Tips and tricks for Christmas baking

Christmas is already around the corner and we all wish to spend it as comfortably as possible, without stress and in harmony. Preparations for the most beautiful holidays of the year have been making wrinkles on the foreheads of many housewives since the beginning of November. It is necessary to apply the best methods, choose the tastiest recipes and plan perfectly to make Christmas perfect for us. We offer you some of our tips for managing pre-Christmas preparations.

1. Correct baking timing

It is not necessary to bake all kinds of Christmas pastries at once. You can also divide it over the whole of December, or even over the whole Advent period. The advantage of Christmas baking ahead of time is that by Christmas time you will have already completed part of the preparations, so it will be easier to maintain your well-being. Three weeks before Christmas, you can start preparing gingerbread and gingerbread . Often honeydews need more time to soften. The winner is the one who has a recipe for immediately soft gingerbread in his recipe book. Two weeks before Christmas, it is reasonable to prepare Linnaeus cookies , which do not yet need to be filled, tea pastries, bear paws and vanilla rolls . A week before Christmas, it is enough to fill Linz cookies and prepare unbaked cakes. This way, all you have left for Christmas is baking a Christmas tree , stole or trdelník . Those who prepare gluten-free Christmas bread, which does not need to stand to soften, have a great advantage.

2. Proper storage of Christmas pastries

Prepare resealable tin, ceramic, or paper containers , but it is important to keep the baked cookies in a dry and cool environment. So that they are not exposed to frost, but also to high temperature. Dark pantries, verandas, chambers or refrigerators are best suited for this. Put the cookies in a separate place so that they do not absorb the aroma of other ingredients. Make sure they are completely cooled . If you wrapped them while still hot, the steam would cause them to get wet. Add a piece of bread to the cookies, which will absorb moisture and stay fresher for longer. Prefer white bread, as it does not have a distinct aroma, if it hardens, replace it with a new one. If, despite all precautions, your cookies have hardened, put them in the oven to warm up for a few minutes. No one will recognize that a moment ago they were hard as rock.

3. Correct selection of raw materials and tools

In order for your cookies to be perfect , you need to know a few rules that will ensure a perfect result. High-quality ingredients ensure a better taste and a longer shelf life of Christmas pastries.

A) Prepare all the ingredients for the preparation of the dough earlier so that they all reach the same room temperature .

B) Before use, sift the sugar, cocoa and flour through a sieve so that air gets into them.

C) The dough is more pliable if you leave it wrapped in cling film in the refrigerator for a few hours, preferably overnight.

D) If you coat the gingerbread cookies while still hot with sweetened milk with a little potato or corn starch, you will create a shiny surface . Brush the Christmas tree with an egg and a little milk for a shine.

E) Use high-quality butter , ideally with min. 82% fat. Margarines contain a lot of trans-fats and artificial ingredients that are behind the diseases of civilization. The oil can be replaced with good quality unrefined oil or coconut oil. Clarified ghee is also suitable for working with high temperatures, which is resistant up to 250°C. It can always be used instead of fat.

F) For a better taste of the dough, use only the yolk instead of the whole egg.

4. Proper cleaning of tools

Baking also brings with it various accidents, whether it's forgotten cookies in the oven that burned on the baking sheet or burnt caramel in the pot. You don't have to use expensive cleaning products for burns or grease as first aid. All you need is a package of Liana baking soda in combination with other ingredients that you can definitely find at home.

Vinegar, Liana baking soda and warm water are all you need for a burnt pot. You create a paste that you apply to the burned parts, they will gradually be released. Then rinse the pot with warm water and repeat the process until the burn disappears. Do not use baking soda on aluminum or Teflon.

You can remove burns from stainless steel surfaces by combining detergent with Liana baking soda . Pour detergent on the burnt bottom, sprinkle it with soda, cover with water and bring to a boil. After 2 minutes, you can turn off the pot, pour it out and clean it with the rougher side of the dish sponge.

The easiest way to remove burnt caramel is to combine Liana baking soda with peroxide . At the same time, this duo will give your dishes their lost shine.

And don't forget, the best memories are made when things don't go according to plan. Enjoy the Christmas holidays with your loved ones, with perhaps imperfectly decorated gingerbread, but with a perfect taste. With Linnaeus cookies of failed shapes, but filled with love. With the occasional sprinkling of dust, thanks to which, at least for a moment, you can say that this year is a white Christmas. With the joy of ordinary and extraordinary moments, enjoy it the way you like it best.