Merry Christmas

"Why do I need to wait the whole year until next Christmas?" Sounds familiar? Well, that's my daughter's usual question straight after saying "Merry Christmas mum!". I didn't even dream how complicated and sweet that kind of questions could be. In spite of her toddler age, she knows that Christmas is all about yummy food and Christmas recipes. And it all starts at the end of November when our kitchen becomes a hub of delicious activity and the whole family enjoys cooking and baking.

By far the most entertaining is our family debate about Christmas tree decorating ideas. Sometimes I just can't believe my ears when I hear what my daughter and my husband would hang on our Christmas tree. Their Christmas tree decorating ideas often sound too surreal so I just need to step in and explain that this is about decorating a Christmas tree and not a space ship from another galaxy. I need to explain every year again and again that Christmas decorating ideas are all about beauty and simplicity.

Because the family's "must dos" usually end up as an excruciating list of tasks we need to share our work. Yummy Christmas cookies, Christmas decorations and homemade Christmas gifts are a job for me and my daughter, but my husband bravely experiments with Christmas cake recipes. Days before we can even wish anyone a Merry Christmas our kitchen is filled up with delicious smells of almond, vanilla, cinnamon, mixed spice, cardamom and of course coffee.

When Christmas finally arrives it is an absolutely great pleasure for me to see the family, and particularly my daughter, gathering around a Christmas tree opening (almost always) unique Christmas presents and enjoying a festive atmosphere. But without heaps of delicious Christmas food and yummy coffee there wouldn't be a perfect Christmas. Do you agree?

Before I can wish you a Merry Christmas I would like to share some yummy Christmas recipes which have been successfully tested in our kitchen:

Christmas cookies:

Pinwheel Christmas cookies

Christmas tree decorating ideas (decorating with cookies)

Christmas cookies dough leftover

Sugar cookie recipe

Christmas cake recipes:

Christmas cinnamon walnut coffee cake recipe

That's it, Christmas is fast approaching, we have already started making preparations for Christmas decorations for this most hectic yet festive time of the year, and we hope your festivities will be sweeter and merrier with some of the presented Christmas recipes.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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