What are you baking this year?

[aggiefamily]

I am making my grocery list for my marathon of cooking next week. So far I have gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate pretzels and brownie balls. I would like one more item but nothing is inspiring me right now.

What are you making?

[newfiemountiewife]

I made some gingerbread cookies, and the kids ate them all up within 2 days! So I have to make more.

I'm planning to make some sugar cookies, snowballs and perhaps chocolate mice.

[MissKim]

Here's my baking day post on my blog: Bake Along (http://misskim.typepad.com/justmisskim/2009/12/bake-along-with-me.html)

[Stacey42]

I've made Cocoa Coffee Cookies and Espresso Delights. Next week when the kids are out of school we'll make brown butter rice krispy treats & sugar cookies. Maybe some cake pops as well.

[SEJSmiles]

So far I've made....
- Reindeer Chow aka Puppy Chow
- Chocolate Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Snowflake Shaped Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

I would like to make...
- Chocolate Mint Cookies or Brownies
- Gingerbread Men or House
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Cheese Biscuits

[nikkiARNGwife]

My mom and I have a candy making marathon every year...then we give it away as gifts..well what we don't eat ourselves lol..

Here's my working list so far...

Traditional faves we make every year...
Divinity
Peanut Butter Balls
Fudge (chocolate and peanut butter)
Haystacks (chinese noodles in butterscotch coating)
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Martha Washington Balls
White Trash
Pine Bark

and some new recipes I want to try this year...
Homemade Caramels (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/my-mome28099s-famous-caramels/)
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/chunky-butt-on-a-stick/)
Nanaimo Bars (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/nut-free-nanaimo-bars/)
Uber-Rice Krispie Treats (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/rice-krispie-uber-treats/)
Hershey Kiss Cookies (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/forgotten-kiss-cookies/)

[DawnMarch]

I am just doing one kind of cookie this year - Cinnamon Spritz cookies. Kind of a cinnamon short-bread cookie. They are very yummy. Then, I'm in a couple cookie exchanges, so I get the benefit of everyone else's baking!

[rachaelsscraps]

I've been making all kinds of cookies, and they don't last long at all! I've made chocolate chip, sugar cookies, brownies... none of them last more than a few days! My son's a cookie fiend!

[pewtertm]

Snickerdoodles
No bake cookies
Sugar Cookies
Mini cheesecakes

[kscwgirl]

I'm making these (http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Triple-Chocolate-Peppermint-Treats). Also making sugar cookies, reindeer noses and not sure what else.

[Kat Stokes]

I don't even want to think about this.... I have soooo much work ahead of me.

My List (with my mom's help thankfully)

Caramels
Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut Brittle
Gingerbread Men
Sugar Cookies
Molasses Crinkles (DH thinks they're different than gingerbread men for some reason)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fudge
Divinity (only if the weather turns nice)
Almond Joys
Apricot Balls
Bourbon Balls
Toffee Squares

I'm sure there's more but I'm drawing a blank now. I will be spending my whole weekend in the kitchen. ;)

ETA: If anyone has an easy recipe or tricks for making Caramel, please share! DH wants his grandma's which is impossible since she lives in Iowa now and the last time I tried her recipe they didn't turn out. :(

[maryinaz]

I've only made caramels so far this year. They are kind of tricky to get exactly right. My first batch, when I pulled out the thermometer, it had broken off at the tip. So I had to throw the whole batch out. :P I made a second batch the other day.

My recipe is fairly simple and they are SOOOO good. I know the recipe by heart since I just made it twice and it's easy.

2 cups Karo dark syrup
2 sticks of butter
2 cups of whipping cream
2 cups of sugar

Put all ingredients except the cream into a big pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Pour the cream in and bring to another rolling boil. Turn down to medium and cook until temp is 244 - not a degree more or they will be too hard. Then get it out of the pan FAST into a buttered flat pan. After cooled, cut and wrap with wax paper. One year I bought fancy candy wrappers - the caramels got stuck! We had to freeze them to get them unwrapped then re-wrap in wax paper.

I still have to do gingerbread cookies and chocolate pretzels for sure. Not sure what else.

[jaylensmom]

I'm so not a baker but looking at all these cookies makes me want to at least try to bake something...

[nesser1981]

Cake Balls
5 Layer Bars
Chocolate Crinkles
Cashew Toffee Cookies
Brownie Chunk Cookies
Molasses Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Rice Crispie Treats

And Sugar Cookies, I'm doing those next week though for Santa.

[jessica31876]

rice crispy squares, peanut butter balls (basically like a reese but in a ball instead of how a reese is shaped), fudge, cakeballs, sugar cookies

[carrie1977]

Mmm...now I'm hungry...lol

Peppermint Bark
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Pretzel/Peanut Clusters
Peanut Butter Patties (PB between Ritz crackers dipped in chocolate)

I also have one of those Rice Krispie kits for the kids to make a Rice Krispie house.

[meganmecrazy]

So far I have made Choc. Chips. I don't know when I will find the time to many any others.
LOL!

I want to make Peanut Butter Blossoms for sure though. Oh, and Gingersnaps. I don't think I will be making everyone's requested cookie this year...chocolate gobs. Those are a PITA to make and like I said, NO TIME. How many more days till Christmas???? lol

[Sharon Kay]

Last weekend was my annual Christmas baking time with my bff of 25 years ... and we made: snowball cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels (white almond bark), chocolate dipped mini candy canes (brown almond bark), peanut brittle, sugared pecans, pecan pralines ... I think that was it. lol A fun time was had by all.

[robinforman]

I made these for a cookie exchange and they were very well received (both there and at home!)

http://www.recipezaar.com/cherry-cheesecake-cookies-400257

[Priscilla]

Just 5 dozen Neiman Marcus cookies for an exchange :D

[Shawna]

Here's what my kids have picked out to make so far:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/images/beautyshots/r46143fp.jpg (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/jolly-snowman-faces/4b01e537-c596-41d6-aab2-8b90e97aad53)

http://www.bettycrocker.com/images/beautyshots/r45805fp.jpg (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/easy-monster-cookies/5379d189-31cd-4f5f-bb48-ce2f4bb2270f)

Also brownie balls and oreo balls and maybe a few more recipes from this list - http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/cookies/Top20HolidayCookies.htm

[Linz]

um, i'll be buying a red velvet cake from the kroger bakery to take to an xmas party this weekend. does that count?