Easy Holiday Baking Ideas

Every year I have the grandkids come over and we spend an afternoon whipping up some easy holiday baking ideas.

This year was no exception.

I know COVID has put a damper on holiday celebrations globally.

I like to try to keep things as normal as possible while still working within the government’s guidelines.

Here in New Brunswick, Canada, we are allowed to get together with one other household as long as that household only gets together with us.

Naturally, we chose our daughter and her family to be included in our, one other household bubble.

This works because all our sons live out of province so we can’t get together with them at all right now.

So three of our grandchildren came over and we had a fun-filled afternoon of baking.

Because our grandson is a type 1 diabetic, I always ensure I have accurate nutrition information for each recipe.

I have found this handy nutrition calculator that I use when I am making a new recipe that does not include the necessary information.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter                      5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar                   2 tsp. Baking powder

4 eggs                                         1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Vanilla extract               various colours of sugar or icing for decorating

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill for at least one hour ( I prefer overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on a floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. The grandkids love to cut the rolled dough into shapes with floured cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. This is where I get the kids to decorate the cookies. It can be both messy but it is so much fun the mess is worth it.
4. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in a preheated oven. Cool completely on wire racks.

NOTE:

I have included the important nutrition information for our diabetic friends if they choose to bake these recipes. This recipe makes 48 cookies.

Each cookie contains 135 calories, 18.4 g total carbohydrates, 0.4 g dietary fibre, and 1.9 g protein.

Keep in mind this nutrition information is the naked cookie. Whatever you used to decorate the cookies will increase the total carb count.

Chewy Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup Crisco                                2 1/4 cup flour

1 cup granulated sugar                    2/3 cup cocoa

2/3 cup packed brown sugar          1 tsp. Baking soda

1 Tbsp vanilla                                     1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten                      1/4 cup milk

1 cup chocolate chips                       1 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Combine Crisco, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat with mixer on low speed for 1 minute.
2. Add eggs and beat on low till thoroughly mixed in.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk, beat on low.
5. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in preheated 350 degrees F. oven.

Note: Cookies should still appear soft and moist. They look like a cookie but taste like a brownie. So good.

I have included the important nutrition information for our diabetic friends. This recipe makes 48 cookies. Each cookie contains 96 calories, 13.8 g total carbohydrates, 0.9 g dietary fibre and 2.3 g protein.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine                               1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup peanut butter                          1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup white sugar                              3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup packed brown sugar              1 pinch salt

1 egg

Directions:

1. Mix margarine, peanut butter, sugars and egg. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour.
2. Chill dough for several hours or overnight.
3. Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten crisscross style with a fork dipped in flour or sugar.
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Cool completely on wire rack.

NOTE:

I have included the necessary nutrition information for our diabetic friends. This recipe makes 36 cookies.

Each cookie contains 106 calories, 9.9 g total carbohydrate, 0.3 g dietary fibre and 1.6 g protein.

 

 

Jelly Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened           1 cup flour

1/3 cup white sugar                                            1/3 tsp salt

1 egg                                                                       jam or jelly of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Blend butter and sugar until creamy.
3. Beat in egg, flour and salt.
4. Shape dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Make a pit in the center of each ball and put a dab of jam or jelly.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: This is a small recipe and only makes 18 cookies. I usually double or quadruple this recipe. I also use my own home-made jams or jellies when making this.

I have included the necessary nutrition information for our diabetic friends. Each cookie contains 88 calories, 9 g total carbohydrate, 0.2 g dietary fibre, and 1.1 g protein.

Final Thoughts

There are tons of easy holiday baking ideas.

I am sharing some of our favourite cookie recipes that I bake with the grandkids every year.

The grandkids who live away don’t miss out because I will often do a video chat with them and I bake here while they bake with the help of their Mom. It is a great way to include them in the fun.

We also make an assortment of squares and cakes but I usually bake those on a different day and often I do those myself as time permits.

The kids find the cookies fun to bake so we made it a yearly thing since they were toddlers.

Keeping family traditions alive despite COVID restrictions is not impossible.

It just takes a little creativity and using today’s technology to your advantage.

Why not plan a video chat baking afternoon.

Be sure to send the recipes and shopping list to the parents ahead of time so you can all bake together.

Do you get together with loved ones for holiday baking?

What goodies do you usually bake?

What creative ways have you found to keep family traditions alive and well throughout this difficult year?

Share your ideas in the comment section below. I look forward to learning new things to try.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.