Despite the fact that I'm a huge fan of Christmas baking, we're a full week into December and I've yet to turn out a single thing. I even showed up to a cookie exchange party Saturday empty handed (shameful I know, but it was largely due to being stranded in Cincinnati overnight the day before...but that's a whole other story.) So itching to bake and needing to put the two (precious) Meyer Lemons from my little tree to use, Audrey and I cranked up the Christmas tunes last night and set to work...We decided on Lemon Bars...or more accurately "I" decided to make lemon bars, as she was skeptical* that anything delicious and dessert-like could be made of lemons, but given the fact that she was about to get to crack multiple eggs, she was in, despite her doubts.
* which in turn made me skeptical of the fact that she was actually my child, as I just don't see how someone who came from my womb (sorry to be graphic) could not love lemons with every ounce of their being...but I digress.
We went with this recipe, and the bars were pretty divine, although I think I was a bit heavy handed with the salt and, refusing to taint my backyard lemons with shoddy store-bought ones, I could have used more lemon juice... but otherwise perfection.I even managed to convince Audrey to take a big bite of one of the bars and she didn't gag, didn't spit it out, and declared them..."pretty good."
Nice.
What do you love to bake during the holidays? I'd love to try something new!
My alltime favorite thing to bake around the holidays is bread. I like to have a slice for dessert after dinner or for breakfast with coffee. Among my favorites are pumpkin and my grandmother's crandberry fruit bread. Here's the recipe for the cranberry. It's divine.
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Between this month's issue of Sauver and all of the cookies going on at http://www.lottieanddoof.com/, I'm set for life with Christmas baking ideas. I also am toying with the idea of making Candied Bacon Fudge a la The Kitchn.
ReplyDeleteYum! Lemon bars are one of my favorites. And if you have Meyer lemons to play with, they are that much more delicious.
ReplyDeleteI have a short list of holiday cookies - gingerbread (of course), pecan balls (which are basically pie crust encircling a little mound of pecans), almond crescents and my personal favorite - Melomakarona, which are traditional Greek Christmas cookies.
I love to bake espresso pound cake in mini-bread pans and give as gifts!
ReplyDeleteThis year, in addition to the above, I'm trying a chai eggnog cookie!
I love making peppermint meringues with mini chocolate chips. Perfect, light, and Christmasy. My boys like crushing the peppermint candy.
ReplyDeleteI love making gingerbread! It's my favorite and goes great with coffee. I also make Limoncello every year. It's a vodka-based lemon liquor that you can make right at home. It takes 2-3 weeks to achieve optimum flavor, so if you start soon, you'll be ready for the holidays and the new year!
ReplyDeleteoh and i also made Lemon Curd - it's on my site www.rabbitfoodrocks.blogspot.com. Happy writing. I love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteamee -- definitely going to try the linoncello (and the lemon curd)
ReplyDeleteall -- so much yummy stuff! thank you
I just found your blog and it's great!
ReplyDeleteI just made a Rosemary Vanilla Poundcake [from Nigella's 'How To Be A Domestic Goddess'] that I think might be a new holiday tradition. Also, pecan bars [from Cook's Illustrated] and pumpkin bars.
I can now take great pride in holiday baking as this year I achieved what other's have not in my family - recreating my grandmohter's anise cookies. They are a favorite with the men in our family. My sister is the real baker in our fam and she has never gotten them quite right and my grandmother passed away several years ago so we have no one to consult on the recipe. I attempted the cookies for the first time last year and got them pretty close to right. A small and proud coup for me. This year my father declared perfection on the anise cookies and can only hope to keep it up. This has certainly sprung me into new confidence with holiday baking!
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