I love to bake for Christmas! It’s that time of year when I spend a few days in a row baking my holiday goodies. There are some recipes that are always on the list, but each year I add a couple of new ones. With Christmas one week away, I thought I’d share the cookies I made this year, with tips and links to the recipes. Recipes are listed, clockwise, starting with the gingerbread men. Continue reading
(This post is sponsored by Kitchen Stuff Plus. You can read the original post that first appeared on November 21, 2018, directly on their website, here; all opinions are my own.)
Every year, I get a head start on my Christmas baking by taking my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and changing the mix-ins to create a variety of holiday cookies. It’s an easy way to make festive treats out of a basic recipe!
Before getting started, I make sure to have fresh baking soda and vanilla on hand. I also check the state of my baking pans and mixing bowls and replace any that need upgrading. I love the Wilton pans, spatulas, and glass bowls that I picked up at Kitchen Stuff Plus recently.
Visit your local bulk food store to purchase some fun mix-ins available during the holiday season. I’ve included the recipe I use for making chocolate chip cookies at the end of this post.
Trick 1: Use Red And Green Candies
Substitute some of the chocolate chips for red and green chocolate-coated candies or for red, white, and green chocolate chips. Use half of the chocolate chips that the recipe calls for and then put the colourful candies on top of the cookies to get the full effect of the green and red colours. I put the coloured candy in this red and white host tray and bowl set, just to make it easier to reach for the toppings. Continue reading
I think I can make a chocolate chip cookie recipe from start to finish in 40 minutes. That includes cleaning up and eating the cookies. Hands down, making chocolate chip cookies is like coming home. They are memories of my childhood and they are memories of baking with my kids. They are the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag. They are the reason I gained 40 pounds for each of my pregnancies!!
But why are chocolate chip cookies so loved? Why are they so popular in North America? How come everybody seems to follow a similar recipe but everybody’s cookies are different? Why are these cookies on dessert menus even in the fanciest of restaurants? Continue reading