I believe Christmas Season is my favourite time of year. Even though I was brought up Catholic within our Italian heritage, I’m far from being religious. Christmas has a different meaning to me, where it’s the fun holiday festival throughout December, just like the Roman Caesars celebrations.
As a Chef, it also means this time of year I get to play around with making Christmas Cookies to Gingerbread houses. Talking about, this morning I’m going to start making my Gingerbread House Dough.
In the real world I was a Banquet and Private Chef for prestigious Golf Courses and Private Clubs. Now retired I have the leisure to play around with Christmas baking skills I usually left with my experienced Pastry Chefs. I always marvelled at a Pastry Chefs skills and talents, thinking one day I’ll get the chance to do it myself. Most would think Chefs are experienced in every part of cooking and baking skills. That’s so far from the truth, as each Chef will take on different roles throughout their career. Even though we were all taught the basics in cooking and baking during our culinary arts program, each certified cook will get their unique experience and expertise while training for years at a either a 5 Star Resort , private clubs or restaurant chains, such as Earls. I had the opportunity to indulge in all three, however I settled with Private Golf Clubs because it was a mix of fine dining, banquets and restaurant, all in one, while being my own boss.
Becoming an Executive Chef isn’t as easy as it sounds; there’s a ton of responsibility, politics and long hours, working six days per week, 14 hours per day. To make it worse, you worked every holiday everyone else is celebrating. Yep ! Even Christmas Day !
So now that I’m retired it’s fun to be able to explore holidays and try my baking skills once again. It’s nice to stay at home on Christmas Day, instead of spending the morning and heading off to work in the afternoon.
Last year I attempted to make a grand Gingerbread House ; it wasn’t long before I realized I’ve taken on more then I should have, since my intricate piping skills were, what I say, as crude as the Flintstones — lol 😂
So, this year I perfected the Best Gingerbread dough that’s not only good for making a gingerbread house, but when rolled out thicker, you can have the yummiest Gingerbread men/ women, perfect with your morning coffee. This recipe of mine is true tested several times over !
I love to hear what Christmas baking you are taking on this year ? This girl I knew from Phoenix, Arizona, would go all out and make batches of Christmas cookies for her friends and family, wrapping them up into cute Christmas packages as gifts.
Talking about Christmas gifts, Canadian Recipes of the Great White North is the perfect gifted theme cookbook for everyone on your Christmas list. Be sure to purchase in time for Christmas Day.
Cheers !
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