Christmas Baking! A Collection of Christmas Treats!

    I have been sorely lacking in anything Christmas oriented on the blog this season!!! Thumbs down!

   I have a pile of recipes I've been working on that are not geared towards the holidays at all, I've been busy with art shows & working on paintings, and have  just  been busy with regular life, so anything that could be even remotely helpful for this busy season just hasn't happened!

   So, I did have a different post ready for today, but yesterday as I was looking up my own recipes and baking my butt off, it occurred to me....why reinvent the wheel!

   Some of my favourite, go-to Christmas recipes I posted my first year blogging! 

   So, today I am going to share with you the recipes from Bushel & A Peck that I've been making the last few days! A lot of the recipes from here are gluten-free, but can be easily made gluten-full if you have no dietary restrictions.

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    So, first up, a fantastically buttery whipped shortbread that only have 5 ingredients, and is very customizable! Add chocolate chips, caramel chips, butterscotch or white chocolate chips! How about an entire caramel, or whipping in some finely ground tea, like in my Earl Grey Whipped Shortbread!  Yummmyx100000! 

    Making and eating these plain is amazing too, so if you're looking for a strait-up easy, freezable, and crowd-pleasing cookie-this is the bees knees! 

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    My buttery cut-out sugar cookies use basic ingredients, and turn out with a nice crisp outside, but with a soft, buttery inside.

    They can seem like a labour of love because you do need to chill these before cutting into shapes, and the cutting into shapes can seem overwhelming, but it's really simple work that makes a big impression! Iced cut-out sugar cookies are quintessentially Christmas, and I know I personally always look forward to them!

    This year I used a different icing for my cookies, and it worked wonderfully! My usual icing (pictured above) is tasty and simple, but I needed the icing to dry a little harder so that they could be easily stacked into airtight containers, and this icing did the trick! The recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction, and you can find the recipe in the post with her cut-out cookies.

Easy Icing:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup2
• 2 - 2.5 Tablespoons (30-38ml) room temperature water
• pinch salt

Method:

1. Whisk the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl, it will be quite thick. 

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      Sally Says, "If it is much too thick, add 1/2 Tablespoon more water. If it is much too thin, add 2 more Tablespoons of confectioners' sugar. If you drizzle a little of the icing with the whisk, the ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. That is when you know it's the right consistency and is ready to use. If desired, add liquid or gel food coloring. You can pour some icing into different bowls if using multiple colors. If not decorating right away, cover the icing tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days"   

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   My fudge (The Easiest Fudge Ever!!!) is so simple, so quick to make, and freezes too, so, why not make a batch and stash it away in the freezer to have available to bring to a party, to serve to guests, or to add to a plate of Christmas treats you're giving away!.......or to snack on when you need a sugar fix! : )    

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    Chocolate & peppermint are flavour favourites, yes? Ok, not to all people, but to those who like them together, these peppermint infused fudge-y brownies topped with crushed candy cane are a beautiful dessert to add to a plate or package of treats! Here's the recipe for Gluten-Free Candy Cane Brownies!  

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    More gluten-free treats!?! Yes, sorry! Because my son can't eat wheat, I like to make sure I have a variety of sweets I can bring him so he can wonderful Christmas treats like everyone else!

    Also, can I say that brining a g.f. dessert to a function isn't a bad idea! There are so many people avoiding wheat & gluten, and why not make a few things that can be enjoyed by them! In my experience, it is always greatly appreciated! 

   So, here are my Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies, they have a nice crisp outside, but a soft inside, and sturdy enough to decorate (my son's favourite part!) 

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    These simple, Peanut Butter Macaroons have been included in a few lists for Christmas cookies, including on the Roasted Roost (a list of 50 gluten-free Christmas cookies!!!), and on Only Taste Matters (with a list of 25 gluten-free Christmas Cookies!), and I shall add them here to my own list!

    I love that these require no baking (just a little stove-top time), use simple ingredients, & stay fresh in an airtight container for up to a week, so they can be made ahead of time (they can't be frozen though).

    Can we also for a minute just talk about that crazy stack of cookies pictured above!?! I'm not 100% sure how I managed to get them to stay like that, but I did! Haha! ​

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    So, how's that for a list of Christmas treats! These are all tried and true recipes in my house, so I hope you'll find a few to make and add to your collection must-make holiday sweeties!

    I hope everyone has a good weekend!

​xo