For many people, the idea of Christmas baking is to do a cookie exchange or buy their baking at sales or stores. I am a bit more obsessive about my Christmas baking as there are certain things that I simply have to make each year.
I hold off until after Remembrance Day but then I feel the need to get started with my plan. In the last few years I have gotten more organized. I have a Christmas baking notebook. I start a new page each year at the back of the book and have the following columns
- Date (I put the date it was made)
- Baking (title of the cookie, bar, treat)
- Recipe (which cookbook, magazine or website where I found it)
- Notes (whether it should be made again or not, who is was given to, etc)
As I add things to my baking list, I also jot down the ingredients and quantity for things that are not staples. One recipe I always make has Skor bars in it, another has lots of almonds and one other needs MacIntosh Toffees. I also add Christmas chocolates to the list that we enjoy; things like Toblerone, Lindors and Turtles.
I try to add a new recipe or two each year and sometimes they make it to the “Have to Make” list for the future and others never get made again.
I start by perusing through all my Christmas baking books and magazines. I take out any new books from the library under 745.594 (Christmas Baking) and 641.5686 (Cooking/seasonal). I am able to search by those numbers on our library’s online search. In a year when the library is open for browsing, I would look through all the current cooking, baking, and decorating magazines taking pictures of ideas that I may find. This year I will have to settle for looking at them on the RB Digital App that our library has for magazines.
I jot down recipes that stand out for me and somehow each year I will find something different to pique my interest. I am cognizant of the fact that I need some recipes that are good for sending in the mail. I always send both my parents and my in-laws homemade treats for Christmas. The Christmas notebook is sectioned for these mailed recipes.
The rest of the baking recipes that are not able to go in the mail were always kept in this FMP.
I noticed how rough this message pad was getting and I came across a Christmas flip book for recipe cards that my sister gave me. I decided to transfer the “Have to Make” Christmas recipes into it. It has plastic pages like a photo album that fit recipe cards. The book itself makes itself into a stand so I can easily see the recipe while baking.
I make a point of saving up my PC Optimum points and use them to buy Christmas baking ingredients and Christmas chocolates. That way, our food expenditure for that month doesn’t go up and my husband doesn’t even notice.
I work on the recipes that will be mailed first, giving myself a Dec. 1 deadline so that they will arrive in time for Christmas. After the parcels go out, I gradually bake the recipes on my list allowing everyone a taste before putting them in the freezer. I usually wait until everyone is home before putting out the baking as a mixed plate and sometimes I share some with neighbours or friends.
Here is a recipe I made yesterday as a start to my Christmas baking.
Macintosh Toffees were a favourite of mine as a child as I would buy one when I went to the theatre that was just 1/2 block from our house. I would break it into many pieces and suck on them letting them melt in my mouth. It would last through most of the movie. Corn Flakes remind me of my Grandma Thomas. She had Corn Flakes for breakfast and for a snack. There were always boxes of Corn Flakes in her pantry. Recipes that invoke memories are definitely ones making it to my “Have To” list.
You will see beside the Macintosh Toffee that you need 336 g total. It works out to 48 little individual toffees (you have to buy 2 bags) or 6 of the bars (if you can find them). There were years when they no longer sold the bars but I have seen them the last few years. This recipe was shared with me by Alana when we lived in St. Albert 15 years ago.
I would also mention that if you do not have a double boiler just put the toffee, cream and butter in a smaller pot inside a larger one that has water boiling. I have a double boiler but it does not work with my induction stove top so that is what I do now.
Matt made a comment yesterday; they taste better right after being made than they do if you eat them out of the freezer….more creamy. He is right but the flavour is still yummy.
You see why I usually type my recipes instead of taking a picture. My handwriting can be a bit messy. If you can’t read just ask for translation.
Please comment and let me know if you do anything different in your baking plans for Christmas.