Back to Reader Web Poll Results Index Reader Web Poll Results Join our newsletter to be notified when the newest Web Poll and Web Poll Results are available. QUESTION: Do you bake cakes, pies, cookies, etc. during the holiday season? Here’s how GON Readers responded… 38% I usually bake a few treats during this season 25% Other (Write in your thoughts.) 16% Yes. I do A LOT of baking! 11% Why bake? My grocery store has tons of pre-made options to purchase 7% If you consider "baking" putting a Mrs. Smith's pie in the oven, then Yes. 3% Only if I'm asked to...like for a fundraiser or kids bake sale Other GON Reader Comments: • My sister and I (and other family members, if available) spend Thanksgiving weekend making various cookies and candies. This was started about 27 years ago and has varied with anywhere from 2 to 28 members involved. Talk about memories for the little ones! • Shortbreads and a variety of squares, brownies, nanimo bars, etc. • I typically bake Cinnamon Butter cookies and an Italian Cream Cake for the holidays. • I make Toffee; not really a baking item but fun to do and to give to friends. • I bake up to 24 pans of Scotch Shortbread using my husband’s grandmothers award winning recipe. • My husband bakes cut-outs and chocolate chip. Our son and I decorate the cut-outs. • I always make Biscotti, Pizzelles, and Snowball cookies. These are a family tradition. • A variety of cookies made only at the holidays! • I make fudge due to high demand. (I don't eat it myself!) • I used to bake with my Special Education students. Since retiring to Belize, I now find a bakery and purchase holiday goodies. • I have not baked for the Christmas holiday in years. There are enough yummy sweets and sugar around that I try not to add to it by baking more. • I used too every year. Too old now, no hand strength. • I have four kinds of cookies that I bake. Christmas doesn't happen unless I do! I used to bake fruitcake too, but it's getting harder to find the candied fruit for it. • I don't bake. I make a traditional Danish Christmas cookie which is fried in vegetable fat (I use Crisco). Our family has been making these since 1909. • Pumpkin bread and cookies. Sometimes fruitcake. • Christmas cookies! • Mostly cookies with some banana or pumpkin bread thrown in there too. • Trying to diet, nobody wants to be tempted. • My oldest son co-owns a business and I enjoy baking a variety of cookies this time of year (not too holiday driven) and I take a bag full into the shop. I also drop bags of cookies at each son's home. Sometimes it is a sister-in-law who bakes with me and sometimes it is granddaughters. • I bake pies and scones and make a pavlova and cookies; not really a lot, but not just a few. • A few different kinds of cookies and maybe brownies. • I love to bake when my RA isn't acting up. It makes me happy to bring it into work and share it with others. • I always bake and decorate cookies with my grandchildren, even though they’re teenagers now. It’s a tradition we look forward to every year. I also make several batches of sausage balls. My whole family loves them, especially Christmas morning. • My friend and I spend one whole day baking cookies. We choose 4 different kinds and then make 4 dozen of each. We split each to take home. I look forward to this day as a treat to us, spending time together! • My son's family does this as a family fun day and they share with my husband and I. What a wonderful gift for us! • My daughter bakes; however, I do not. We usually have a combination of homemade and pre-made treats. • The Saturday before Thanksgiving, my sister and I (and in the last few years my younger daughter and her friend) get together and make 3 kinds of Christmas cookies and put them in the freezer to use in December! • I usually make a selection of 6-8 kinds of squares and cookies. I like to package up a small selection to give to the neighbours. • For the past 2 years, my daughter-in-law, her friend, friend's daughter, and I have gotten together and baked several different batches of cookies that we can then share with each other. It's so much more fun doing it as a group. The time goes so much faster and no one person is alone in a kitchen baking cookies. We are known as the “cookie crew.” Part of the baking is tasting them all to make sure they are good to go. • All shortbreads…whipped shortbread, snowballs and almond fingers, and dessert is individual pavlovas. • I bake only when we are expecting guests at our house and right now we don’t expect anybody. I bring a dish when we have family meals, but it’s not usually a dessert. • This November I made brandied fruit to put in Christmas bundt cakes for hostess gifts. I decorate the cakes with powdered sugar plus mint and cranberries for flowers. • Pecan pie is a “must have” in our house! • I would like to bake if I had more time. Someday…. • I try to bake several varieties of cookies, as well as my chocolate and peanut butter fudges, and divinty. I also like to try a new recipe most years. • I try to not to eat anything made from flour and sugar. So much healthier! • Our family makes truffles and no-bake cookies from the "family" recipes. I always bake a mince pie in memory of my father. I'm typically the only one that eats it. • I love to bake all the time. Since there are only two of us in the house now, both retired, I don't bake as often as I used to, so I tend to look for excuses to bake! • Years ago, I had my two grandsons help cut out and frost/decorate my cookies. As they got older, they took over a couple of easier recipes like Magic Cookie Bars and easy fudge. Now (they are 17 and 13 years old), it is one of the traditions we look forward to. I have little to do, but have the supplies. We combine this evening with a sleepover and movies and finish up the following day…usually a Saturday. Fills my heart! • I have a few favorites…magic seven layer bars, shortbread, butterscotch confetti. I leave the decorated sugar cookies to my sister. • No. I live alone, work full-time, have many social outings in December, and just don't have the time. • Cookies, lots of cookies!! • I bake 9 fruitcakes every year. Also bake about 10 different kinds of cookies. A lot are my mother’s recipes. I start early. I also give a lot away. My fruitcakes contain lots of spiced rum! • Candy making : fudge, both chocolate and Peanut Butter fudge; not baking exactly, but still sweet treats. • As a family, we bake Grandma’s apple pie, cookie candies, chocolate chip cookies, almond balls, decorated sugar cookies, Irish soda bread, thumbprint cookies, to name a few! But this year everyone is trying to consume less sugar, so we might cut back a bit! • Trying to avoid sweets, but might buy a plate of Christmas cookies. • My mother and aunt used to bake 10-12 different kinds of cookies for Christmas each year (they did not work outside the home.) When my children were young and I was a teacher, I could not possibly bake very many, so I asked them which ones were their favorite. It turned out that they only wanted the decorated sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, so those are the two that I bake to this day. 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