festive baking

Love crinkle cookies? Try our extra-festive version for Christmas, with orange zest, mixed spice and cinnamon – and not forgetting the classic fudgy centre

Christmas Crinkle Cookies

cocoa powder,sieved

caster sugar

vegetable oil

eggs

plain flour

tsp baking powder

oranges,zested

tsp mixed spice

cinnamon

icing sugar

Christmas crinkle cookies

Mix the cocoa, caster sugar and oil together. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until fully combined.

Combine the flour, baking powder, orange zest, mixed spice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl, then add to the cocoa mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. If it feels too soft, put in the fridge to chill for 1 hr.

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and tip the icing sugar into a shallow dish. Roll heaped teaspoons of the dough into balls (about 20g each), then roll in the icing sugar to coat. Put the balls on one large or two medium baking trays lined with baking parchment, ensuring they’re evenly spaced apart.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 mins, then transfer to a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-five-cooling-racks">wire rack</a> to cool – they will firm up as they cool, but still be fudgy in the centre. Will keep for up to four days in an airtight container.

Combine two popular bakes, a chewy chocolate chip cookie and rich brownie, in this inventive treat. Fill the cake tin with these for the festive season, or give as gifts

Brookies

unsalted butter,softened,

light brown soft sugar

dark muscovado sugar

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

milk chocolate chunks

unsalted butter

dark chocolate(at least 70% cocoa solids)

tsp vanilla extract

golden caster sugar

cocoa powder

Butter a 23cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. First, make the cookie layer. Put the butter and both sugars in a bowl and beat with an electric <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-whisks">whisk</a> until just combined. Alternatively, do this in a stand mixer. Add the whole egg and egg yolk, and beat again until combined. Mix in the flour, ¼ tsp salt, the bicarbonate of soda and chocolate chunks. Press the cookie dough into the base of the prepared tin using the back of a spoon, then chill for 30 mins.

For the brownie layer, melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water, stirring until smooth and combined. Leave to cool slightly, about 10 mins. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until slightly thickened, about 3 mins. Fold the cooled chocolate and butter mixture through the beaten eggs with a large spoon until well combined.

Fold the buttery chocolate mixture, cocoa and flour together to combine. Spoon the brownie mixture over the cookie dough layer, dot with the chocolate chunks, and sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if you like. Bake in the centre of the oven for 50 mins-1 hr, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into squares.

Make our multifunctional ginger and honey loaf cake. Enjoy with yogurt and stewed fruit for a festive brunch, or try as a teatime treat slathered with butter

Gingerbread loaf cake

butter,

honey

dark brown demerara sugar

tbsp milk

vanilla extract

self-raising flour

¼ tsp baking powder

ginger

nutmeg

cloves

allspice

egg, beaten

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter and line a 900g loaf tin. Put the honey, butter and sugar in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/five-best-saucepans">saucepan</a> and warm over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour in the milk and vanilla, then set aside to cool.

Tip the flour into a bowl with the baking powder, spices and a pinch of salt. Add the egg, then gently fold in along with the melted butter mixture. Once combined, tip into the prepared tin, place on a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-5-baking-trays">baking tray</a>, and bake for 40 mins until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then place on a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-five-cooling-racks">cooling rack</a> and leave to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

Make some gingerbread stars to hang from your Christmas tree. This biscuit dough is extremely forgiving if overworked, so it's perfect for baking with children

Ultimate easy gingerbread

salted butter

golden syrup

Heat the butter, syrup and sugar together in a small <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/five-best-saucepans">pan</a> until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl. Pour in the buttery syrup mixture and stir to combine, then use your hands to bring together to form a dough. The dough will be soft at this point, but it’ll firm up in the fridge.

Put the dough on a sheet of baking parchment, shape into a rectangle, and lay another sheet of parchment on top of it. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm. Transfer to a baking sheet to keep it flat, leaving the parchment in place, then chill in the fridge for 1 hr.

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. We used 9cm stars, but you can choose any shape. We also made some with smaller stars cut out of the centre to thread ribbon through and hang from a Christmas tree.

Place the shapes, spread apart, on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 mins. (Depending on the size of the cutters you use, they might need a few minutes more or less cooking in the oven). Leave to cool completely on the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water – you want to create a consistency that’s thick and pipeable, and not too thin or it will run. Decorate the cooled biscuits with the icing using a piping bag with a thin nozzle. Find out how to <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-make-piping-bag-video">make a piping bag</a>.

