Too early for Christmas baking?

[Soma]

We Canadians are finished with thanksgiving for this year, and I'm now ready to focus on Christmas baking.

My hubby loves fruitcake,(I prefer yeast fruit bread), but we both detest the commercial dried fruit mixtures one can buy for homemade baking. So this year, I'm mixing up my own, using only the dried fruits we like. Problem is, I like different ones from him. But I'm the baker so......I get to choose, haha.
My mixture will include: insert the word 'dried' in front of each of these:
raisins
cranberries
apricots
lemon.....not sure how to do dried lemon, maybe just peel
pineapple (maybe)
chocolate chunks?
unsweetened dried coconut (maybe)

That's it!......pretty boring? What would YOU add for your taste?

I also intend to use this mixture for stollen (yeast breads with dried fruit) - great toasted!

 

[Snip 13]

I make my Christmas cake with currants, dates, cherries, apricots, candied ginger, orange zest, sometimes a few chopped pears or figs and chopped pecan nuts, hazelnuts and a few pistachios. I soak the cake with spiced rum instead of brandy. I make my cakes 2 months in advance. They must be well matured if soaked in alcohol.

 

[Kylie1969]

Well Christmas is only just around the corner

 

[Soma]

Thank you Snip13. This is a great list!

what is spiced rum? do you buy it spiced or spice-it-yourself?

Yes, Xmas will be here in just a nod.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Diced figs and dates...yum!!!

 

[Snip 13]

Thank you Snip13. This is a great list!

what is spiced rum? do you buy it spiced or spice-it-yourself?

Yes, Xmas will be here in just a nod.

My pleasure I use this.

 

[chopper]

Just for the record: it is never too early for Christmas baking, or Christmas decorating, or Christmas shopping, or Christmas get-Togethers, or...........

 

[Kylie1969]

My pleasure I use this.

I know someone who loves drinking that stuff

 

[Snip 13]

I know someone who loves drinking that stuff

I like it with with appletizer

 

[GLC]

Oooh. That reminds me. I need to test run a Tequila-lime pound cake before Thanksgiving. (Testing of the Tequila itself is nearly complete.)

 

[Siegal]

I can't imagine that any time would not be a good time for baking. I've wanted to start baking during the holidays but my husband dislikes cookies!! Weirdo

I am definitely making doughnuts though!

 

[Addie]

My daughter is buying the complete dinner already cooked from Stop and Shop. I will make an apple pie for her family. I am also going to make a big dish of dressing. The last time she ordered this dinner, no one liked the dressing. She doesn't know I am making it though. I bought Turkey Stock and a turkey leg for the liquid for the dressing. I will also make some cookies. Her husband and son have a very large sweet tooth. I would like to make the Oreo Cookie cheesecake for my grandson, bu I think I would be pushing myself too hard. My days of baking for two or three days are over. Time for the younger generation to take over. Time for them to learn to bake.

 

[Snip 13]

Oooh. That reminds me. I need to test run a Tequila-lime pound cake before Thanksgiving. (Testing of the Tequila itself is nearly complete.)

Love those bottles, I could make chilli sauce in those! You can have the tequila!

 

[Kylie1969]

I will share the tequila hic

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I know that this thread is as cold as a fish, but I've started my Christmas baking, since we will be gone for awhile.


I like to give food as gifts, no surprise there, right?
This is a Chocolate Bailey's Irish Cream cake with toasted
Coconut on top. It went into the deep freeze and
will be mailed to it's lucky recipient later.
This cake tastes better days later so it works out perfect for mailing.

 

[Cheryl J]

I'll be baking these cookies from the link Andy provided. They're tops on my cookie list that I've just started for the holidays.

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Dessert/Pecan-Cookie-Balls

We'll also do decorative sugar cookies that the grandkids can get involved in. Not sure of what else just yet.

 

[menumaker]

Our Christmas cake is done and sleeping in the larder and tomorrow and Thursday we have a big cook-in with friends making more cakes, Christmas puddings and mincemeat.
Along the way we will have to make sure that the rum and brandy hasn't gone off since last year of course and someone has to lick out the bowls. Alas, that now falls to the kids unless they are out playing in the garden and miss the moment. Their loss and someone elses gain I suppose!!

 

[Addie]

Our Christmas cake is done and sleeping in the larder and tomorrow and Thursday we have a big cook-in with friends making more cakes, Christmas puddings and mincemeat.
Along the way we will have to make sure that the rum and brandy hasn't gone off since last year of course and someone has to lick out the bowls. Alas, that now falls to the kids unless they are out playing in the garden and miss the moment. Their loss and someone elses gain I suppose!!

I wouldn't fret too much about the kids. There day will come when they are old enough to join the older folks with the cooking. And then their kids will be out playing in the garden.

 

[Bookbrat]

We don't like 'fruitcake fruit' either...not even the expensive stuff. My fruitcake is a fruit bread, really.... dark, spicy batter and add nuts, dried apricots, dates and our health food store sells dried pineapple and papaya that's sweet but not icky and they have a nice color. Maybe some currants or dried apples or dried canned peaches. And candied cranberries instead of cherries. Doused with White Christmas (rum and brandy).

Going to try and get motivated over Thanksgiving weekend and freeze some cookie dough.

 

[Kathleen]

Fruitcake

I'm a bit behind on the fruitcake game, but I made 12 mini-fruitcakes this year. Tonight, I emptied a pint of Applejack brandy on them. I definitely need more for the next go-around.