When do you start your Christmas baking?

Dear users, dear authors,
When do you start your Christmas baking—or rather, the stollen that need to mature until Christmas?

Sometime in November, my husband wants to start baking cookies, because that’s been his domain ever since he retired :-) Starting any earlier isn’t so great, because then he’d have to start over a few times :-) since they somehow always dry out after 1–2 days and there’s some unexplained shrinkage :-) :-) ;-) ;-)
He’s also been baking our bread for years—he just started a new batch.
Best regards, Inge

Yes, we’ll be starting in November, too. Starting with a stollen—I’m really looking forward to that.

And then I’d like to try making a panettone with my Livieto Madre. But I still need to do some research on that.

And then a few cookies, of course. 

I haven’t planned anything yet, but now you’ve given me some ideas. I’ll probably bake that delicious sheet-pan gingerbread soon—I discovered it here on the forum and fell in love with it :D
Since the stores already have Christmas items on display, I might as well start baking :) And cookies (or “Weihnachtsbredle,” as we call them here) won’t be made until late November or early December. 

Yeah, I’ll probably bake my sheet-pan gingerbread as early as October—it’s just too delicious and tempting. I’ll make everything else whenever I feel like it.

I don’t start baking until December.
The only thing I’ll make soon is Magenbrot—I really like it, and it’s not gingerbread, after all.
I make the apricot stollen in mid-October so they’re ready for St. Nicholas Day.
We don’t have any cookies before then—I’m strict about that.
I think it’s awful what you can already find in the stores.

I often make sheet-baked gingerbread slices so my sweetheart doesn’t feel like he has to buy gingerbread.

Well, I’m holding off on baking cookies for now. I’ve still got a little time, after all. But I can’t wait until the last minute. We’ll see how I manage to fit it in alongside work. I’m always so tired afterward.

I’ll definitely be baking cookies, though. I found and bought a locomotive-shaped cookie cutter at the aviation museum while I was on vacation. Of course, I have to try it out. Especially for my sweetheart—he loves his model train set.
When the time comes, I’ll post a photo.

The stores are already full of gingerbread and speculoos cookies. I’ve already worked my way through them—so delicious. But I won’t buy stollen until Christmas. They even have white domino cookies.

I’ll definitely be baking the gingerbread sheet cake (honigkuchen).

Here’s what it looks like. Funny, isn’t it?

If the cookies are supposed to last until Christmas, I mustn’t start baking before December 22 — we’re a little… um… undisciplined. 🤣🤣🤣

Probably not in mid-November—except for the things that need time to mature. Elisenlebkuchen are first. And then they get put away, too. I keep my hands on them. 😂
We only have cookies at Christmas. Well, okay—we’re allowed to sneak a taste on the Sundays of Advent. You have to check whether they’re good, after all. 😇I’m already baking simple oatmeal cookies. To me, those aren’t Christmas baked goods. I also made an exception for anise cookies this year. I’ve noticed they help with an upset stomach after chemo.  I haven’t bought Christmas baked goods in a long time. I can’t tolerate them, and we don’t like them anymore because they’re much too sweet.
Now there are so many other treats. Apple and plum cakes, nut cakes, and all kinds of crumbles. I have to savor those first. 

Get well soon and all the best to you, Leoniera.

Thank you so much.❤️

How are the stollen coming along?
Have they had time to mature?

We’re right in the middle of it; I just got another shopping list from my husband to pick up the ingredients we’re still missing tomorrow.

Best regards, Inge

Are you two ready?

We’ve already gone through two stollen. Tomorrow we’ll go shopping for a new one. 

Josefa, thank goodness my husband is doing well again. I’m still struggling with a fading voice and a cough, but it’s not as bad as last time; it comes and goes

Best regards, Inge

Can you send someone else to do the shopping instead of going yourself?
Get well soon, Inge.

@Petra,
that sounds like a good plan. 

No, Josefa, I want to get my husband’s Christmas present, and I can only do that if my daughter has time off and can drive me. I’ll bundle up nice and warm tomorrow, and then it’ll be fine. I’ve got warm jackets, a scarf, and hats.

Best, Inge

OK, have fun and get well soon!