Quick and easy christmas baking

[Buzz]

Quick and easy baking tips? Get your mom to do it for you!

[Stefanie]

One of the first things I ever "baked" was Paula Deen's "Pine Bark," and it still gets rave reviews from family and friends. So simple to make.

[genevieve]

here's my empenada recipe, a staple of holiday parties everywhere. It's got a lot of ingredients, but making it is simple:

Crust (warning - either make a double recipe or plan to make 2 batches of empenadas):
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter
6-8 Tablespoons COLD water

mix flour & salt. Cut in the butter until coarse. Drizzle in the water while mixing. Don't overmix! Knead into ball and chill at least 30 minutes

Filling:
Olive oil
1 onion, diced fine
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped small
1 apple, chopped small
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1 4-oz can green chilis
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup currants
1 TBS cumin
1tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves

heat oil in pan, add onions until they are soft. Add garlic, tomatoes and apple, cook for a few minutes. Toss in the rest and cook on medium until it's a scrumptious pot 'o goodness. Add some salt + pepper to taste.

Roll out the dough into small circles, put a dab in the center (less than you think), fold over and seal with a fork. Poke airholes in the tops to vent. Brush tops with a beaten egg, bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

[Ajax]

Try this wacky chocolate cake recipe from my blog:
linky
The basic cake recipe is super easy - just flour, sugar, cocoa, oil and it is leavened not by eggs but by a combo of baking soda and vinegar. Cheap as chips and it never fails, I always get a moist, delicious cake.
You can frost it with a simple chocolate ganache (recipe also given in the link). I fill it with pecans, caramel and coconut to make german chocolate cake.

[PDilemma]

I make that cake, Ajax. You don't have to bother with the "wells" for putting in the baking soda and vinegar--just mix it all together like any other recipe and it rises just fine. It also makes amazing cupcakes.

My husband's new favorite thing is when I frost it with this:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/peanut-...ng/detail.aspx

[Southpaw]

But you never said the bread tasted any good??? Is it good?

I have a loaf in the oven right now so I'll let you know in about an hour.

[milanessa]

I have a loaf in the oven right now so I'll let you know in about an hour.

You better.

[LisaS]

2 Ingredient Fudge

1 Can of Frosting
1 Bag of Chocolate Chips

Melt Together, pour in pan to set. Done

Any flavour combination you can think of. I did milk chocolate chips with cream cheese frosting.

Others have tried chocolate frosting with the mint chocolate chips.

Have fun

[NinjaTurtles]

I'm surprised by all of the natives to beer bread. I grew up near a brewery; I never realized it wasn't a common recipe! Saranac beer bread mix packages were common holiday gifts in the area.

[milanessa]

Saranac beer bread mix packages were common holiday gifts in the area.

What does a bread mix package contain besides flour and sugar? I think lots of folk have heard of or tasted or made beer bread. What was different about Matry's recipe was the simplicity of it.

[Rob]

Trifle

Ingredients
A poundcake (I use Sara Lee)
Raspberry jam
Bird's Custard
Sugar
Milk
Fresh, frozen or canned fruit (I use fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, and peaches and 1 can of mixed fruit with peaches and pears for the juice)
Sherry if desired (I use Amontillado)
Whipping cream

Large glass bowl or trifle bowl

Cut poundcake into 1/2 in slices, spread with raspberry jam and make little sandwiches.
Place sandwiches in bottom of large glass bowl - you can tear them up to fit so there is one layer all over bottom of bowl.
Cover poundcake in fruit (pour in juice if you use a can of fruit)
Pour sherry over top of fruit (1/2 cup or whatever you want)
Make Bird's custard according to directions on container - I use less sugar than it says
Pour over top of trifle
Cool in fridge overnight or several hours
Top with whipped cream before serving

[Prancer]

What does a bread mix package contain besides flour and sugar? I think lots of folk have heard of or tasted or made beer bread. What was different about Matry's recipe was the simplicity of it.

Yeah, I've made beer bread, but always with yeast. I do realize there is yeast in beer, but it never occurred to me it would still ferment bread.

[nlyoung]

Any drop cookie recipe is simple. You just mix the ingredients in pretty much any order you want, though creaming butter and sugar first makes it easier, spoon onto pan and bake. Pick any kind you like and google for a recipe, but make sure you replace any of the fat called for with butter and use good quality ingredients.

[PDilemma]

Trifle

Ingredients
A poundcake (I use Sara Lee)
Raspberry jam
Bird's Custard
Sugar
Milk
Fresh, frozen or canned fruit (I use fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, and peaches and 1 can of mixed fruit with peaches and pears for the juice)
Sherry if desired (I use Amontillado)
Whipping cream

Large glass bowl or trifle bowl

Cut poundcake into 1/2 in slices, spread with raspberry jam and make little sandwiches.
Place sandwiches in bottom of large glass bowl - you can tear them up to fit so there is one layer all over bottom of bowl.
Cover poundcake in fruit (pour in juice if you use a can of fruit)
Pour sherry over top of fruit (1/2 cup or whatever you want)
Make Bird's custard according to directions on container - I use less sugar than it says
Pour over top of trifle
Cool in fridge overnight or several hours
Top with whipped cream before serving

You forgot the beef layer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx5Wp...eature=related

[milanessa]

I have a loaf in the oven right now so I'll let you know in about an hour.

C'mon, c'mon. Are you drunk on beer bread?

[Southpaw]

That beer bread is STUPID delicious! I mean, it's simply ridiculous how tasty it is for being nothing but flour and a bottle of beer. It's nice and dense and probably won't be very good tomorrow but today fresh out of the oven with some foofy French butter?

[NinjaTurtles]

What does a bread mix package contain besides flour and sugar? I think lots of folk have heard of or tasted or made beer bread. What was different about Matry's recipe was the simplicity of it.

The included instructions and bottle of beer? I never said it was a well designed or particularly thoughtful gift!

I've had it both with and without yeast (or sometimes people use self rising flour, which is a good compromise); without just makes a denser product.

[aliceanne]

There is always slice and bake cookies...

But I have flour and sugar at home, so I'll stop and get some beer on the way. One for the recipe - the rest for the cook!

[milanessa]

That beer bread is STUPID delicious! I mean, it's simply ridiculous how tasty it is for being nothing but flour and a bottle of beer. It's nice and dense and probably won't be very good tomorrow but today fresh out of the oven with some foofy French butter?

Ooh, I'm gonna make some tonight. You could make some croutons out of the leftover bread - dense, day old bread makes the best ones.

The included instructions and bottle of beer? I never said it was a well designed or particularly thoughtful gift!

There is always slice and bake cookies...
One for the recipe - the rest for the cook!

Great idea!

[Southpaw]

That bread even has a beer aftertaste. Urp.

Time for another slice!