Top 5 Holiday Baking Websites

'Tis the season for holiday baking! There's nothing better than sharing homemade goodies with co-workers, neighbors, friends and family, but choosing which items to bake can sometimes be challenging.

The following 5 holiday baking websites can ease your baking burdens. Each offers a plethora of yummy goodies including cookies, brownies, candies, cakes, pies and breads, along with decorating tips and wrapping suggestions.

Land O' Lakes: If you love holiday baked goods that include butter and cream, you'll love the recipes provided by Land O' Lakes. In addition to offering a holiday baking section, visitors can also browse over 50 sections of recipes including gluten-free baked goods, holiday cookie exchange, and candies.

The Land O' Lakes website also includes a holiday brochure recipes section offering Brownie Holi-Pops, Cinnamon Candy Caramel Corn, Double Drizzled Coffee Crisps, Chewy Holiday Macaroons, and Vanilla Glazed Snow Cookies.

The "Make It With Kids" section includes adorable baked goods such as Christmas Noodle Trees, Happy Elf Cookies, and Crispy Christmas Cottages. Visitors can also view holiday recipe how-to videos and discover Santa's favorite animal cookie recipes. Locate unique and memorable holiday baked goods at www.LandOLakes.com.

Food Network: 12 Days of Cookies: Become the ultimate provider of holiday cookies with this amazing recipe collection. Rediscover tried-and-true cookie recipes such as gingerbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, decorated sugar cookies, and whoppie pies.

Discover cookies from around the world such as Sesame Rings, Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers, Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars, Pistachio Melbas, Fruit and Nut Bars, and Spoon Cookies.

Indulge in Food Network Stars' holiday cookies including Paula Deen's Snowflake Cookies, Alton Brown's Macaroon Delight, and the Neely's Candy Cane Cookies. Each recipe is presented in video format to provide visual step-by-step directions. Start your holiday cookie baking marathon at www.FoodNetwork.com

Very Best Baking: This baking website certainly lives up to its name. Here you'll find recipes from popular food manufacturers such as Libby's, Carnation, and Nestle Tollhouse, along with unique holiday baked goods submitted by VBB members.

In addition to providing plenty of holiday recipes, visitors can also browse the Very Best Baking article library. Topics include: Shipping Cookies to Military Overseas, How to Plan a Christmas Dinner, How to Organize a Christmas Carol Party, and How to Gift Holiday Cookies.

Very Best Baking has an active community forum where members can interact and exchange holiday baking ideas and tips. There is also a fantastic "With the Kids" section filled with craft ideas, Christmas projects, and year-round baking activities. Get your creative juices flowing at www.VeryBestBaking.com.

Joy of Baking: Here you'll find a plethora of holiday baking ideas. From delightful homemade gingerbread men cookies to rum balls and shortbread cookies to chocolate truffles, Joy of Baking can take your holiday baking to a new level.

The "Christmas Candy" section includes recipes for traditional candies such as peppermint bark, peanut butter balls, chocolate fudge, and peanut butter fudge as well as unique candies such as homemade marshmallows, meringue mushrooms, and panforte (Italian Christmas cake).

The "Christmas Cookies" section offers dozens of holiday cookie recipes including old fashioned oatmeal cookies, gingersnaps, shortbread cookies filled with white chocolate and raspberries, pecan shortbread, rugalach bars, chocolate mint squares, French butter cookies, and a wide assortment of homemade biscotti.

The "Christmas Baking" section includes a vast array of holiday baked goods including traditional pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, red velvet cake, and the ultimate holiday treat - homemade fruit cake! Whatever your holiday baking needs are, chances are good you will find the perfect recipe at www.JoyOfBaking.com.

Dixie Crystals: This sugar manufacturer offers a nice assortment of holiday baked goods for Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's. Visitors can also print money-saving coupons for Dixie Crystals sugar, Baker's Supreme frosting, Redi-Measure brown sugar pouches, sugar shakers, and Stevia Cane natural sugar.

Christmas recipes include all-time favorites such as banana bread, pound cake, peanut brittle, old fashioned divinity candy, homemade pralines, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, ginger cookies, and a must-try chocolate pie.

Dixie Crystals also offers a "Recipes for Kids" section which includes: Quick Sugar Cake, Roly-Polies, Circus Cookies, Creamy Fudge, and Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pita Snacks.

Those who are watching sugar intake will appreciate Dixie Crystal's "Reduced Sugar", "Lower Calorie" and "Health Conscious" sections offering a mix of baked goods recipes, lunch, dinner and snack recipes, salads, sauces, and beverages. Grab money-saving coupons and holiday baking recipes at www.DixieCrystals.com.