An Old-Fashioned Christmas.
I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing Farmhouse Christmas by Melissa Bahen from Gibbs Smith Books, September 2026. Bahen is well known to foodies for her blog, Lulu the Baker — about simple food and modern country life. This is her fourth book; it is preceded by Scandinavian Gatherings, Farmhouse Weekends, and Farmhouse Weeknights. She lives in Oregon on a small farm with her husband and children.
The subtitle of Farmhouse Christmas — Recipes and Crafts for a Cozy Homemade Holiday — says it all. While Bahen adds a bit of fancy here and there (loved the Fancy Beverages section), this is a “down home” cookbook that brings back my own Christmas memories, as well as ones I wish I’d had. The collection of recipes — for food and crafts — are from her family as well friends and emanate great warmth. Each recipe has an introduction — a story of its provenance, along with the author’s memories. I honestly enjoyed these paragraphs as much as the recipes.
The book is divided into eight sections; in addition to Fancy Beverages, Bahen offers Breakfasts and Brunches; Holiday Dinners; Cookie Plate Favorites; Handmade Sweets; Festive Desserts; Appetizers, Party Food and New Year’s Eve; and Christmas Crafts and Homemade Gifts. The recipes range from very simple — ones with which the children can help — to complex, but never difficult. There are great make-ahead dishes, and some to serve crowds. She has great salads and vegetable side dishes which are often scarce on the holiday table. The crafts in the last chapter are fun, make for wonderful gifts, and, in some cases, are quite practical: homemade vanilla extract and outdoor birdseed ornaments, for example.
As always, I tested three of the recipes in the book; two happen to be from the Holiday Dinners section, and the final — which I am sharing today — is from Cookie Plate Favorites. To me, the most important part of any cookbook is knowing that the recipes work, and the three I tested all came out perfectly with no edits needed for when I make them again. (And I will make them again.)
Bahen’s “Mom’s No-Fail Oven-Braised Barbecue Brisket” lived up to its name. It is made in a roasting bag (I had never used one before) and called for a bottle/jar of barbecue sauce. I made it using my mother’s homemade barbecue sauce and it worked perfectly. I served it to a friend who considers himself a “brisket aficionado” and it got two thumbs up. The other guests agreed. It’s a “low and slow” recipe — five hours in the oven — so it gives you a lot of time to concentrate on setting the table and making side dishes (I recommend mashed potatoes and green beans in winter, and potato salad and corn on the cob in the summer.)
For a friend’s birthday dinner, I also made “Momo’s Butter-Glazed Dinner Rolls” (Momo is the author’s mother-in-law). Bahen halved her MIL’s recipe to make 18 good-sized rolls, perfect for a dinner party. I can’t say how they freeze as there were none leftover, which Bahen assured in her introduction: “I promise you’ll eat them all.” We did.
For my final test, I wanted to make a dessert recipe, one to share with friends and neighbors. I chose Candy Cane Brownies. My aunt used to make something similar and I was happy for the bit of Christmas nostalgia stirred by these treats. They did not disappoint. Each of the three parts — brownie, icing, ganache — was simple to make and took almost no time. I loved these, as did our friends and neighbors. If you decide to make these for your Christmas-in-July party, and you don’t have any candy canes leftover from the prior Christmas, peppermint pinwheel hard candies work just fine.
For those who love Christmas, cooking, and crafting, this is a perfect book. Though the weather is still in the 100s where I live, Farmhouse Christmas put me in a festive holiday mood, with thanks to Bahen for her beautiful photography. We might just crank the a/c and have a mid-summer holiday dinner!
~ David
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Mad Dog
September 19, 2026 at 4:57 amThat sounds like a good read, with some great inspiration for Christmas! The brisket looks amazing, I can almost smell it and the rolls are perfect to mop up the sauce. Those candy cane brownies wouldn’t last five minutes in anyone’s kitchen!
David Scott Allen
September 19, 2026 at 5:53 amThanks, Mad Dog. It was a fun book to review and not a single pound was lost in the testing process! Especially with those brownies!
Mad Dog
September 19, 2026 at 10:04 amI bet! 🤣
Mimi Rippee
September 19, 2026 at 5:53 amFun! I’m kind of a Christmas freak. I won’t tell you when I start listening to Christmas music…..
