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A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook

Cookies, Candies, Cakes & More: Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season

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A GLOBE & MAIL BESTSELLER
INCLUDES THE NATIONAL POST’S TOP MOST POPULAR RECIPES OF 2023!

The quintessential classic Christmas baking book, with over 120 recipes to celebrate the festive baker in all of us!


A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook is the only cookbook you will need this season, whether you're from the Prairies or just love Christmas baking. Take it from Karlynn Johnston, the bestselling author of Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky and The Prairie Table and someone who owns SIX Christmas trees—these goodies are sure to keep your Christmas spirit going all season long.

Inside, you'll find over 120 of the best of the best recipes for filling your family’s homes and bellies with festive cheer, including:

  • Traditional family recipes: Inspire memory-making for you and yours with sweets like Traditional Whipped Shortbread, Divinity Candy, and Auntie Darlene’s Dark Whisky Fruitcake.
  • Home-grown Prairie desserts: Treats like Millionaire’s Shortbread and Marshmallow Yule Logs warm the soul when the Prairies turn into a winter wonderland.
  • The ultimate cookie exchange guide: Pick up tips for hosting and baking the best cookies to swap, like Cherry Snowballs and Gumdrop Cookies.
  • Cocktails and punches: Get the Christmas party started with drinks like the Retro Sherbert Party Punch and the Perfect Christmas Crantini.
  • Ukrainian Christmas dishes: learn Karlynn’s family's traditional recipes, like Pampushky and Kutia.

Indulge in the chilly season’s slower pace with a glorious, once-a-year baking fest where you pull out all the stops. Whether you’re a fan of Karlynn’s previous books or you’re discovering her vintage charm for the first time, these sweetly dressed pages make it clear that this is the book she was born to write. A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook is a feast for all senses, for reminiscing in your favorite festive memories and making cherished new ones.
PRAISE FOR A VERY PRAIRIE CHRISTMAS BAKEBOOK

"Latest cookbook by Karlynn Johnston is a Christmas gift that keeps on giving. For someone who loves to bake and loves the holidays, this cookbook is definitely for them."—SASKATOON STAR PHOENIX


PRAIRIE FOR KARLYNN JOHNSTON'S PREVIOUS BOOKS

Praise for Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky
Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky is beautiful in a completely organic way, a tribute to the years [Johnston] spent honing the craft of baking and photography, and to her quirky eye for gleaming kitsch. It’s a collection as honest and sincere as the author.”—NATIONAL POST

Praise for The Prairie Table
“Karlynn Johnston is truly a master class in working both sides of modern food culture.”—EDMONTON JOURNAL
© Karlynn Johnston
Blogger and author KARLYNN JOHNSTON can usually be found at home taste-testing new recipes and cocktails in her home studio kitchen for her website, The Kitchen Magpie. When she’s not there, you can find her thrifting vintage Christmas decor, or working at her rural fixer-upper farmstead, Magpie Farm. Karlynn lives in Edmonton, Canada, with her husband and two children. View titles by Karlynn Johnston
Excerpt from the Introduction

This, my friends, is the cookbook I have been dreaming about writing for years.


I am unabashedly THAT person when it comes to Christmas. I start humming Christmas tunes in October while my Halloween decorations are up. I put up three Christmas trees every year: a 1960s silver aluminum tree, a 1960s green aluminum tree, and one faux fir tree (which my kids insist on), all of which are put up, without fail, the day after Remembrance Day. (Let me confess, I own still another three vintage trees that don’t always get decorated simply because I run out of room.) And as soon as I pack away the Christmas turkey leftovers, I am already dreaming about how I will decorate the house next year and what we will cook up.


I’ve always wondered if my love of the holiday season stems from our noto­riously, bone-chillingly cold winters on the Canadian Prairies, with copious amounts of snowfall that astonish people who don’t live here and seemingly never end for those of us who do. If we are lucky, the snow holds off until the kids have enjoyed Halloween, but when I was a kid, trick-or-treating involved costumes pulled over my snowsuit! Christmas becomes a wonderful bright spot in our long winter and, if you’re like me, can be stretched out for a solid two months of decorations, lights, and entertainment. Ukrainian Christmas celebrations don’t begin until January 6th, so we wait until after that to take everything down.


During our cold Prairie winters, our pace of life slows down, whether we want it to or not. Our attention shifts from the outdoors to the indoors. Outside activities lessen, as even the most diehard skaters, skiers, and snow­shoers stay inside when the mercury dips below –30°C. Occasionally, we get snow days from work and school. Outings at the lake turn into board games around the table. Mowing the lawn turns into shoveling the sidewalks and hurrying back inside as soon as you can.


