of some of the icing sugar to make them a bit more Christmassy. They were lovely.

And I made cheese and bacon bread (also Rachel Allen) that would be perfect toasted on Christmas morning and topped with an egg.

wnolan1992

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I did a test run of chocolates filled with coffee ganache. They need a little bit of work but they look very impressive and shiny thanks to the mould. I didn't put enough coffee in but I've eaten two and I'm bouncing off the walls.

I also took Rachel Allen's vanilla oat shortbread recipe and added ginger and cinnamon in place of the vanilla and brown sugar in place of some of the icing sugar to make them a bit more Christmassy. They were lovely.

And I made cheese and bacon bread (also Rachel Allen) that would be perfect toasted on Christmas morning and topped with an egg.

I am totally stealing that bread idea...

Made a batch of gingerbread last week. The smell is still lingering in the kitchen long after the last cookie has been eaten. In hindsight, far too early to get the house smelling of Christmas, especially since everyone here has exams coming up. :P

Cherrycola

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I'm watching Nigella's Christmas Kitchen and I'm starving. She just made rocky road and I want to slam my face into the melty chocolate.

i make this every year, love it! I use rich tea biscuits though, instead of the ones she suggests, i think they would make it too sweet. I also add marshmallows.