Fill up the biscuit tin for the Christmas holidays with these gorgeous lemon star biscuits with a lemon curd filling. They make a lovely mid-morning treat

Lemon stars

softened butter

almonds

lemon

¼ tsp ground turmeric

star-shaped biscuit cutters (approx. 5cm

Put all the curd ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 mins. To check if it’s ready, dip a wooden spoon in and blow on it gently. If a wave-like pattern forms, remove from the heat and sieve into a bowl. It will thicken more as it cools. Tip into a sterilised jar and leave to cool completely.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Mix in the egg yolks and the vanilla extract, then add the flour, almonds and a pinch of salt. Work everything into a smooth dough with your hands, then wrap and put in the fridge for 1 hr.

Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/ gas 3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 4mm. Press out stars using the larger cutter, then make a hole in the middle of half of the biscuits with the smaller star cutter. Re-roll the excess, making sure you don’t overwork the pastry, and stamp out more biscuits. Put the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and bake for 10 mins until golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Spread the lemon curd on the biscuits without a hole, and put a biscuit with a hole on top of each one. Dust the biscuits with icing sugar. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days. Recipe adapted from Let it Snow by Agnes Prus (£7.99, Hardie Grant). Photographs © Frauke Antholz.

A classic that every Christmas table should have. Make ahead and simply steam the puds to reheat on the big day

Figgy Christmas pudding

pack butter, softened, plus extra for the bowls and paper

dried figs

brandy

mixed sultanas and raisins

eating apples, peeled,

light muscovado sugar

dark brown soft sugar

breadcrumbs

Butter a 500ml, a 1-litre and a 2-litre pudding bowl, then line the base of each with a circle of baking parchment. Butter 3 large sheets of greaseproof paper, lay each on a large sheet of foil butter side up, and fold a pleat in the middle of each.

Roughly chop 250g of the figs and set aside. Put the remaining figs, butter and brandy into a food processor and whizz until smooth-ish, then scrape into your largest mixing bowl. Tip in the chopped figs, mixed vine fruits, grated apple, sugars, breadcrumbs, flour and allspice. Stir everything together, allowing as many helpers to give a stir and adding as many wishes as you like. Divide between the pudding bowls and smooth the surfaces.

Cover the puds with the buttered paper-foil sheets, tie with string and trim. Lower the puds into separate saucepans with upturned saucers or scrunched up bits of foil in the bottom (so the puds don’t touch the bottom), then fill each pan with enough boiling water from the kettle to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Cover with a lid and simmer the small pud for 1-1½ hrs, medium for 2-2½ hrs and large for 3 hrs, topping up the water as needed. Remove and leave to cool. If giving as a gift, put a new piece of parchment on top. Will keep in a cool, dry cupboard for up to a year.

Use your choice of dried fruit, nuts, citrus zest and booze (or even tea) and get this simple Christmas cake made up to six months in advance

Easy Christmas cake

fruit

milliliters sherry, brandy, rum

lemons

pack unsalted butter,

light, soft brown sugar

Put your chosen dried fruit mixture into a large bowl with your choice of alcohol or tea, citrus zest and juice. Mix well, cover and leave overnight.

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and double-line a deep cake tin – 20cm round or 18cm square – with enough baking parchment to come about 2.5cm above the top of the tin. Wrap the outside of the tin with a few sheets of newspaper, securing with staples or string.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Tip in the flour, mixed spice, soaked dried fruit and any liquid from the bowl, plus your chosen nuts, if using. Stir everything together, then scrape into the cake tin. Using the back of your spoon, make a slight dent in the centre of the mixture, then bake for 1½ hrs.

Reduce oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1, loosely cover the top of the cake with a double sheet of foil or baking parchment, and bake for another 2 ½ - 3 hrs or until a skewer poked right to the bottom comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then lift out and wrap in greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Keep in a cake tin with a tight-fitting lid, or wrapped in a large sheet of foil, in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Open the cake every week or two to feed by poking with a skewer in several places and dribbling over a little more of your chosen alcohol or tea.

These little cakes are filled with all the festive, fruity flavours of this classic German Christmas bake - ideal for Christmas morning or a teatime treat

Stollen muffins

ground almonds

tsp bicarbonate of soda

marzipan

pistachios

sultanas or raisins

dried cherries

dried apricots

milliliters full-fat natural yogurt

almond extract

tbsp icing sugar

paper muffin cases (we used tulip cases)

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put the muffin cases in a 12-hole muffin tin. Mix the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, the sugar, marzipan, nuts and dried fruit in a mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, yogurt and almond extract, then pour over the dry ingredients and very quickly mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture has just come together – the most important thing is to not overmix – don’t worry if there are still a few floury bits.

Quickly divide the mix between the cases and put in the oven on the top shelf. Bake for 5 mins, then lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until they are risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the middle of them comes out clean.