But it can be lovely. With that change of pace can come more time to bake and cook. And the food—oh, the food that we have only during the holiday season! The glorious, once-a-year baking fest where we pull out all the stops.


From the middle of November onward, I take great joy in planning, baking, and freezing goodies for Christmas. Even though it’s the busiest time of year for my website (my website traffic quadruples during the holidays, with everyone wanting recipes), I truly live for every moment of holiday baking as soon as those first few flakes of snow fall until Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th. (Then I am so done with all the baking and cooking, and survive simply on soup until spring.)


You will see some recipes here that also appeared in one of my first two books, Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky and The Prairie Table. There are some treats, like my quintessential Traditional Whipped Shortbread and my Thin & Chewy Snickerdoodles, that simply could NOT be left out of a baking book that is all about Christmas on the Prairies. So if you have my other books, first of all, thank you! Second, forgive the repeat recipes, but rest assured that it’s recipes like these, which reflect baking on the Prairies per­fectly, that make this the perfect cookbook to gift to loved ones and pass down to your kids. Plus, there’s over 120 recipes in this book, giving you so many new ones to enjoy! (In fact, I have so many cookie recipes, they fill two chapters!)


Mr. Kitchen Magpie (aka my husband, Mike) once again gets the closing chapter, full of punches and libations. He took on the task of creating a safe eggnog that cooks the egg yolk and can be enjoyed by everyone— which can, of course, be made adults-only with a splash of rum. The Cranberry Bourbon Sour is a seasonal favorite of ours. And do you remember ice cream punches at holiday parties as a kid? I haven’t seen them in decades, so I think it’s time to bring them back! We’ve also included one of those: the Retro Sherbet Party Punch. Just thinking of that tangy sherbet floating on top of a sweet punch makes my mouth water!


I have given my all to this book to make sure that I’ve captured the best of the best when it comes to our holiday baking classics here on the Canadian Prairies. Even though this book is bursting with oodles of cakes, cookies, dainties, pud­dings, and dessert salads, I have an ever-present nagging urge to add just one more recipe to make it perfect. I could have included a solid 250 recipes if I had really run wild! (That’s right, this is me reined in.) I’ve curated what I feel are the best of the best, what my family and I love to fill our home (and bellies) with.


I hope this book becomes the first one you pull out every year when starting your Christmas baking. I hope you find some new favorites and rediscover some forgotten treats you haven’t made in years. And most of all, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and happy holidays!


Love, Karlynn

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About

A GLOBE & MAIL BESTSELLER
INCLUDES THE NATIONAL POST’S TOP MOST POPULAR RECIPES OF 2023!

The quintessential classic Christmas baking book, with over 120 recipes to celebrate the festive baker in all of us!


A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook is the only cookbook you will need this season, whether you're from the Prairies or just love Christmas baking. Take it from Karlynn Johnston, the bestselling author of Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky and The Prairie Table and someone who owns SIX Christmas trees—these goodies are sure to keep your Christmas spirit going all season long.

Inside, you'll find over 120 of the best of the best recipes for filling your family’s homes and bellies with festive cheer, including:

  • Traditional family recipes: Inspire memory-making for you and yours with sweets like Traditional Whipped Shortbread, Divinity Candy, and Auntie Darlene’s Dark Whisky Fruitcake.
  • Home-grown Prairie desserts: Treats like Millionaire’s Shortbread and Marshmallow Yule Logs warm the soul when the Prairies turn into a winter wonderland.
  • The ultimate cookie exchange guide: Pick up tips for hosting and baking the best cookies to swap, like Cherry Snowballs and Gumdrop Cookies.
  • Cocktails and punches: Get the Christmas party started with drinks like the Retro Sherbert Party Punch and the Perfect Christmas Crantini.
  • Ukrainian Christmas dishes: learn Karlynn’s family's traditional recipes, like Pampushky and Kutia.

Indulge in the chilly season’s slower pace with a glorious, once-a-year baking fest where you pull out all the stops. Whether you’re a fan of Karlynn’s previous books or you’re discovering her vintage charm for the first time, these sweetly dressed pages make it clear that this is the book she was born to write. A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook is a feast for all senses, for reminiscing in your favorite festive memories and making cherished new ones.

