For some, one of the most enjoyable facets of the holiday is the opportunity to do some creative baking. Most folks use tried and true family recipes that have been passed down through several generations. Still others are always looking for something new, in order to spice up the Christmas table. There are plenty of delicious breads that are perfect for offering to guests who pay a visit during the yuletide season, or for giving as home-baked treats as gifts during the holidays. Here are some great breads for those who are interested in trying something new this season. The recipes for these can be found through online searches (using the titles as keywords), as well as in various cookbooks.
CANDY CANE COFFEE CAKES
These individual melt-in-your-mouth coffee cakes are perfect for the Christmas season. Filled with raisins, nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon – delicately blended with butter – candy cane coffee cakes are rich and moist, with a delightful lemony glaze. Adults and children alike will be thrilled with these cane-shaped treasures, and those who are fortunate enough to receive one as a gift will be happy, indeed, to be on your Christmas list.
CHRISTMAS BREAD
Shot through with nuts and fruit, this is both delicious and pleasing to the eye. One version of the holiday bread blends the tastes of bananas, cherries, macadamia nuts, brown sugar and butter in traditional loaf style. Wrapped in clear or tinted plastic wrap, Christmas Bread makes a beautiful jeweled presentation during gift-giving and is also quite nice when served to visitors with a nice cup of hot tea.
FESTIVE FRUIT EGGNOG BREAD
For a delightful combination of eggnog and fruitcake, this holiday loaf also throws in a bit of rum flavoring and pecans. The baking time is rather prolonged, at 1 ¼ hours, but the final product is absolutely stunning when frosted and decorated with candied fruit. Festive Fruit Eggnog Bread would be an ideal addition to any holiday food table – particularly on the refreshment table at a Christmas party.
CANDY RAINBOW BREAD
If you’re looking for a great holiday bread that would be ideal for a children’s party, Candy Rainbow Bread will definitely fill the bill. The colorful candy sprinkles that are woven through this delicious loaf will bring a sparkle to the youngsters’ eyes. A good amount of prep time is required, since this is the type of bread that must rise before baking, but the result will be well worth the effort.
CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE PANINI
Chocolate lovers will be begging for the recipe when you serve this deliciously moist holiday loaf. Laced with a combination of semi-sweet & milk chocolate and cranberries (or cherries, if you prefer), you won’t be able to stop once you take a bite. Honey, butter and evaporated milk add to the richness of the Cranberry Chocolate Panini, making it perfect for an evening dessert, holiday party or accompanied by a cup of tea on a cold winter’s night. These make marvelous Christmas gifts!
CHRISTMAS MORNING BUNS
If ever there was a holiday bread with a unique taste combination, this is it. Christmas Morning Buns are a delicious alternative to sticky buns, utilizing butterscotch pudding as its base. Laced with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans, these buns are great for breakfast, a light dessert or mid-day snack. You’ll need a bit of time to make them, however – this is an overnight project – but the result will be a tantalizing pull-apart that’s made using a Bundt pan.
FRUITED HOLIDAY BREAD
Whether braided or baked in a loaf pan, Fruited Holiday Bread combines the classic tastes of oatmeal, molasses and a variety of fruits – both dried and candied. As with a number of other breads, the prep time is rather lengthy, but the blending of citron peel, mixed dried fruit and candied cherries with the oatmeal and molasses offers the best of taste sensations for those who are willing to take the time to put one of these together. Great for desserts or snacks, these also make nice gifts when wrapped in tinted cellophane or plastic wrap.
PANETTONE
Traditionally served at holidays and celebrations, this delectable Italian bread is chock-full of tasty ingredients, including rum, raisins, anise, almond extract, candied citron and pine nuts. Typically, this is served as a cylindrical shaped bread – this can be accomplished through the use of a greased coffee can - but can also be baked in the form of a loaf or coffee cake. The prep time is fairly typical of the bread family, but the baking time – at 20 to 25 minutes – is quite abbreviated, as far as bread baking goes.
NUTTY ORANGE HOLIDAY LOAVES WITH MARMALADE BUTTER
The blending of grated orange peel, walnuts, orange juice and sour cream add lots of zest to this holiday loaf. Served with chilled marmalade butter – which contains butter, powdered sugar and orange marmalade – this is the perfect dessert for a holiday luncheon or Christmas Tea. There are a number of variations that can be used, if desired, including coconut, macadamia nuts, poppy seeds, pecans and candied cherries or pineapples.
BANANA-CRANBERRY HOLIDAY BREAD
The name of this bread is rather deceiving, since it contains much more than the simple moniker implies. Flavoring this delightful holiday loaf is a rich blend of butter, cranberries, walnuts, cinnamon, orange, lemon, banana and brown sugar. One of the most unusual steps in the creation of Banana-Cranberry Holiday Bread is the use of a skillet to cook a number of the ingredients before adding to them to the batter. The joy isn’t so much in the presentation as it is in the sampling of the bread. Wrapped tightly in colorful holiday plastic wrap, these make wonderful homemade gifts.
BISHOP’S BREAD
While there are several varieties of this sinfully delicious bread, one of the most satisfying includes pecans, maraschino cherries, raisins and chocolates chips. With a baking time of nearly an hour and a half, as well as the prep time, this particular bread does require some time to put together. Unlike some other loaf breads, Bishop’s Bread – when not overcooked – is moist and not too heavy. This is a real favorite when included on a bread tray at holiday time and makes a great gift, as well.
HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY BREAD
As you might expect, there’s plenty of coconut and pineapple woven through this holiday bread – one variation even includes cherries, making it that much more delicious. This is a fairly quick, easy and – dare I say – inexpensive type of Christmas bread. As a result, these loaves are great for giving as holiday gifts, when wrapped in plastic wrap. A number of them can be made for a very reasonable amount of money, which is a real plus at holiday time. These are also great for serving at holiday parties, snacks or with a cup of tea or coffee at breakfast.
CHILEAN CHRISTMAS BREAD
You’d better sit down before sampling a piece of this bread – one of the ingredients is cognac. In addition to the usual flour, eggs and milk, this zesty holiday loaf contains glazed cherries, almonds, sultanas, glazed mixed fruit and lemon (and, of course, the cognac). This is really a very easy recipe, which makes up for the 1 ½ hour baking time. Chilean Christmas Bread makes a unique addition to any holiday table and makes a tasty presentation when used as a holiday gift, as well.
ORANGE-GLAZED CHRISTMAS BREAD
A dessert table that includes this delicious Christmas-tree shaped bread is complete, indeed, if you can get past not wanting to ruin the visual effect by tearing a hunk of it off. This pull-apart bread is absolutely delicious and combines the tastes of sugar, cinnamon, butter and oranges. The finished product has an exquisite orange glaze drizzled over it, leaving the beholder with the impression of Christmas tinsel. Quite a bit of preparation goes into this, but it’s a “must have” for a holiday party table.
KIWI CHRISTMAS BREAD
A most unique bread, this is filled with tropical fruits and spices, and is wonderfully delicious. Among these exotic ingredients, you’ll find nectarines, papayas, pineapples, orange, lemon & lime rinds and mixed spices. The preparation method for this holiday loaf is rather complex and takes quite a bit of time. The taste and texture more than make up for the time involved in its creation, however, and is perfect for a special holiday guest or a Christmas Tea. These do make wonderful gifts, as well, but can be rather costly if you’re planning to make a number of them.
In addition to these delightful holiday loaves, there are a number of ethnic recipes that are available online, as well as in many cookbooks. For something a bit different, try a variety of recipes throughout the season – one for each gathering.
