Christmas Baking
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    Default Christmas Baking

    I know we have some keen bakers on the forum!

    Have you done any Christmas baking yet with your mindees or for your own family?

    What are you planning on baking in the next couple of weeks?

    Think we're going to attempt our first chocolate log this year, any tried and tested recipes out there?

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    One of my New Years resolutions is to do more baking.

    Last year I always had a Friday off and that was my baking day. DS & DD used to come rushing home from school to see what I'd made! Since January I've hardly had any Fridays free so the baking has been very scarce. From January I will have my free day back again though, so baking will be back on the cards.

    My mindees are all a bit young to really get much out of baking at the moment, although me have managed jam tarts and simple cupcakes. They tasted ok considering most if the ingredients ended up everywhere but in the tin!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    I know we have some keen bakers on the forum!

    Have you done any Christmas baking yet with your mindees or for your own family?

    What are you planning on baking in the next couple of weeks?

    Think we're going to attempt our first chocolate log this year, any tried and tested recipes out there?
    Not done any with the younger mindees I have one who it's impossible with.

    Though the older ones I have done various forms of mince pies.
    A few years ago we did the yule log.
    Cranberry and white chocolate scones.
    Christmas pudding fudge.
    White chocolate and baileys fudge.
    Last edited by FussyElmo; 09-12-2016 at 10:14 AM.
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    the nearest to baking ive got is gingerbread playdough!

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    Quote Originally Posted by mama2three View Post
    the nearest to baking ive got is gingerbread playdough!
    Forgot we made gingerbread houses a few years back - loved doing them but you do need time
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post
    Forgot we made gingerbread houses a few years back - loved doing them but you do need time
    They look amazing, but I keep putting them off because I'm sure it would lead to arguments (between me and DD). Are they really finicky?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post

    They look amazing, but I keep putting them off because I'm sure it would lead to arguments (between me and DD). Are they really finicky?
    You may want to do the gluing of the house yourself that's the trickiest part
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    we usually make mince pies and ginger biscuits ... so far, not had time or inclination! ( current lot of mindees just don't seem interested in cooking )

    I make a chocolate log for Christmas - I always used to make a Christmas cake - but only I ate it, then we moved to a house with an aga, and fruitcake is a nightmare without specialist baking tins; which for once a year, I am not buying! so now I buy a small one from local bakers.


    Gingerbread Houses Ideas I thought these looked good fun! ( and relatively easy! )

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    I know we have some keen bakers on the forum!

    Have you done any Christmas baking yet with your mindees or for your own family?

    What are you planning on baking in the next couple of weeks?

    Think we're going to attempt our first chocolate log this year, any tried and tested recipes out there?
    So tonight as I stupidly promised dd I would bake for her team tomorrow we are making mince pies with marzipan in it. Chocolate tray bake, choc chip cookies and sausage rolls
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post
    So tonight as I stupidly promised dd I would bake for her team tomorrow we are making mince pies with marzipan in it. Chocolate tray bake, choc chip cookies and sausage rolls
    All in one go?!!! That would be my whole seasons worth of baking. You are a saint.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post

    All in one go?!!! That would be my whole seasons worth of baking. You are a saint.
    All in one go and I have to say it was like a plague of locusts landing there isn't much left :-)
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    We have made 2 family Christmas cakes...and whilst we did so the LO's stirred and stirred all the fruit for another then I used small baked bean tins to make tiny Christmas cakes, the 3 year old and I mainly but the tinies added flour etc. We have rolled marzipan and the 3 year old cut out and put on all the cakes -Icing this week. Great for short activities.
    Christmas biscuits - all used cutters, mixed the ingredients for mincemeat and older child and I rolled DH pastry and made lots of mince pies last week for her to take home.

    This week we are making Christmas tree pizzas for lunch. Really simple edible activity, decorating the tree with coloured chopped veg and fruit.

    Baking is a big part of our home Christmas....it's like putting up the Christmas tree, Christmas music on in the kitchen every day at some point in the run up to Christmas ...then we bake together, mince pies, coffee kisses, Viennese whirls, millionaire biscuits, various Christmas biscuits, a chocolate log and then finally ice the cake! We have lots and lots of family and friends visiting - 26 on Christmas Eve - so it soon goes. I love this part of the preparations best.

