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Fun-and-Easy
Holiday Baking
Ideas
Jolly Old St. Nick Cake,
Decadent Pumpkin-Pistachio Quick Bread and
Cream Cheese Candy Cane Cookies
(Family Features) - For many, the sweet aroma of cookies or pumpkin bread baking
at home signals the arrival of the holiday season. But, with
so much to do, who has time to bake?
With timesaving tips and a little preparation, anyone can
make quick-and-easy home-baked treats to serve during the
holiday season. Keep these tips in mind and make baking a
cinch this holiday season:
Stock Up. Hit the grocery store during nonpeak hours to
avoid the crowds - and the picked over selection. Since
grocery stores typically stock their shelves overnight, the
best selection and freshest produce is available in the
early morning hours.
Make It & Store It. Preparing goodies, even meals, in mid-
December can save you last-minute cooking marathons, get you
in the holiday spirit - and ease your stress levels. From
baked goods to casseroles, GladWare containers and Glad
Press 'n Seal sealable wrap are perfect for storing all your
culinary delights in the fridge. Or freeze them so you can
defrost them in time for guests - even the unexpected ones.
Oven Time. Prefer that "made-from-scratch" taste but short
on time? With a few convenience products, like quick bread
and cake mixes and sweet toppings, you can make delicious
and festive desserts your family will love without working
in the kitchen for hours! For example, Pillsbury Moist
Supreme White Cake Mix doubles as a cookie mix too.
Freezer Cakes? Unfrosted cakes can be frozen for 4 to 6
months and frosted cakes, 1 to 3 months. Wrap cooled cake in airtight,
moisture-proof packaging. Place in cake containers or bakery
boxes to prevent crushing. Defrost and enjoy!
When Fruitcake Won't Do. Redefine a gift exchange by giving
baked goods to your closest friends and colleagues. A
delicious container of cookies or home-baked sweets gives
gifts a personal touch that your neighbor, boss or coworkers
will appreciate.
Bake With a Friend. Instead of meeting friends for a
holiday lunch or dinner, get together and bake. You can have
twice as much fun and cut your workload in half. After
several hours of chatting and baking, divide up your baked
holiday treats.
Get Your Kids Involved. Make holiday cooking easier and
more fun by getting your whole family involved. When baking
your holiday treats, make a special batch of cupcakes for
the kids to frost and decorate.
Smart Cookie Storage. Separate flavored cookies. A butter
cookie may absorb the flavor from a gingerbread cookie. And
to prevent crisp cookies from becoming soft, store soft
cookies and moist bars separately from crisp cookies.
Jolly Old St. Nick Cake
Cake
1 (9-ounce) package Pillsbury SnackBatch Yellow Cupcake & Snack Cake Mix
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs
Frosting and Decorations
1 drop red food color
1 (16-ounce) can Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla Frosting
Miniature marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon red food color
Gumdrops
String licorice
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square Glad OvenWare
pan. Prepare and bake cake mix as directed on package using
water, oil and eggs, spreading evenly in pan. Place pan
completely on a cookie sheet in oven and bake on middle rack
in center of oven. Remove by lifting cookie sheet with pan
from oven. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes after
removing from oven. Place pan on wire rack; cool completely.
- Stir 1 drop food color into can of frosting until well
blended. Reserve 1/4 cup frosting; frost top of cake with
remaining frosting.
- To make hat, stir 1/4 teaspoon food color into reserved
frosting. Using toothpick, outline area for hat on frosted
cake. Frost hat with reserved frosting. Arrange 3
marshmallows in upper left corner of cake to form tassel of
hat.
- Arrange marshmallows to form brim of hat, beard around
face and mustache. (Marshmallow beard will extend to bottom
of cake.)
- Make facial features using gumdrops and licorice. Makes
12 servings.
Tip: If Pillsbury SnackBatch Yellow Cupcake & Snack Cake Mix
is not available in your area, use 1 (18.25-ounce) package
Pillsbury Moist Supreme Yellow Cake Mix. Prepare as directed
on package, divide batter in half and pour into 2 (8-inch)
square Glad OvenWare pans. Bake as directed in step 1 for 34
to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake
comes out clean.
Decadent Pumpkin-Pistachio Quick Bread
Bread
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons rum
Water
1 (14-ounce) package Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread and Muffin Mix
3 tablespoons oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios
Glaze
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon rum
- In small bowl, soak raisins in 2 tablespoons rum for 30
minutes. Drain off rum into 1 cup glass measuring cup. Add
enough water to make 1 cup liquid; set aside for bread
batter.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottoms only of 3 (5-
x 3-inch) foil loaf pans. In large bowl, combine quick bread
mix, reserved 1 cup liquid, oil and eggs; stir 50 to 75
strokes with spoon until mix is moistened. Stir in soaked
raisins and pistachios. Pour batter evenly into greased and
floured pans. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in small saucepan, combine sugar, 2
tablespoons water and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-
low heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Boil
3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1
tablespoon rum. Poke surface of loaves with toothpick. Brush
top of each loaf with glaze. Cool 1 hour or until completely
cooled. Wrap tightly in Glad Press 'n Seal sealable wrap and
store in refrigerator. Makes 3 (8-slice) loaves.
Cream Cheese Candy Cane Cookies
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 (18.25-ounce) package Pillsbury Moist Supreme White Cake Mix
1/4 teaspoon red gel or food color
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine butter,
cream cheese and egg; blend well. Add cake mix; mix until
well blended. Divide dough in half. Add food coloring to
half of dough; blend well for even red color.
- For each cookie, measure 1 teaspoon white dough and 1
teaspoon red dough. Roll out each into 4-inch ropes. Place
ropes side by side. Lightly roll together; twist. Place 2
inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet; shape each to
resemble candy canes.
- Bake at 350°F for 7 to 9 minutes or just until edges are
golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Store
and transport in GladWare containers. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
For more fun-and-easy holiday recipe ideas, visit
pillsburybaking.com or glad.com
SOURCE: The Glad Products Company
The Pillsbury Company
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