85 christmas baking recipes

Barbadians make Black Cake for weddings, birthdays and at Christimas time. Indeed, no Christmas holiday is felt to be complete without black Cake. People from many of the islands make a similar cake. This Black Cake derived from the British Plum Pudding which is a must on their Christmas menu.

Banana walnut Bundt cake with whole wheat flour and a bright orange glaze, made in the microwave. A tropical holiday showstopper that comes together in under 35 minutes.

Jansson's Temptation: creamy Swedish potato casserole layered with anchovies and onions, baked golden at 400F. This iconic Scandinavian comfort dish is a must for Christmas smorgasbord.

This recipe comes from Italy by way of Argentina. Maxwell Mowry of Charleston got this recipe when he lived in Buenos Aires in the early l970s. Since there are more people of Italian ancestry in Argentina than of Spanish ancestry, it is not surprising to find panettone there, where it is called in Spanish pan dulce, meaning 'sweet bread.' At Christmas in Argentina, pan dulce is eaten accompanied by sparkling apple cider. Houseware shops in Argentina sell special tall cylindrical springform pans to bake the pan dulce, but an empty, greased 1-pound coffee can may be used.

Holiday hermit cookies with raisins, candied fruit, walnuts, and oats spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. A chewy, old-fashioned drop cookie perfect for Christmas baking.

Holiday mincemeat with chopped beef, suet, apples, sour cherries, dried fruit, and broken nuts simmered slowly with brandy and warming spices. A massive 48-serving batch for Christmas baking and gift-giving.

Humdingers are no-bake date balls cooked stovetop with eggs, butter, and sugar, then folded with crispy rice cereal and rolled in coconut. A vintage Southern Christmas treat.

Placek swiateczny is a Polish Christmas bread loaded with walnuts, raisins, orange peel, and a splash of vodka. Bake it days ahead for the best flavor.

Christmas cinnamon ornaments made from applesauce, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. No-bake scented ornaments air-dried into holiday decorations. Not for eating.

No-bake marshmallow candy balls with ground candied cherries and blanched almonds rolled in shredded coconut. A vintage Christmas-tin confection that's chewy, sweet, and oven-free.

Bread machine Christmas bread: a sweet cardamom-scented yeast loaf with cinnamon, sugar, and chopped nuts. Scandinavian holiday baking made hands-off.

Pan de jamon is the Venezuelan Christmas bread: a soft, butter-rich dough rolled around ham, smoked bacon, olives, and raisins, then baked into a golden spiral loaf.

Jansson's frestelse is the iconic Swedish Christmas potato gratin: julienned potatoes layered with soft onions and salty anchovies, baked in cream until golden and bubbling. A must on any Scandinavian smorgasbord.

Myrtle's fruit cake bakes a brown-sugar-and-golden-syrup batter loaded with currants, sultanas, candied orange peel, and warming spices. British-style heritage Christmas loaf cake.

Finikia are Greek torpedo-shaped semolina cookies scented with orange and cinnamon, baked golden then dipped in a honey-cinnamon syrup and rolled in sesame or walnuts. Traditional Christmas melomakarona.

Eggnog pie in pecan crust: a silky, no-bake rum-and-brandy custard filling spooned into a toasted pecan crust. The grown-up Christmas pie your holiday table needs.