Simplify Christmas Baking

As a busy working mom, time is precious but so are Christmas traditions. That is why we shortened the list to simplify Christmas baking this year.

The budget for Christmas is tight this year and my health journey doesn’t need a freezer full of temptations either. So we sat down as a family and we made a must-have list.

Thankfully the list was relatively short and we were able to stay within budget.

Our Christmas Baking List

The family requested our traditional nuts and bolts. This isn’t your normal Christmas baking but we only make them during the holidays so they have become a savory treat for our family. The recipe is below and you can print it for your own Christmas baking this year.

The next on the list was Nanaimo squares but I find them time-consuming, so purchasing a small tray from the store is worth every penny.

Gingerbread cookies and shortbread cookies were put on the list by me because of the childhood memories they ignite for me. I live far away from most of my family. I miss my family most during the holidays so I will tend to recreate simple traditions to feel closer to them. The gingerbread cookie recipe I use is found on Food.com. The melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie recipe is from Foodnetwork.com. I’ve saved both of these to my digital family cookbook so I never lose it.

Finally, I found a Chai-spiced cookie recipe on Pinterest and had to try it. Chai tea lattes are my favorite hot drink to indulge with. I’ve simplified the recipe below, but it won’t be paleo or gluten-free like the original recipe.

Nuts & Bolts Recipe

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe and I’ve modified it slightly. It only calls for 1 cup of pretzels and I add the whole bag! Why? Because my family thinks the pretzel is the best part and I didn’t need the kids fighting over pretzels.

Ingredients

1 lb butter or margarine
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp celery salt
2 Tbsp onion salt
8 cups plain Cheerios
5 cups Shreddies
1 ~~cup~~ bag straight pretzels
2 1/2 cups peanuts

Pre-heat oven to 200F. Pre-measure Cheerios, Shreddies, pretzels, and peanuts into a large mixing bowl, and mix together. Add mixture to a large roasting pan. In a small pot, melt butter and add spices, stirring to blend together. Pour butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well.

Bake for 1-1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Print Recipe Now!

Simple Chai-spiced Cookies

The original recipe used flours that I typically don’t have in my pantry. Rather than purchase extra ingredients, I changed the original recipe to use the items I did have available. They turned out amazing! I even had to freeze them so my daughter didn’t eat them all.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
3-4 tablespoons sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cream of tartar, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the wet ingredients: oil, syrup, vanilla, and egg. Add dry ingredients to wet, stir until combined.

Form into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart from each other.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until tops are firm and no longer wet. Remove from cookie sheet to cool completely.

Print Recipe Now!

I’ve spent years searching for new recipes and buying ingredients that fill my pantry never to be used because I ran out of time. I felt guilty and disappointed and the constant pressure (I put on myself) to cook a wide variety of baking was too much. I thought this was part of the recipe for a perfect Christmas.

I was wrong. The perfect Christmas comes from family and spending time with that family. Over the years we’ve simplified the baking to a few items depending on how busy the calendar is. Some years I purchased 95% of the baking. What’s important is that you find what works for you.

Simplify Christmas baking by only making what you have time to make, what fits your budget and what your family enjoys the most. It’s a simple solution for a simple Christmas. Then spend the rest of the time making memories with your family.

May your Christmas be simple and filled with memories.