Just Baking

Ah, Holiday Season, we know ye well.  Like an old friend we haven’t seen in a while and beg for more time to catch up with.  Though more and more it feels like a game of musical chairs where the music keeps getting faster and faster until…oops, times up.

Not that I have such a cynical approach to the holidays; I savor this time of year like a fine meal.  But each time the season gallops in I find myself faced with the same lesson in overextension – how many recipes can I possibly cram into six weeks?  This year it’s 31.

Here’s the dilemma: in my world, “cake mix” is a four-letter word.  I don’t believe in shortcuts in the kitchen; I shriek at the very thought of frozen pie crust or canned frosting.  It’s homemade, or bust. 

But I’d rather not pull my hair out (I find it’s not a good look on me) and stress just causes pimples (among other unattractive consequences) so I’ve taken to approaching my master baking list with the precision of a surgeon.  As a veteran over-extender, here are my personal tips for dealing with the holiday rush (Godspeed!):

• Make lists.  It’s trite, but it really works.  If you take inventory of your recipes, what you need to make and when you plan to make it, you won’t risk jolting out of bed on Christmas Eve realizing you haven’t yet started on a cake that takes three days to make.
• If it can be made ahead and frozen, do it.  There’s no shame in making things ahead only to save yourself sanity in the long run.  No one likes a cranky cook.
• The three most important words in a cook’s dictionary:  mise en place.  If you don’t know them, do yourself a favor and look them up. 
• Whenever possible, buy ingredients in bulk, on sale, and ahead of time.  You’ll thank yourself later when your grocery store is out of cranberries and there’s a mad brouhaha over the last jar of chestnuts in the baking aisle.
• If you’re saddled with the same baker’s ego that I am (“Bread pudding?  But of course I’ll make it with homemade challah!”) then go for recipes that are impressive – and fully homemade – without being foolishly complex.  Homemade truffles are simple, elegant and festive.  Cheesecakes keep nicely in the freezer and can be dressed up with fresh whipped cream and a Jackson Pollack-inspired smattering of cinnamon.  Or, make a basic cake and cut it into a six-inch size for a whimsical boutique look that appears far fancier than it is difficult.

Thanksgiving is now upon us and I’m seven deep into my thirty-something list.  With sixteen working days left (which is all I can spare around my paying day job), I’m feeling confident and relaxed.

Well, maybe not quite relaxed.  But my hair is still in place and I’m warming up for the sprint ahead.