Christmas Baking

When I was a teen, I lived with both my mother and my grandparents.  There are several Christmas memories that I treasure.  One is my grandma and her trees.  She loved teddy bears and would put up several trees with just her teddy bear ornaments on it.  Then there we would put up the traditional tree.  I really wish I was into photography then because I would love to have pictures of her and her trees.

The other memory is her baking and making candy.  She had a bench in the kitchen that I inherited from her.  After she would bake a batch or two cookies or make the candy she would put it on the bench.  I was not suppose to touch any of the goodies because they were to be given out as Christmas gifts.  My mom helped her with the baking and making candy but I didn't.  I don't remember if it was because I was a teen and didn't want to or if she didn't allow me to.  Now I wish I did help her make those goodies and again I wish I had photographs of all the goodies.

I got married in 1999 and moved out of the college dorms.  During Christmas I picked up the tradition of making goodies for Christmas.  And I've done it ever since.  While my grandma was dying in 2008, we spent the days leading up to Christmas in the nursing home keeping watch over her and praying.  When I was unable to be at the nursing home, I was at the house baking up goodies and then bringing them to the nursing home to share with family members.  Grandma ended up passing away on Christmas Eve right about the time the Christmas Eve service started at my church.  It was only fitting she died during the holiday season because she loved it so much.

Most of the Christmas baking I do myself but the boys are allowed in the kitchen for some of it.  They do help for the most part.  But their attention span is of a flea sometimes when it comes to this kind of stuff.  Will's favorite part of helping is cracking the eggs and beating the yolks with a fork.  If I'm making peanut butter blossoms which is their favorite kind of cookie, they are all about putting the Hershey Kiss on the cookie when it comes out of the oven.  Those are memories I want them to have so hopefully they can pass them onto their kids.

So as the Christmas baking season begins for me, I want to list some of my favorite cookies I've made and will make once again.

Rolo Turtles



 

 

 

 

Pecan Nouget Cookies

 

 

 

 

Spritz Cookies



 

 

 

Peanut butter blossoms



 

 

 

 

Snickerdoodles

Mock Thin Mints

Sugar Cookies

Watermelon Cookies (A.K.A. Kool Aid Cookies) - Make them in Christmas colors

Pretzel Chocolate Chip cookies (not really Christmasy but delicious anyway)

Easy Fudge

Saltine Chocolate Pieces

Aunt Janet's Pecan Tarts

Grandma's White Salad (Not baking but a memory from the holidays)

I use my grandma's Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make the dough for all the cookies and have used it since 2008.

What are some Christmas memories you treasure?