Christmas is the perfect excuse to get baking, and when the treats are homemade they always taste that little bit better. Here are 8 simply scrumptious Christmas baking recipes that are lots of fun to make with the kids — from festive cookies to a showstopping chocolate log.
Pop on some carols, clear the counter, and let’s get baking.
Jump to a recipe:
- Chocolate Chip Christmas Pudding Cookies
- Chocolate Roulade Log
- Christmas Cake Brownies
- More festive bakes to try
Christmas Baking Recipes to Try
1. Chocolate Chip Christmas Pudding Cookies
Makes 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 75g (3oz) caster sugar
- 1 medium egg yolk
- 100g (3½oz) plain flour
- 25g (1oz) fine dark cocoa powder
- 5g (1 tsp) baking powder
- 100g dark chocolate chips
- To decorate: 25g (1oz) green ready-to-roll icing and 5g (¼oz) red ready-to-roll icing
- 1 bar white cooking chocolate
- Icing sugar, to dust
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan oven, 375°F, gas 5). Line baking trays with baking parchment.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg yolk.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder on top and add 75g (3oz) of the chocolate chips. Mix together to form a firm-ish dough.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 and roll into balls. Place a little apart on the prepared baking trays and press down gently to flatten into rounds.
5. Push the remaining chocolate chips into the cookie dough, flat side up, to look like the fruit in a Christmas pudding.
6. Bake for 15–18 minutes until just firm. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
7. To decorate, knead the ready-to-roll icing to soften it. Roll out the green icing thinly on a lightly dusted surface and cut out 24 small holly leaf shapes, re-rolling as needed. Roll the red icing into tiny balls for the berries.
8. Line a board or tray with baking parchment and lay the cookies on top.
9. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, or over a pan of simmering water. Spoon thickly over the tops of the cookies, letting it drip a little.
10. Finish with the holly leaves and berries before the chocolate sets, then leave to firm up in a cool place before serving.
Tip: These festive treats make lovely gifts — pop them in a cellophane bag and tie with ribbon; they’ll keep for up to 2 weeks this way. For an
