Holiday Desserts...homemade? frozen? store bought?

[maslex]

I know many people have pies, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc for holiday desserts. Just wondering if you make all of your desserts, or do you order them from a store/bakery or do you just buy a frozen pie out of the grocery store freezer?


This year, my hubby's dessert wish list consists of key lime pie, lemon merangue (sp) pie and chocolate pie. I've never been a baker of pies myself. I'm more of a brownie/cookie/cake kind of baker. So I bought one of the frozen lemon ones, MIL bought a frozen key lime pie and SIL is bringing a chocolate one (not sure if it's homemade/store bought/frozen.

And since the kids aren't pie eaters, I'm going to be making cupcakes for them and also have ice cream on hand for my son who doesn't like "desserts"


So what's your choice when it comes to what you serve at the holidays.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

A little bit of each, but don't tell anyone, they think I slave and bake all of them myself...

Pumpkin - store bought
Apple - homemade
Cheesecake - homemade
kuchen - bakery

Have a great holiday.

 

[NMAmy]

I make most of ours but usually buy one of Marie Callender's Razzleberry pies for DH at the holidays. He loves those things.

So, we'll have:
Pumpkin-homemade
Blueberry-homemade
Razzleberry-frozen and heated up by me.

 

[AntePrincess]

I'd say that we make 75% of our desserts, then order the remaining 25% from our local baker. My husband and I are good pastry and rustic dessert bakers, but neither of us is great shakes at cake or sugarcraft.

 

[monkeybug]

100% homemade, even the crusts and frostings, but I'm kind of a dweeb like that! I make everything (because it's fun for me, not work. If it felt like work I would go buy pre made) from scratch around here. Bread, marshmallows, fudge sauce, bbq sauce, jams, peanut butter...basically if I can make it with out buying a cow or a factory than I give it a shot. One of my daughters friends once put her hand on her hip and asked me "don't you ever buy food? You know like order pizza?"
I'm weird. I need therapy. I have a make it myself addiction. I blame grandma. She used to make us distract clerks while she measured items in the store so she could go home and make her own.
And home made doesn't always mean better...just ask my family about the great graham cracker disaster of '08!

 

[princesspiglet]

I do both. Something I am not good at making- like cookies- they always end up being hard as rocks! But others I make- pies, cheesecake and cakes. This year I will have:

3 dozen assorted cookies- bought at bakery
pumpkin cheesecake- homemade
red velvet cake with green icing- homemade
Pecan pie-store bought crust with homemade filling
caramel apple pie- store bought crust with homemade filling

 

[princess momma]

We only have homemade desserts. And lots of 'em.

 

[Meriweather]

Home made....this year is easy though, just 2 desserts

Chocolate cheesecake and Pumpkin custard

 

[Angelhalo]

I make mine from scratch. I'm a cake decorator but cakes aren't that big at the holidays so I usually do pies and such. This year I'm making Nutty Buddy Pies and my Easy Peasy Cherry Cheesecake both from scratch. Haven't decided what else to make.....

I have to make a 3 tier Topsy Turvy cake for a 16th birthday party this weekend so I haven't had much time to think about my holiday baking. Once this masquerade ball cake is done, then I can focus on Holiday baking!!

 

[Ohiodislover]

Has to be homemade. No frozen, or store bought. However, I am ordering a cheesecake, and and pumpkin pie from a caterer. Hey-It's still home made, just not in my home

 

[MIGrandma]

I do a combination of both.

I make my own pumpkin rolls from scratch, and a few kinds of cookies.

We like the mini-cheesecakes, made in cupcake foil papers with a vanilla wafer as the crust and I do those homemade as well.

But the Christmas cookies, the cut out and frosted/decorated ones? Nope. Those I do not make. I don't like all the fuss and bother. We have a cake shop in town that also makes a lot of candies and cookies for the holidays, and their cut out decorated cookies are wonderful. I always order 2 dozen to have just for Christmas Day. One year I did order a "Happy Birthday, Jesus" cake from her as well.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Key lime, I buy at publix--it is just delish!

Apple, I can make--or do Publix--or do Mrs. Smiths. I don't really care.

I enjoy making cakes, box or scratch doesn't matter. Haven't worked it out with the frosting though. Grrr. Supposedly crisco is the "secret' and it grosses me out. So I will use a can frosting sothat I don't have to think about that.

But what it comes down to is how lazy am I feeling and do I have the bucks to spare to let someone else do the work.

I've been out of commission so long that I'm not even thinking about Thanksgiving (which, if plans don't change, isn't in my house this year) or Christmas. I can barely cook a meal now. Tonight is some frozen pasta dish--high sodium, but pop it in the oven and done!

ETA: My own yumminess that I do enjoy making if I have a receptive crowd is sweet potato muffins. It is served in the Taverns at Williamsburg and on a trip, I was able to buy a cookbook with the recipe. YUM!!!!

 

[Rora]

I typically make homemade desserts but sometimes I cheat and buy store bought things and spice them up. For example, I willl buy sugar cookies from Publix and then decorate them!