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!
Susan
November 7, 2013Chocolate-dipped everything : )
Sara
November 7, 2013Two of my favorite cookies are the chewy molasses cookies and the Devon cream sugar cookies in festive shapes from Jann Johnson’s The Art of the Cookie.
Cynthia
November 7, 2013Cherry Cheese cake! First dessert I’ve loved since moving from Peru in the 80’s
Carissa
November 7, 2013Double layer pumpkin cheesecake!
Patty Prosise
November 7, 2013Rum balls are my favorite holiday treat.
Cassandra
November 7, 2013My favorite go-to for the holidays would have to be chocolate bourbon pecan pie. I came across the recipe a few years ago and it is pure decadence in a pie plate!
Chloe
November 7, 2013Creme brûlée!
Karen
November 7, 2013Longing for my Italian Aunt’s chocolate spiced wedding cakes…similiar to snowballs or nut butter balls…..they are delicious!
Karen
November 7, 2013Longing for my Italian Aunt’s chocolate spiced wedding cakes…similiar to snowballs or nut butter balls…..they are delicious!
Kristi
November 7, 2013Apple Pie!
Chatelaine
November 7, 2013cinnamon rolls – for whatever reason I associate them with the holidays and pretty much never make them any other time………..
Nancy
November 7, 2013Peppermint bark, any sort of cookie!
Kelli
November 7, 2013I’d made a chocolate pumpkin trifle that came out yummy!
KY
November 7, 2013pumpkin pie!
Hannah
November 7, 2013Chocolate peppermint cookies!
Ellen
November 7, 2013I love making multiple vegan impossible pumpkin pies from the fat free vegan recipe!
julie c
November 7, 2013Chocolate chess pie
Chris
November 7, 2013Oh I’m tempted to say snowball cookies.. but I can’t leave pecan pie out in the cold like that. It’s got to be pecan pie.
Holly
November 7, 2013Mexican Chocolate Cherry Bombs have become a new fave —cayenne pepper gives heat while mixing with the sweet. Mmm good!
Jenn
November 7, 2013Toffee!
Kristen Bispo
November 8, 2013Butter brick bars! Make every christmas
sharon
November 8, 2013Bourbon balls! Someone shared a recipe with me a few years ago and they are the best I have ever had/made.
lisa
November 8, 2013Love love love to make (eat) toffee and caramels over the holidays to share with family and coworkers.
Caroline
November 8, 2013Creme brulee! Especially Bailey’s creme brulee 🙂
Adilah
November 8, 2013Chocolate Biscuit Pudding! Family recipe and always a crowd pleaser.
Karen D
November 8, 2013Eudora’s Southern Nut Pie from New Recipes from Moosewood…maple syrup, pecans, and heavy cream!
Anissa
November 8, 2013Mini sweet potato pies with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Ceri
November 8, 2013My favorite is my great-grandmother’s pumpin cheesecake
Mary Hall
November 8, 2013My favorite is a chocolate sin cake my daughter and I make together. It’s incredibly rich and lovely and is amazing. Best of all, we can make it gluten-free (so I can eat it!).
Karla glz
November 8, 2013Apple pie!
Days
November 8, 2013My grandmother’s shortbread cookie recipe and her gingersnaps if I have time.
Wendy R
November 8, 2013my favorite holiday treat is Christmas Sugar Cookies w/ Frosting & sprinkles
Amy Orvin
November 8, 2013Pecan Pie!
Catherine Young
November 9, 2013My mother used to make whipped butter shortbreads. These were — and remain — the most sumptuous, melt-in-the-mouth delectable cookie morsels I have ever eaten.
Carolsue
November 9, 2013I like to make Pumpkin Bread this time of year!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Shirley
November 9, 2013Pies, pumpkin, pecan, apple
dena
November 9, 2013Latkes with applesauce. And this year, with Chanukah and Thanksgiving on the same day, I’ll be serving latkes with a cinnamon-kissed cranberry sauce!
Rachael
November 9, 2013Pumpkin pie without question, starting in October and lasting until January don’t bother offering me dessert unless it’s pumpkin!
Jane
November 9, 2013Individual apple pies. Yum!
Christie
November 9, 2013I make a traditional steamed pudding for Christmas. I LOVE it and make it every year I can.
Annette
November 9, 2013I love my mother’s recipe for Red Velvet cake. It’s so fitting for the season, with all its spicy goodness.
Collette
November 9, 2013My favorite holiday treat would be something with pumpkin. I’m pretty much a sucker for pumpkin. Or maybe a molasses spice cookie. There’s something so holiday about them.
laurelry
November 9, 2013Doesn’t matter what food it is, but I love all holiday and wintery smells. Anything with Cinnamon. 🙂
leah
November 9, 2013I love to make sugar cookies from a recipe I got from a holiday book as a kid.
Katy
November 9, 2013I love making peanut butter blossom cookies…so good!
Larry
November 9, 2013I absolutely love banana nut cake. The recipe I use is about 40 years old. The cake is very rich and actually heavy. But oh so good.
stephanie
November 9, 2013I always make Brown Butter Spoon Cookies (or face death, I’m afraid)!
Takelia
November 9, 2013I made some pumpkin spiced cupcakes from scratch a few weeks ago. They were so amazing! I filled and frosted with my cream cheese frosting. I will be making these all year round..by far my favorite cupcake recipe ever!
Carolyn G
November 9, 2013My fave is apple pie
Pamela Phillips
November 9, 2013Eggnog Bundt Cake! Much better to me than the liquid version!