Christmas is a time of Baking!

Christmas is a wonderful time of year! I love the holidays! Every year I look forward to spending time with family and friends, reading the Christmas story, going to gatherings, and all those other things that the season brings. One thing I manage to do every year is go crazy with baking. Yup. Christmas baking.

This year I had determined to make all (or almost all) of my gifts. I did a LOT of baking so I could give some of it away, as well as enjoy some of it for myself (and my husband enjoys it too, of course). Since I was doing so for giving, that meant I would want need to make many different things. And in a short amount of time (since I want things to be fresh). So, in one week, I baked 8 different items... I even pared down the list from what it was originally.

Yes... pared it DOWN... it was originally 10.

Gifts included Schoene Kuchen, Chocolate Crinkles, Unbaked Cookies, Spritz Cookies, Toffee, Peanut Butter Cups, and a gingerbread ornament as a decorative tag. Yes, those are links to the recipes, in case you want them. I also made whole wheat buns and banana nut bread, mainly for us. :) I will say it again, like I do every year... I don't want to make this many things in such a short amount of time ever again. I'm all baked out (and I have to bake cookies for a gathering this weekend, and an appetizer for our Bible Study Christmas get together tomorrow,and a square for the gathering next weekend). Crazy enough? Yeah. Good thing I enjoy baking (just not so crazy about cooking... how weird is that).

So, what are your favorite holiday baked goods? I'd have to say, the one I make EVERY year is the Schoene Kuchen... I hate icing the things, and they take forever to make (all that rolling and cutting and rolling and cutting, and then icing, it's a lot of work)... but they are a classic Christmas cookie, to me. My mom made them just about every year, and when I was little we'd help ice them and decorate them all on the table. We had sprinkles all over the floor (I think we were still sweeping them up two weeks later), and icing on our faces and hands, and it was just a lot of fun!

Toffee is another one of my favorites. I don't make it every year, but I make it at least every other year. It is so tasty! First time I made this recipe I didn't have a candy thermometer, so every couple of minutes I was dropping bits of the candy into a cup of cold water to see if it was the right stage. Lots of fun. Not anymore. I like my candy thermometer.

I also love making new recipes... every year. Why not? It's more fun to try something new! And what a time of year to do it!

So go ahead, leave a link to your fave Christmas recipe! Better yet, post it on your own blog, and link it back here! I won't bother with Mr. Linky... putting it in the comments is fine... right?