Today is the big day the Christmas cake I make every year for my San Diego cousin has just been mailed off to him! Fingers crossed it arrives safely, or should I say all in one piece, in a few days!
And this now to write my list of what Christmas baking I’m going to make this year. There are always the traditional treats that family members request, such as Mom’s shortbread cookies (red and green candied cherry bits on top, for my brother). I tried leaving them off one year, I heard later that apparently that was not a good idea. Mini mince pies with their icing sugared hats and my favourite, German Stollen.
Time to take inventory. Is there enough cardamom for the Stollen, when can I pick up the marzipan that’s a must for putting inside the Stollen, do I have enough cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg? What about the dried fruits? Better check all the recipes for raisins, currants, dried cranberries and so on and make sure to check out my supply of nuts stored in the freezer. How about butter and eggs? How much and how many? I know there is enough flour because we just bought a 40 pound bag recently. Then there’s the sugar: brown, Demerara, golden, Muscavado. I’d better have a look, and oh, remember to check for berry sugar, icing sugar, molasses and Lyle’s golden syrup as well! I need to make sure to get in more brandy and rum in too! What about an English steamed pudding this year, now that’s a good idea!
Guess I should get on it and make mincemeat this weekend too!
Whew, I’m tired already and I haven’t even turned on my KitchenAid stand mixer or finalized what cookies I want. Maybe those currant jelly filled Drei Augen’s, that I haven’t made for 100 years, should go on the list? They are so amazing with coffee or tea!
If it’s snowing when I am baking, a little hot buttered rum will definitely be on the agenda, if not then a little scotch on the rocks might just be the ticket!
I hope you enjoy baking your Christmas goodies as much as I do, especially when I see how happy it makes everyone!
Helpful link to Making Pie Dough. Use your favourite brand of mincemeat or your own homemade.
I was checking out the dried fruits and nuts yesterday as it is Christmas cake time here too. And, I have a magazine open to a ginger cookie recipe I am going to make this afternoon. Slightly different from my old favourite so going to give it a try. It must be all this wild weather we’re getting that is making us think of Christmas baking.
Also was checking my spice rack yesterday…….we’re on the same wavelength again, Phyllis.
No kidding…you an I are really insync! I made ginger raisin cookies yesterday! They are a work in progress…loved the taste but they were way too soft for our liking…like I said, testing, testing!
I can’t stand those candied cherry bits. I had to pick them off and toss them. Surely no one but Sharon ate those disgusting things (along with the maraschino cherries, gag)
Not sure if Sharon liked them…but your darling brother was not a happy camper when I decided to leave them off the year before last! This year his get the cherry treatment and ours will be something else…depends on whether my stamps work out or not…hope so, cause I think they will look amazing!