Ready, Set, Bake!: Christmas Baking 101

Get your kids involved in more than just licking the bowl!

Baking is so much more fun in December. Nothing says Christmas quite like all the delicious cakes, cookies and festive treats on offer. Whether you are baking treats to leave out for Santa or need something sweet for a cookie exchange, we’ve rounded up six festive recipes for you and your family to try over the holiday season. As a handy tip, we’ve outlined tasks for your kids too, so they can participate in the family Christmas baking.

Read more: Party Snack Ideas: Quick And Easy Dishes To Whip Up

Tried and tested, this gingerbread recipe turns out perfectly every single time. With crisp edges, soft centres and the perfect amount of spice, these cookies scream Merry Christmas.

Ingredients:

²⁄3 cup softened unsalted butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
²⁄3 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Method:

• In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat until combined.
• Next, beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined.
• On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Don’t skip this step!
• Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it’s about ¼-inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped.
• Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on cookie size.
• Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, before transferring to a cooling rack.
• Once completely cool, decorate as desired.

Sassy Mama Tip: Once the cookies have cooled, your kids will love decorating them.

These peanut butter cookies are so easy to make that even the most reluctant baker can pull these together. Let your kids roll the cookies in sprinkles instead of granulated sugar prior to baking for an added festive touch.

Ingredients:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup softened unsalted butter
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
30 Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses, unwrapped

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Freeze the unwrapped Hershey’s kisses.
• Whisk the dry ingredients together.
• Cream the wet ingredients together.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients together.
• Chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll cookie dough into balls. Use about 1 tbsp of dough per cookie.
• Coat each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar or colourful sprinkles.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes before pressing a chocolate kiss into each one.
• Wait for cookies and kisses to completely cool before storing in an airtight container.

Read more: Feeling Festive: DIY Christmas Crafts For Kids Of All Ages

With chunks of Toblerone added to the mix, this easy shortbread adds a special twist to a Christmas classic. Your kids are bound to love it! It makes for a great gift as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
12 oz milk chocolate Toblerone bars (about 3 bars)
¼ cup icing sugar

Method:

• Preheat oven to 160°C and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Beat butter until light and fluffy.
• Gradually beat in sugar until dissolved (about 5 minutes).
• Sift flours together. Stir into the butter mixture and combine well.
• Chop chocolate into 1cm chunks. Save about 50 of the biggest chunks and mix the rest into the batter until just combined.
• Arrange mounds of batter on baking sheets and press a chunk of chocolate into each cookie.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned.
• Cool in a single layer on racks. Sift icing sugar over cookies.

These are the perfect combination of peppermint and chocolate! This is the first time I tried this recipe, but given the rave reviews (from friends and my son!), we will be adding them to the Christmas baking rotation.

Ingredients:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup crushed candy canes for dipping cookies

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cocoa.
• Cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Mix until just combined.
• Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop the dough into rounded tablespoons and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake cookies for 9 minutes, or until cookies are set, but still soft in the centre. Don’t overbake.
• Remove from the oven and while the cookies are still on the baking sheet, sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
• Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Read more: Classy Christmas Style To Bring The Festive Spirit Into Your Home

Bordering on healthy (as much as possible this season!), these chocolate almond clusters come together in minutes. Roasting the almonds make these little nuggets of goodness taste so much better than store-bought versions. Once your children are old enough to eat whole nuts, you’ll love to see how they devour these!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole almonds
8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Sea salt
Turbinado sugar (or any coarse/raw sugar)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread almonds out in a single layer and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once during that time.
• Melt the chocolate carefully in the microwave by placing the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted and smooth.
• Stir the almonds into the chocolate, making sure to coat each one.
• Drop a spoonful of the coated almonds onto a lined baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with a little sea salt and turbinado sugar, then allow chocolate to completely set.
• Store these in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Sassy Mama Tip: Use the highest quality chocolate you can find and avoid chocolate chips. I used Lindt baker’s chocolate for these ones.

The combination of cereal, pretzels and nuts make this snack mix the ultimate savoury treat. This recipe makes a huge batch that is perfect for sharing with friends and family over the holiday season.

Ingredients:

1 box of Cheerios
1 box of Shreddies
1 box of Chex cereal (optional)
1 to 2 bags of thin pretzel sticks
1 to 2 bags of shoestring potato crisps
800 grams of peanuts
500 grams of cashews, halved
1 lb of butter
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp each of garlic salt, celery salt and onion salt

Method:

• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large roasting pan.
• In a large saucepan melt the butter and add the Worcestershire sauce.
• In a separate bowl, mix the spices together using a small amount of melted butter to prevent lumping. When smooth, add the spice mix to the melted butter.
• Add butter to the dry ingredients and stir well.
• Bake at 110°C for one hour covered and for one hour uncovered, stirring every 20 minutes for the entire two hours.
• Cool completely before storing in jars. The mix can also be stored in large ziplock bags.

Sassy Mama Tip: The potato shoestring crisps and pretzel sticks can be found at M&S.