Christmas is less than a month away now, and I’m already looking forward to baking all of my favourite cakes and cookies for the festive season. From gingerbread men to almond cookies and the classic Yule Log – it wouldn’t be Christmas in my family without them. So today, I made a list of my favourite Christmas recipes – ones that I’ve enjoyed every single year for ages, that have been tested and perfected by my Mum and myself throughout the years. If you’re looking for inspiration for this year’s Christmas baking, or if you’re curious to see what my Polish family will enjoy during the festive season – have a read!

1. Simple gingerbread cookies

First on the list is the classic – my Mum’s recipe for gingerbread cookies that has been in my family for many years. Every year, I’ll make hundreds of those aromatic cookies and spend the whole week prior to Christmas decorating them with intricate designs made of melted chocolate and royal icing. I look forward to that week all year! These gingerbread cookies are a staple for me, and it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. They’re easy to make and retain their shape relatively well, despite puffing up a little. They’re spicy, sweet, and just perfect. The ultimate taste of Christmas, if you ask me!

2. Gingerbread Christmas trees

And speaking of gingerbread cookies, every year I create a whole forest of gingerbread Christmas trees. Constructing these small works of art requires a lot of patience and creative thinking – for example, a scaffolding made of kitchen utensils can be a helpful way of making sure the trees keep their shape while the icing is drying. And whilst it can be a little stressful and frustrating when things don’t go as planned, ultimately – it’s a lot of fun creating these gingerbread Christmas trees and I do it every year. Plus, they make a great DIY gift for family and friends!

3. Almond crescent cookies

And if you’re not a fan of rich, spicy gingerbread cookies, I have an alternative for you. These almond crescent cookies are one of my favourite cookies of all times. Delicate and crumbly, they melt in your mouth and every bite is filled with rich almond flavour. They taste great on their own, but I also like to drizzle them with dark chocolate for extra sweetness and depth of flavours. These cookies are typically made by my Mum for Christmas, and I look forward to them already! Try them, and you won’t want to stop making them.

4. Walnut cut out cookies

Another option for those not too keen on ginger and other spices are these walnut cut out cookies. They hold their shape perfectly, so feel free to use your finest cookie cutters. Just be careful when you handle them after they’re baked – they’re very fragile and will crumble easily. These walnut cookies are a staple in our family at Christmas. They taste best with a dark chocolate drizzle and a piece of walnut stuck into the chocolate. Yum! Just like the previous cookie recipes on this list, these cookies will last ages if stored in an air tight container. Make a batch and you’ll have a homemade cookie with your morning coffee for weeks.

5. Hazelnut Yule Log Cake

Naturally, a list of Christmas recipes wouldn’t be complete without a classic Yule Log Cake. I only started making these around 7 years ago, but it’s hands down the most spectacularly-looking cake in my repertoire. There’s also a teamwork element in making this cake in my family – my Dad always helps me flip the steaming hot sponge cake out of the baking sheet and roll it into shape. His only contribution to the Christmas baking, but such an important one! This Yule Log cake has a hazelnut filling with chunks of dark chocolate, and a rich, dark chocolate layer on the outside. What’s great about this cake is that it’s easy to adjust its sweetness to your preferences – just taste the filling as you make it!

6. Christstollen – traditional German Christmas cake

What’s a German Christmas cake doing on the recipe list loved by a Polish family? Well, it all began when my Dad bought a packed Stollen in a supermarket and fell in love with the flavours – the cake itself, the raisins and candied fruit, and the marzipan filling. I wasn’t equally amazed by the flavour and the vast range of artificial ingredients packed into the store-bought cake, so I Googled recipes for a homemade version. Now, over 10 years later, the originally found recipes were combined into this one recipe that I use every Christmas, for my Dad’s enjoyment. If you like the Christmas Stollen cakes available in supermarkets, try making one yourself. Trust me, it’s much better!

7. Gingerbread loaf cake

If I had to pick one cake to eat for the rest of my life, it would probably be this one. Made by my Mum to her well-tested recipe, it’s rich, spicy, and just perfectly sweet. Paired with a layer of chocolate on top, it’s absolute perfection, if you ask me. It may not sound or look like much, but trust me – it’s divine. My Mum makes a couple of these gingerbread loaf cakes for Christmas and I need to fight my urge to eat them all in one sitting. Less than a month until I get to eat this cake!

8. Makówki – traditional Polish poppyseed & nuts dessert

Finally, the most unique dessert on my list. A poppyseed dessert traditionally made for Christmas in my region in the south of Poland. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it growing up, but now I wish I could eat it every day. We make a huge batch of makówki on Christmas Eve morning and then enjoy it throughout Christmas. A portion of makówki, served with a splash of milk, is probably my favourite part of the Christmas Eve supper. Yummy!

Happy baking!

Did you find anything on this list that you’d like to make this year? I hope so! Let us know if you try any of these recipes – I hope you love them as much as I do. And if there are any cakes that are traditionally baked for Christmas in your countries or families – I’d love to learn about them!

Also see:

• Christmas
• Food
• Sweet