Praise

PRAISE FOR A VERY PRAIRIE CHRISTMAS BAKEBOOK

"Latest cookbook by Karlynn Johnston is a Christmas gift that keeps on giving. For someone who loves to bake and loves the holidays, this cookbook is definitely for them."—SASKATOON STAR PHOENIX


PRAIRIE FOR KARLYNN JOHNSTON'S PREVIOUS BOOKS

Praise for Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky
Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky is beautiful in a completely organic way, a tribute to the years [Johnston] spent honing the craft of baking and photography, and to her quirky eye for gleaming kitsch. It’s a collection as honest and sincere as the author.”—NATIONAL POST

Praise for The Prairie Table
“Karlynn Johnston is truly a master class in working both sides of modern food culture.”—EDMONTON JOURNAL

Author

© Karlynn Johnston
Blogger and author KARLYNN JOHNSTON can usually be found at home taste-testing new recipes and cocktails in her home studio kitchen for her website, The Kitchen Magpie. When she’s not there, you can find her thrifting vintage Christmas decor, or working at her rural fixer-upper farmstead, Magpie Farm. Karlynn lives in Edmonton, Canada, with her husband and two children. View titles by Karlynn Johnston

Excerpt

Excerpt from the Introduction

This, my friends, is the cookbook I have been dreaming about writing for years.


I am unabashedly THAT person when it comes to Christmas. I start humming Christmas tunes in October while my Halloween decorations are up. I put up three Christmas trees every year: a 1960s silver aluminum tree, a 1960s green aluminum tree, and one faux fir tree (which my kids insist on), all of which are put up, without fail, the day after Remembrance Day. (Let me confess, I own still another three vintage trees that don’t always get decorated simply because I run out of room.) And as soon as I pack away the Christmas turkey leftovers, I am already dreaming about how I will decorate the house next year and what we will cook up.


I’ve always wondered if my love of the holiday season stems from our noto­riously, bone-chillingly cold winters on the Canadian Prairies, with copious amounts of snowfall that astonish people who don’t live here and seemingly never end for those of us who do. If we are lucky, the snow holds off until the kids have enjoyed Halloween, but when I was a kid, trick-or-treating involved costumes pulled over my snowsuit! Christmas becomes a wonderful bright spot in our long winter and, if you’re like me, can be stretched out for a solid two months of decorations, lights, and entertainment. Ukrainian Christmas celebrations don’t begin until January 6th, so we wait until after that to take everything down.


During our cold Prairie winters, our pace of life slows down, whether we want it to or not. Our attention shifts from the outdoors to the indoors. Outside activities lessen, as even the most diehard skaters, skiers, and snow­shoers stay inside when the mercury dips below –30°C. Occasionally, we get snow days from work and school. Outings at the lake turn into board games around the table. Mowing the lawn turns into shoveling the sidewalks and hurrying back inside as soon as you can.


But it can be lovely. With that change of pace can come more time to bake and cook. And the food—oh, the food that we have only during the holiday season! The glorious, once-a-year baking fest where we pull out all the stops.


From the middle of November onward, I take great joy in planning, baking, and freezing goodies for Christmas. Even though it’s the busiest time of year for my website (my website traffic quadruples during the holidays, with everyone wanting recipes), I truly live for every moment of holiday baking as soon as those first few flakes of snow fall until Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th. (Then I am so done with all the baking and cooking, and survive simply on soup until spring.)


You will see some recipes here that also appeared in one of my first two books, Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky and The Prairie Table. There are some treats, like my quintessential Traditional Whipped Shortbread and my Thin & Chewy Snickerdoodles, that simply could NOT be left out of a baking book that is all about Christmas on the Prairies. So if you have my other books, first of all, thank you! Second, forgive the repeat recipes, but rest assured that it’s recipes like these, which reflect baking on the Prairies per­fectly, that make this the perfect cookbook to gift to loved ones and pass down to your kids. Plus, there’s over 120 recipes in this book, giving you so many new ones to enjoy! (In fact, I have so many cookie recipes, they fill two chapters!)


Mr. Kitchen Magpie (aka my husband, Mike) once again gets the closing chapter, full of punches and libations. He took on the task of creating a safe eggnog that cooks the egg yolk and can be enjoyed by everyone— which can, of course, be made adults-only with a splash of rum. The Cranberry Bourbon Sour is a seasonal favorite of ours. And do you remember ice cream punches at holiday parties as a kid? I haven’t seen them in decades, so I think it’s time to bring them back! We’ve also included one of those: the Retro Sherbet Party Punch. Just thinking of that tangy sherbet floating on top of a sweet punch makes my mouth water!


I have given my all to this book to make sure that I’ve captured the best of the best when it comes to our holiday baking classics here on the Canadian Prairies. Even though this book is bursting with oodles of cakes, cookies, dainties, pud­dings, and dessert salads, I have an ever-present nagging urge to add just one more recipe to make it perfect. I could have included a solid 250 recipes if I had really run wild! (That’s right, this is me reined in.) I’ve curated what I feel are the best of the best, what my family and I love to fill our home (and bellies) with.


I hope this book becomes the first one you pull out every year when starting your Christmas baking. I hope you find some new favorites and rediscover some forgotten treats you haven’t made in years. And most of all, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and happy holidays!


Love, Karlynn

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