This year my daughter won’t be home for Christmas. She didn’t come home for Christmas last year either, but last year she came for Thanksgiving. This year, she stayed in Colorado over Thanksgiving because she had a new retail job, and now she’s staying in Colorado over Christmas because she promised to work over the holiday. My Mom is visiting her now, which means that I spent Saturday baking my heart out so so she could take my daughter her favorite Christmas cookies and holiday baked goods.
My day did not start well. I thought I would knock out a batch of Peanut Butter Kiss cookies while the butter softened for my other recipes, but when I took the jar of peanut butter out of the pantry, it was nearly empty. Then I thought I’d start with a batch of banana bread, but when I opened my Williams-Sonoma package for the fancy vanilla extract I had ordered for my holiday baking recipes, I found this instead.
Luckily I had a bottle of good old McCormick vanilla extract, so I was able to do my baking with that.
The first thing I made was cranberry banana bread–I just added 2 cups of fresh cranberries to my husband’s favorite banana bread recipe.
Then I made my eggnog spritz cookies. As I was making these, I realized that I was almost out of salt (!) and nutmeg, which is the main spice for this recipe.
My next recipe was my ginger spice cookies, which get a lot of their flavor and dark color from molasses. They also are made with ginger, and I had just enough of that to make a double batch.
Before I took a break to go to the grocery store, I made a batch of plain banana bread for the purists in my family–including my daughter!
My next recipe was pumpkin spice muffins, which I made in these cool stand-alone muffin cups I found at Target.
Then I finally made the Peanut Butter Kiss cookies, using this easy cake mix recipeand making them more festive with decorative sugars.
After a break for dinner, I made my last two recipes. I was really looking forward to making these Chocolate Crackle Cookies with crushed candy canes instead of powder sugar, but the gooey batter was so frustrating to work with near the end of a long day of baking.
They didn’t crackle, but they smelled divine hot out of the oven–like peppermint hot chocolate–and they taste good, but I need to find a better recipe.
Ever since I saw pictures of gingerbread reindeer made using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, I really wanted to give it a try. So, even though I was exhausted, I rolled out some gingerbread dough, cut out lots of gingerbread men, and got out the decorator frosting. If I had had more patience and better frosting, I could have had a lot more fun with it, but I think these guys are pretty cute for my first try.
I had started baking at about 7:30 am, and gave the kitchen counter a final wipe down at 11:30 pm. I am not the most efficient baker, and last weekend I was less organized than usual, but I hope my daughter knows that I really did bake her cookies with love.
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Have you done any holiday baking yet this year?
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you KNOW Ive been watching the book of the face in AWE of all youve baked…and wished I could come and take your daughters space.
(not place.)
xo
I am sure it’s hard for you not to have her home for the holidays. I’m loving all of your baked creations. Cranberry banana bread is one of my faves.
I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before this year!
So sorry your daughter won’t be home. That’s a serious bummer. But can you please adopt me as your additional offspring? The deal is only good until you mail me those delicious baked goods (all of them), then you’re off the hook — adoption annulled.
WOW!!! That is some serious baking!!! I feel sure that your daughter does know all of the guests were baked with love!!!
Please send me one of everything:)
The muffins were a big hit at work. Most of everything else that I didn’t send to my daughter is in the freezer – until I tell my son where to find them!
What a wonderful mom! I just got wiped out baking for 3 hours…. a whole day – so impressive. Everything looks so beautiful!
Thanks! I was exhausted – but I do like baking. 😉
Wow!! I’m so impressed, that sounds like a full day of baking. The reindeer are adorable and I know your daughter will appreciate it all. Sorry you don’t get to see her for Christmas.
My heart goes out to you. My daughter doesn’t leave for college for another two years, but the thought of her not being home everyday sends me into a breakdown.
Every year I try making something new. This year I tried Peppermint and Chocolate Chip fudge. This went well at my annual book group’s cookie exchange. Rosettes are always my favorite to make.
Peppermint fudge sounds delish!
Your baking looks amazing! I’m bummed for you that your daughter won’t be home this year. It’s sweet of you to send her a care package.
Thanks. It gave me an excuse to make more – and a place to send them so I don’t eat them all!
Wow, you are a baking machine! I love chocolate crackle cookies! So sorry your daughter won’t be home for the holidays!!