David Scott Allen
September 19, 2026 at 5:54 amDitto! And I won’t admit publicly to when we start watching Christmas movies!!
angiesrecipes
September 19, 2026 at 6:35 amThey all look fantastic, David, but I love that slow braised brisket the most!
David Scott Allen
September 19, 2026 at 7:33 amThanks, Angie — you are right! They are all good!
Barb
September 19, 2026 at 7:15 amThe brisket and dinner rolls got my attention! They both look and sound delicious! Will you be sharing the recipes for them? The brownies are very pretty, and look perfect for Christmas (which I don’t even want to think about yet!)
David Scott Allen
September 20, 2026 at 5:33 amBoth are excellent! The publisher gave me permission to print one recipe — but perhaps you will see them in the future!
Peg Peterson
September 19, 2026 at 7:33 amI absolutely cannot wait to make these. I give it five stars because I know how good it’s going to be!
David Scott Allen
September 20, 2026 at 5:33 amThey are really fantastic, Peg — addictive!
Jill W Becker
September 19, 2026 at 9:46 amThis looks like a must have addition to my Christmas recipes. I think V and the boys need this book.
David Scott Allen
September 20, 2026 at 5:33 amI know you will enjoy them!
Valentina
September 19, 2026 at 3:04 pmI have already gotten a couple Christmas movies under my belt.ha!
As always, I am so impressed with all of your recipe testing. All three of these sound like fun, especially the brisket! I always make my mom’s version, so it will be fun to try a new recipe (from another mom). 😊 and Christmas desserts come as early as the Christmas movies for me. So the brownies will be tried as well! I look forward to getting this book. What a fun one. ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
September 20, 2026 at 5:35 amWe’ve watched at least four — I need them when the mood is blue!
It’s a very fun book, Valentina! I think you will enjoy it.
FEL!X
September 19, 2026 at 6:10 pmNever too early: only 94 days left until Christmas… 🎄
David Scott Allen
September 20, 2026 at 5:35 amIt’s coming soon — and I can’t wait!
Sherry M
September 19, 2026 at 9:05 pmChristmas is a-coming! I have seen advent calendars being advertised for weeks already. eek. I think i cooked a chicken in a roasting bag once…
David Scott Allen
September 20, 2026 at 5:36 amThis was my first time using a bag — it had its challenges but worked well.
Gerlinde de Broekert
September 21, 2026 at 10:34 amI went to Costco yesterday, and there were Christmas trees on display. Yikes. I might have to buy this book, David. It sounds fantastic. Oh no, another cookbook.
David Scott Allen
September 22, 2026 at 9:35 amI was at Costco last week, too, and was shocked by the Christmas trees! Let me get into October 1!
Glad you liked the recipe — the book is fun!
Jeff the Chef
September 22, 2026 at 6:37 pmYes to candycane brownies! Is it already time to start thinking about Christmas? I think it is! I’ve already decided that I’m making a fancy pot roast for Christmas this year.
David Scott Allen
September 26, 2026 at 7:19 amI love a good pot roast, Jeff. I have no idea what Christmas dinner will be… but I imagine these brownies will appear several times throughout the season!
Marcelle
September 22, 2026 at 7:03 pmThe 3 recipes you tested from her book look amazing, David. Terrific choices! The brisket, the rolls, and those candy cane brownies, yes please. Those three items could be on the same holiday menu. I will have to try the brownies first and I will look up this book. My little cookbook library is crowded, but I think I can squeeze in at least one more. 😉
David Scott Allen
September 26, 2026 at 7:20 amMy cookbook library just took over the house! I feel your pain. I think you would love this book Marcelle.
Raymund
October 1, 2026 at 3:04 pmThis post honestly feels like you’ve wandered straight into the Filipino Christmas alley, where the moment the calendar hits the “–BER” months, everyone collectively decides it’s holiday season whether the weather agrees or not. I love how you’re already deep into the cookbooks, the candy cane brownies, the brisket… it’s exactly the kind of early‑Christmas energy we Filipinos thrive on. Reading this made me smile because it has that same cozy, excited vibe we get when the lights start going up in September and suddenly every meal feels like it could be part of Noche Buena.
David Scott Allen
October 1, 2026 at 5:44 pmYour comment made my day, Raymund. While we font decorate until December, I do start the movies early. I am glad this post — and the book —brought you good memories.