By: Hannah Newcamp
Christmas is just around the corner, which means so are the holiday sweets. Most families have traditions when it comes to baking desserts for Christmas. Although the holidays bring many delicious foods, sometimes making these desserts can be messy and stressful.
The Squire interviewed Miss Bachman, Eisenhower’s gifted support teacher, to hear about the tips and traditions she has for the holidays. She explained that her family has an annual bake-off like they do on television shows. Miss Bachman said, “We have our own holiday t-shirts, and we get together on the Sunday before Christmas. We form like a Henry Ford assembly line and we just pass along the desserts after we do our part.” She mentioned that she likes to bake with her young nieces. To help them learn the basics of baking, she taught them how to use an Easy Bake Oven, “Learning to get the accurate measurements of the ingredients and how to pay attention to the timer this way helps them greatly.”
Although she says that cookies are her favorite sweets during the holidays, Miss Bachman enjoys making cupcakes and frosting them together to make a festive design. The Squire asked Miss Bachman if she had any baking tips for this holiday season, she suggested, “Making sure you use the right type of flour for each type of dessert. Different brands give different flavors and textures and they greatly impact how the end result tastes.”
My family has a baking tradition that we have done since I was very young. Every year, my family makes two to three different types of cookies each, and when we’re done, we share them with each other. This way we get all of our favorite cookies without having to make them all by ourselves. By doing this, we also get to see all of our family and spend time together. Some cookies that we make include:
- Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Drops
- Gobs
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
My family has a special recipe for a holiday classic that has become a traditional staple of the Christmas season, sugar cookies. They are quick and easy to make with the whole family. You’ll need 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, 1 cup of softened butter, 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. The first step is to preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Next, stir together the flour, baking soda and baking powder into a small bowl. Then, in a separate larger bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until it is smooth. Now, beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients from the small bowl into the larger bowl. Finally, make small balls of dough and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 8- 10 minutes then let them cool on cooling racks. If you want, you can also decorate the cookie with frosting or sprinkles.
Baking during the holidays can bring family together for quality time. Christmas sweets are something many people look forward to during the year, along with family traditions. If your family does not have any traditions, try starting one; it could bring memories that you’ll never forget.
The Squire 