CHRISTMAS RECIPES

Christmas Baking Tips

Get your baking just right the first time. Here are solutions to some of the most faced problems when baking for Christmas.

Coloring Sugar

Colored sugar is not only expensive, especially when you need lots of it, but it is often coarse and unpalatable. Coloring your own sugar is inexpensive and easy. Simply buy a high quality food coloring, in your favorite colors, and mix your own. (1) Sprinkle white sugar onto a plastic coated paper plate; (2) add five drops of liquid food coloring; (3) mix with the back of a spoon, until the sugar is the color you want (Go easy, as a little bit of coloring goes a long way); (4) air dry over night, or transfer colored sugar to pie plate and place in a 200 degree oven for ten minutes.

Filling Jam Cookies or Donuts

If you don't have cake decorating bags or tips, a turkey baster is a good substitute. (1) Squeeze baster to remove all air; (2) place in jam jar; then depress and release the bulb to load the tube; (3) dispense the jam onto each cookie, or into donuts, using the bulb to control the flow.

Baking Cookies with Sugar Substitutes

You can substitute sugar with substitutes in any of your cookie recipes but take care of some basic points. First, check the package for specific substitution formulas. Second, always try a test batch first. There is bound to be a difference when baking with substitutes. And last, you will need to flatten your cookies a little bit before baking since substitute sugars melt and flatten slower than regular sugar.

An Oven for Perfect Christmas Breads

Trying to bake the perfect Amish Friendship Bread this Christmas? You need to try your best to make your home oven work like the ones professional bakers use. You might not be able to perfectly imitate the way bakery ovens work because they are made differently but you can try these tips to optimize the results. Preheat the oven well, avoid opening the door during baking and if possible, use a baking stone. Or you can also line the oven floor with unglazed tiles. They work similar to the stone and help retain heat. For a crisp crust but soft bread, try humidifying your oven by creating steam with a pan filled with hot water placed on the floor of the oven.

Recycling Bread Trimmings

A great way to recycle bread, brioche, Pannetone and cornbread trimmings is to make bread puddings. Fashion your own creative Bread Pudding Recipes by choosing different 'trimmings'. It could be leftover raisin bread, crusts from PBJ sandwiches or even cornbread. Turn them into perfect desserts by serving them with ice cream, fruits and cream and custard.