    I find that having a baking session is good for all ages once they are sturdy on their feet. The tinies wear an apron but they wander in and out of the activity...or just stand and watch....but it is great for getting them to follow you with early basic instructions and they love stirring, not always staying on task, but they get a lot from it and good for preparation in future baking. I am quite lucky with DH as my technician - he prepares everything ready to weigh and we just got to the table he has set up - then afterwards he tidies up and puts Things in the oven etc... Whilst we wash up - the best part for my current 20 month old. It fills up quite a bit of time too!
    I have had endless gingerbread house disasters over the years where my houses look like shacks that are about to fall down, so I avoid this now.

    I use Delia recipes usually, all on line now.
    Jamie Oliver has some good recipes in his Christmas book this year that we are thinking about too.

    We only do a couple of things at a time though - brilliant Fussy that you have a big mega session, I expect that's quite good fun.

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    loocyloo those little houses look like a good idea!

    I enjoy baking, but the problem is I then don't feel like cooking on he same day and the cooking has to happen. I'm finding that I am missing childminding a lot these days. Very happy memories of festive baking with toddlers and pre-schoolers but fancy trying some new ideas this time. I've got some lovely ideas from this thread now!

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    Quote Originally Posted by FloraDora View Post

    We only do a couple of things at a time though - brilliant Fussy that you have a big mega session, I expect that's quite good fun.
    Its all in the planning. Make the pastry, i do the traybake on the hob and at the same time the girls do the biscuits, as they bake we make the mince pies and as they were baking we prepared the sausage rolls ready to bake which i did this morning.

    Maza i know what yo man about not wanting to cook afterwards I have to either back very early on or after we have had tea
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    I know we have some keen bakers on the forum!

    Have you done any Christmas baking yet with your mindees or for your own family?

    What are you planning on baking in the next couple of weeks?

    Think we're going to attempt our first chocolate log this year, any tried and tested recipes out there?
    Maza on the good food channel today there is a great British Baker off masterclass and they show you how to do the chocolate log. I'm sure this is the one we did :-)
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    I know we have some keen bakers on the forum!

    Have you done any Christmas baking yet with your mindees or for your own family?

    What are you planning on baking in the next couple of weeks?

    Think we're going to attempt our first chocolate log this year, any tried and tested recipes out there?
    Did one of these tonight very quick and easy. All the posts I have seen of people making them have used Nutella so of course I used mincemeat
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    I pet hate is cooking, of any sort! I cook only because we have to eat. I feel bad that I don't do cooking with mindees so I'm going to try and do some on a regular basis next year. Might try a small cake for Mother's Day to start with

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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post
    Did one of these tonight very quick and easy. All the posts I have seen of people making them have used Nutella so of course I used mincemeat
    Did you use mincemeat inside a chocolate log? That sounds interesting. Have you sampled it yet or are you saving it for the big day?

    We're making mince pies tomorrow and I was wondering about other recipes to do with mincemeat.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    Did you use mincemeat inside a chocolate log? That sounds interesting. Have you sampled it yet or are you saving it for the big day?

    We're making mince pies tomorrow and I was wondering about other recipes to do with mincemeat.
    Jamie Oliver's mincemeat muffins are nice and easy to make - recipe online.
    We have a dozen jars of home made mincemeat so I am hoping DH has some ideas!
    So far we have had: mincemeat plait for a pudding with custard. Frozen filo pastry.
    Bread and butter pudding ( quite rich but yummy with mincemeat )
    Mixed with stewed pears.
    A small bowl served with cheese and ham was lovely at a friends house. Like chutney, yummy.
    We had some mixed with granola on Sunday for breakfast.
    DH does a brioche with mincemeat ( not much) -
    with yoghurt too is nice.
    Happy baking.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post

    Did one of these tonight very quick and easy. All the posts I have seen of people making them have used Nutella so of course I used mincemeat
    No its the puff pastry Christmas tree but I can't get the photo to upload so will do it on the laptop later
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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