The American artist and illustrator Tasha Tudor began her Christmas preparations when the previous Christmas ended. Known for her children’s books and whimsical illustrations, Advent calendars, stunning gardens and the like, Tasha wasn’t concerned with plastic reindeer or how many electric lights she could staple to the front of her home. Her Christmas was a homemade, handmade one, using items culled from the natural world around her remote cabin in Vermont. It took time and presence to prepare when everything used to celebrate the holiday involved creation from scratch. (If you’re unfamiliar with Tudor’s life and work check out the documentary, “Take Peace—A Corgi Cottage Christmas with Tasha Tudor.”)
While I don’t start preparing for next Christmas on January 1st, I have come to enjoy the run-up to the holiday much more than I enjoy the holiday itself. Mixed in with family and other people’s way of hosting and doing things, the actual Eve or Christmas Day isn’t really my own, and I’ve come to relinquish the idea (or, to be honest, am working on relinquishing the idea) of how I, personally, would like Christmas to be. So it’s in the preparations beforehand—the Christmas season, if you will—where I really flourish and find my joy.
Baking is a big part of that experience. In filling our home with the cozy scents and wholesome tastes of the Christmas season, I hope to create special moments and memories for my family. Food is an anchor for tradition, and I want my children to feel that as well as remember it when they’re older.
Today, I’m sharing a few of my favorite Christmas season recipes with you, brought together in a lovely PDF I created just for the occasion. I really only make these recipes, which include gingerbread and panettone, this time of year, which makes them extra special and something to look forward to; a real embodiment of tradition.
Here’s hoping these recipes bring you as much joy as they bring me during the Christmas season.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for being here with me, truly.