There are some staples that should always be in a baker’s pantry: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract and cocoa powder. Some lists leave out the last two, or only include them as extras, but I use vanilla and cocoa powder almost every single day and my kitchen is never without them. I don’t want your kitchen to be without them, either, which is why I’m giving away two Baking Basics Gift Packs full of baking essentials from Rodelle. You’ll have to stock up on flour and butter, but this gift pack is full of vanilla beans, vanilla extract, Dutch process baking cocoa  and other essentials  that will get you set up for all of your holiday baking
To enter the contest, just leave a comment below and mention your favorite holiday treat – whether it is a pumpkin pie recipe that you’ve been baking for twenty years or a new sugar cookie recipe you just added to your repertoire. The contest ends Sunday at midnight (11/10/2013) and two winners will be randomly selected from the entries. Don’t forget to fill in your e-mail on the comment form (it will not be made public), as that is how I will contact the winner, and good luck!
Here are a few chocolate and vanilla recipes to kick start your holiday baking:
Update: Comments are now closed. Congrats to Alyssa and Amy on winning this giveaway! Thanks to everyone for participating!
Cathy Dugan
November 5, 2013I love baking, especially at Christmas. I bake cookies and give them away as Christmas gifts. My favorite cookie to make and eat has to be the cream cheese brownies I make.
Melissa
November 5, 2013Mmm my favorite holiday treat is pie. Apple pie – I could eat it every day for the rest of my life!
Sandy Headtke
November 5, 2013My holiday treats include peanut brittle, English toffee and shortbread cookies. Cant narrow it down to one favorite
Lisa Gibbs
November 5, 2013Every Christmas, like many other families, we make lots and lots of cookies. Our favorite is an old Betty Crocker Cooky Book recipe, Tiny Fudge Tarts. They’re a little fussy, but sooo tasty and quite special! And the recipe uses both vanilla and cocoa powder!
Cheryl
November 5, 2013My fudge is one of the favorite treats I make during the holiday season. One recipe for Thanksgiving and a second batch for Christmas. It is the only time of the year I make it.
terri
November 5, 2013Having punkin pie with my son every Thanksgiving
Norma Brake
November 5, 2013My Ginger Crinkles (Snaps) that I have been baking for nearly 20 years and are a big family favorite. They’re full of warm brown sugar and molasses, and spicy ground and candied ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I can’t wait to start baking them now.
Laura
November 5, 2013I love to bake. I have fond memories of helping my mom & my aunt in the kitchen as a child. I would have to say frosted sugar cookies are my fav treat because it makes me think of the holidays and helping decorate MANY MANY cookies over the years. To this day I still get excited shopping for my decorating sugars and various baking ingredients 🙂
CindyD
November 5, 2013I love Mexican wedding cakes but I almost never get to bake them because no one else likes them much!
Jen
November 5, 2013Chocolate Mint cookies are my yummy holiday tradition!
Vanessa
November 5, 2013Good old pumpkin pie piled high with whipped cream.
Kelsey
November 5, 2013My family’s Christmas cookies (sugar cookies that we cut out, frost, and decorate)
glitterchickbaby
November 5, 2013I love to bake. I was inspired by helping my mom & my aunt in the kitchen as a child. I would have to say that frosted sugar cookies are my fave holiday treat because it reminds me of the MANY MANY cookies we decorated over the years. To this day I still get excited shopping for sprinkles & various baking items. Always puts a smile on my face 🙂
Sarah
November 5, 2013oh the yummy things to make!
Charles Schexnayder
November 5, 2013Pecan pie recipe that has been handed down from my great-grandmother. It’s my job every year to make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Karen Dawson
November 5, 2013Old family recipe for Whoopie Pies -been making them since I was old enough to help my mom!
M'chele Johnson
November 5, 2013The first thing that comes to mind is candied yams. I know it’s more as a side dish but b/c we only have at holidays, and it’s sooooo good, that’s my family favorite treat.
Karen Barkley
November 5, 2013I love a fluffy chocolate cream pie piled high with whipping cream!
