Newsletter chitchat - December 10, 2024

[Cassel]

Do you tend to do holiday baking? Or maybe you used to but don't anymore?

Do you have a favorite baking recipe? Would you care to share it?

You can even make a layout with that favorite recipe!

Let's chat.

[Rene Marker]

Our big family Christmases the first 40 years of my life were always the host supplied the meat dish and everyone else brought something. When I got old enough, I would make good old Rice Krispies Marshmallow Treats. So it wasn't baking but it was something very enjoyable to eat. Some years I would make a recipe that Mom & I got off a Rice Krispie box many, many, many years ago called "Choco-Scotch Clusters". Rice Krispies mixed into melted chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and smooth peanut butter. 

I would make either one of those 2 things for any carry-ins we would have a work (I'm not a cook at all and hate cooking for me let alone others). On Thanksgiving I asked my cousin's wife which one she would like me to bring on Christmas... she chose the chocolate so Christmas Eve I will be making a batch of those. Although I usually put them in a pan instead of dropping them on waxed paper in clusters.

I documented the recipe in a layout.

 

[Dan Greenwood]

In the 1980's, I worked with Gina, a lady of Italian descent, who always brought pizzelles for carry-ins. Although her family made them with traditional anise, she knew that many people don't like black licorice flavor, so she only brought in vanilla cookies. We became good friends, and I asked for all the details of how they were made. One Christmas season in the late '80's, I was in Chicago, shopping the Miracle Mile. I was looking around in Marshall Fields and I happened upon an electric pizzelle iron. But it was $50!  (Worth about $145 today.) I really hesitated to spend that much. But I had never seen one in my hometown and didn't get to Chicago very often. (And this was before online shopping!) So, I bought it. When I told Gina, she made me promise to never bring in pizzelles at work, because it was her thing. But my family loved my pizzelles. Especially because I experimented. I've made chocolate, pecan, almond, chocolate/peanut butter, cinnamon, peppermint, orange, mocha, cherry, and even rose flavored pizzelles. This year, I'm painting them with luster dust edible glitter, to make them even more magical for Christmas! I guess that wasn't too expensive of a purchase, considering that it's been nearly 40 years that I've been using that same appliance! 

[Sharon Murray]

I love to bake, especially during the holidays!  The year before last I made Greek Kourabiedes, something I've never made before.  This recipe used an ingredient I had never cooked with before, Orange blossom water.  They turned out soooooo melt-in-your-mouth good!!  They remind me of Russian Wedding Cookies.  I may make them again this year.  I will also add, I stored them in an airtight container then forgot about them until the following Christmas when I was going to use it for other cookies and these were still in there lol.  I tried one and they tasted as fresh as they day I made them!  I am so impressed with how this stacking food container kept my cookies, it's very old-fashioned but I love it!  I made several kinds of cookies and was able to transport them easily to my mom's for our Christmas dinner. 

 

 

Edited December 11 by Sharon Murray

[Cristina]

Wow, so many great recipes! I also make things to give as Christmas presents. These could be cookies, truffles, jam, Bailey's liqueur, etc.  I am always looking for new and unusual recipes.

Last year, I baked these Lemon Shortbread Cookies, and the feedback was very positive. So, I'll bake them again this year.

Sharon, you've got me interested in these Kourabiedes cookies.   I'll start looking for the orange blossom water!

Dan, I didn't know about pizzelles. They look so pretty and probably delicious, but I don't have a pizzelle maker, and the prices at Amazon are also not cheap.