From traditional bakes like gingerbread men to something more unique, we’ve got a variety of delicious Christmas baking ideas to help your festive season be as tasty as it can be. Whether you’re baking with the kids or looking for a show-stopping dessert for your party, why not try one of the recipes below? You can also explore festive treats like peppermint bark, cinnamon star biscuits, or snowball cake pops for extra Christmas magic.
Gingerbread Men
Ingredients: 180g softened butter, 170g brown sugar, 190g treacle, 1 egg, a splash of vanilla extract, 420g plain flour, 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg.
Method:
- Beat together the butter, sugar, and treacle until fluffy with a whisk. Then beat in the egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, measuring the spices to taste.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, being careful not to overmix as this can make your dough tough.
- Chill the dough in the fridge until firm to help the biscuits keep their shape.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut shapes with cookie cutters.
- Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 180c until golden and puffy – approximately 10 minutes depending on the size of your cutters.
- Leave to cool and then decorate with icing pens.
Christmas Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cake: 120g softened butter, 120g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 1tsp vanilla extract, 120g self-raising flour
For the icing: 140g softened butter, 275g icing sugar, 1-2 tbsp milk, food colouring
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180c and fill a cupcake tin with your cupcake cases.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Fold in the flour and add milk little by little until it has a drop-like consistency, and spoon into the paper cases.
- Bake until golden - approximately ten to fifteen minutes - and then leave to cool completely.
- Beat together the ingredients for the icing and spoon into a piping bag.
- Pipe your design onto your cakes and serve
- Top tips: These cakes are so simple to make that you can experiment with any festive flavours. Try adding spices or fruit zest to the batter to create Christmas Cake cupcakes, or, for an adult twist, add cream liqueur to the icing. This recipe is perfect for creating cupcake wreaths - a wonderful way to serve your guests and create a centrepiece. Simply decorate your cupcakes as if they were one cake for a tear and share experience. You could even turn them into traditional Christmas characters by making legs and faces from fondant and chocolate.
Mince Pies
Ingredients:
For the mincemeat: raisins, currants, chopped mixed peel, apple, brandy, cold grated butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla, mixed spice, zest and juice of an orange and lemon.
For the pastry: 350g plain flour, 150g softened butter, 50g icing sugar, 2 egg yolks
Method:
- Mix the ingredients for the mincemeat and leave it in the fridge for 24 hours or overnight. We've purposefully left out the measurements here so you can add a little, or as much, of the ingredients as you like for a taste that's unique to you. If you're making these pies for kids, try swapping out the brandy for orange juice.
- Using your hands, mix together the flour, butter and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs, then incorporate the egg yolks with a little water if necessary. When the dough has come together so it's smooth and soft, wrap it in cling film and chill it for half an hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180c and grease your muffin or cupcake tin.
- Roll out your dough to the thickness of a pound coin and cut out your bases using a cookie or pastry cutter that's a size larger than the space in your tin, and place them inside.
- Fill your pies with the mincemeat mixture and cut out the lids using a cutter that is a size smaller than your tin.
- Top the pies with the lids and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Wash the tops with beaten egg using a pastry brush and sprinkle sugar over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden. Leave to cool and serve.
English Trifle
Ingredients: Summer berries or fruit cocktail, cake (Swiss roll, Madeira, and ladyfingers all work well), custard, jelly, double cream, sherry, and flaked almonds.
Method:
- Begin by adding the berries or fruit cocktail to the bottom of your trifle dish, ensuring there is an even layer.
- Make your jelly according to the instructions on your gelatin or flavoured pack and pour the liquid in with the berries. Chill in the fridge until set.
- Soak your chosen cake with sherry and layer it on top of the jelly.
- Layer the custard on top.
- Whip your double cream until stiff and add this on top of your custard.
- Lightly toast your almonds and sprinkle them over the top.
Top Tip: Play with the flavours of this traditional dessert for a unique twist. Why not try making a black forest trifle with chocolate cake and cherry jelly? You could even make a chocolate orange or a winter spice-inspired trifle. When making this pudding for children, soak the cake in the juice of your berries or fruit cocktail.
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients: 200g white chocolate, 200g dark or milk chocolate, Crushed candy canes or peppermint sweets
Method:
- Melt the dark or milk chocolate and spread it evenly over a lined baking tray. Chill until firm.
- Melt the white chocolate and spread it over the set dark chocolate layer.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes or peppermint sweets over the white chocolate while it is still soft.
- Chill again until completely set, then break into irregular shards to serve.
Cinnamon Star Biscuits
Ingredients: 250g ground almonds, 100g icing sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp lemon juice
Method:
- Mix together the ground almonds, icing sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with lemon juice until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until combined to form a dough.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to about 1cm thick.
- Cut star shapes and place them on a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 150c for 10 to 12 minutes until slightly golden. Cool before serving.
Snowball Cake Pops
Ingredients:
Crumbled sponge cake (about 200g)
100g buttercream
200g white chocolate
100g desiccated coconut
Method:
- Mix crumbled sponge cake with buttercream until it forms a dough-like consistency.
- Roll the mixture into small balls and chill until firm.
- Melt the white chocolate and dip each cake ball into it, then immediately roll in desiccated coconut.
- Place on a lined tray and chill again until set. Serve on sticks or in mini paper cases.
Enjoy baking these festive favourites and create delicious memories this Christmas season!
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