Peggy Carlile
November 5, 2013I love to bake cookies for Christmas – from decorated sugar cookies to peanut butter cookies to mexican wedding cookies!
Michelle
November 5, 2013My favorite holiday treat is my moms sugar cookies!!
delia
November 5, 2013pumpkin bread
Courtney Young
November 5, 2013My favorite holiday treat is definitely homemade pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream.
jennifer J-W
November 5, 2013My favorite is Mexican Wedding Cakes. It’s those cookies made with butter, powdered sugar and pecans. I know that some people call them other names, though. They are simple, but delicious.
Teresa Vandemark
November 5, 2013I love a good pumpkin roll and would bake more ofter if I had the basics on hand. It’s 1 100 miles round trip to shop. So excited, I will make a wish to win.
Diane Bustos
November 5, 2013Eggnog cheesecake bars!
Carol Haselmann
November 5, 2013We love pie in our house, all kinds! But we have a particular fondness for the round ones! 🙂
Liz Krasnay
November 5, 2013Kiffles!! It is an old family recipe that everyone loves.
Heather
November 5, 2013I love my mom’s sugar cookies! I’ve never been able to duplicate them!
Bianca @ Sweet Dreaming
November 5, 2013christmas cookies of all kinds! but decorating gingerbread men is a tradition i love 🙂
Lindsay
November 5, 2013My favorite is apple pie.
Sarah
November 5, 2013I love sweet potato pie, it feels so perfect for the fall and the holidays
lindsey
November 5, 2013I love baking and decorating cookies, and when Thanksgiving comes, I add pumpkin pie spices.
Brandy
November 5, 2013I think I will have to go with pecan pie 🙂
Felisha H
November 5, 2013peanut blossom cookies is my fave…
Lisa Goslin
November 5, 2013Egg Nog Fudge!!!
Melissa
November 5, 2013I love to make pumpkin fudge. My grandma taught me how to make it when I was younger, and I always recreate it this time of year.
Alison
November 5, 2013I love making a new pie recipe each holiday – whether it’s caramel apple, pumpkin or pecan!
Mary Ellen
November 5, 2013Italian Flag cookies!
BakingTray
November 5, 2013I love baking all kinds of bread in the holidays because that’s when I have the most time. My favourite would be Cinnamon Scrolls!
Krys
November 5, 2013At Thanksgiving and Christmas my grandma always makes this no-bake cheesecake-type thing, with graham cracker crust and cherry topping. So delicious.
Holly B
November 5, 2013Gingerbread cookies are my fave by far!
LauriM
November 5, 2013I love making my family’s molasses cut-outs.
Elizabeth
November 5, 2013Cranberry-orange bread always makes me think of the holidays. I’m still trying to figure out how Mom does it, since mine ends up too crumbly. My husband’s family makes sugar cookies with thin icing from his great-uncle’s recipe, since his great-uncle was a baker (the recipe had to be converted from 50 lb. bags of flour, etc.). It was a brand new tradition to me: baking them, making icing while they cooled, then decorating them while slapping his hand away in order to have some left over to decorate.
Carrie
November 5, 2013Great Grandpa Ted’s cookies – pretty basic chocolate crinkles, but we still give him credit!
sprite
November 5, 2013Spritz cookie and Gramma cookie (a butter cookie) recipes date back several generations in our holiday celebrations.
Susan Christy
November 5, 2013My new favorite is Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Salted Caramel Swirl. Thanks to AverieCooks blog for this delicious recipe!
Kathryn h
November 5, 2013For thanksgiving, Pumpkin Banana mousse tart has been a staple since I first saw Ina Garten make it. It would not be Christmas without an English trifle, it reminds me of my childhood in Britain.
Min
November 5, 2013My favourite’s the classic chocolate cake, topped with rich chocolate ganache! Chocolate’s a staple for any holiday.
Jane
November 5, 2013I look forward to my mom’s divinity. We only get it once a year so it’s a huge treat!
Adriana
November 5, 2013My new favorite items to bake are pumpkin cheesecake and eggnog everything (cheesecake, cookies, etc.)!