Once they have cooled a little and are firm enough to handle, lift out of the tin onto wire racks and cool for 5 mins. Mix the icing sugar with the remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon and sieve over the muffins. Serve warm. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

Try a modern twist on a traditional Christmas cake with this salted caramel version. Laced with chunks of toffee and dates, plus a crunchy, nutty topping, it’s a real treat

Salted caramel Christmas cake

pecans

hazelnuts

dates

sultanas

toffee

½ tsp fine sea salt

tbsp black treacle

tbsp spiced rum

tbsp dulce de leche

sea salt flakes

blanched hazelnuts

flaked almonds

Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter the base of a loose-bottomed 20cm cake tin that is at least 7cm deep. Line the base with baking parchment, then wrap a wide band of parchment around the outside of the tin and tie to secure, so the cake won’t burn.

Combine both types of nuts, the dates, sultanas and toffee in a bowl, then mix the flour, salt, sugar and almonds together in another bowl. Beat the butter, eggs, treacle and rum into the flour mixture with an electric whisk until smooth. Stir the fruit and nut mix into the wet ingredients, then gently fold through the dulce de leche to create a ripple effect. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hr, then reduce the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Cover the cake with a circle of baking parchment and bake for another 1 hr 25 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside (don’t remove from the tin) and increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

To make the topping, gently heat the syrup and butter in a pan. Stir in the salt, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds and flour. Remove the parchment circle from the cake, then dot the surface with the topping and bake for 12-15 mins more until golden. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove and decorate with ribbon, if you like. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Prove your baking skills this Christmas with a fluffy, lighter-than-air classic Italian sweetbread, packed with festive flavours and candied fruit

Panettone

sachet fast-action dried yeast

butter

orange

strong white bread flour

raisins

tbsp dark rum

tbsp caster sugar

Grease a panettone tin (see Tip) or a 20cm deep cake tin, or use a panettone case.

Place the warm milk in a bowl and add the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar and leave for a few minutes.

Put the remaining sugar in a large bowl and beat together with the butter and vanilla extract until really light, creamy and pale.

Stir in the lemon and orange zest. Add the eggs a little at a time until all are well incorporated. Spoon in a tablespoon of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle and beat this in with the eggs.

Place the flour in a large bowl and mix with a good pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture then the butter and egg mixture, folding in with a large spoon to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 mins in the bowl until it all starts to come together. It will be a pretty sticky dough at this stage.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a further 10 mins, until everything has come together and you have a very soft and stretchy dough. Add a light sprinkling of flour to the surface and your hands as you go to stop the mixture sticking, but try not to add too much. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Place in the fridge overnight to prove.

Place the raisins and sultanas in a small saucepan with the rum and heat gently for 5 – 7 mins until the fruit has absorbed the liquid and is plump and juicy. Set aside to cool.

When the dough is risen, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another 5 mins. Gradually knead in the soaked raisins, sultanas and chopped candied peel. Shape the dough into a ball and pop into the prepared tin. If using a 20cm cake tin, wrap a layer of baking parchment around the outside of the tin, to come up about 5cm above the rim, and secure the paper with string. This will help contain the dough as it rises. Cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise for 3-4 hours depending on your room temperature, until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Adjust the oven shelf to the right height. Mix together the almonds, caster sugar and egg white for the topping and gently brush over the top of the panettone. Place in the oven and bake for 40 - 50 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before dusting lightly with icing sugar and cutting into wedges to serve.

Buttery soft sugar cookies with a festive touch, perfect for holiday celebrations and sharing.

Best Soft Christmas Cookies

all-purpose flour

baking powder

salt

white sugar

margarine, softened

Prepare Dry Ingredients

Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Cream Sugar and Margarine

Beat white sugar and softened margarine in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla

Add the first egg to the creamed mixture and beat until well blended. Add the second egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully incorporated.

Combine with Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.

Chill Dough

Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours to ensure easy handling.

Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

Roll and Shape Cookies

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 6 mm thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets and collect scraps to reroll.

Bake

Bake each batch in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

Cool

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Top 11 festive baking recipes from across the web

The most viewed festive baking recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Christmas Crinkle Cookies

Brookies

Gingerbread loaf cake

Ultimate easy gingerbread

Lemon stars

Figgy Christmas pudding

Easy Christmas cake

Stollen muffins

Salted caramel Christmas cake

Panettone

Best Soft Christmas Cookies

Top 11 festive baking recipes from across the web

The most viewed festive baking recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Christmas Crinkle Cookies

Brookies

Gingerbread loaf cake

Ultimate easy gingerbread

Lemon stars

Figgy Christmas pudding

Easy Christmas cake

Stollen muffins

Salted caramel Christmas cake

Panettone

Best Soft Christmas Cookies

The most viewed festive baking recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine