Mr. and Mrs. Claus

Decorated Sugar Christmas Cookies

I love baking Christmas cookies; especially sugar cookies.  There are so many fun cookie cutters … I just love Mr. & Mrs. Claus and the traditional colors of Christmas.  These cookies were decorated with Royal Icing.  I taught myself to decorate cookies with Royal Icing several years ago.  I read a lot of blogs on how to decorate and found  Sweet Sugar Belle to be a very talented cookie decorator with a lot of tutorials and great tips!  There is still time … so go ahead and get your supplies and get your sugar cookies and mad decorating skills on, put on some Christmas music and have fun!

This recipe for sugar cookies is really good – the dough doesn’t spread when baking and the cookies are perfect!  Sometimes I omit the almond flavoring and just double up the vanilla.  Always use the best ingredients possible when baking … it makes a difference!

Recipe Source:  food.com

Kittencal’s Buttery Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I use Madagascar Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
4. Set oven to 400°F.
5. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only)
6. On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
7. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
8. Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
9. Bake 8-9 minutes (oven temperatures vary so keep an eye on the cookies)

(I do not use the icing recipe that come with this cookie recipe.)

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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Do you love peanut butter so much that you take the entire jar and  a knife and sit down to eat it?!  I personally don’t do that … although I know some people who do.  But I do love peanut butter and especially with chocolate.  This is a new recipe I tried and I love it … I’ll be adding it to my list of cookies to make again!  If you  haven’t tried this cookie  yet and you like Reese’s peanut butter cup … you need to make this … now!  ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 36 mini peanut butter cups

 directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap the mini peanut butter cups and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add in the flour, salt and baking soda and mix until just combined. Roll the dough into small balls using about 1 Tbsp of dough each (should get around 36 balls). Place into mini muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Immediately press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Let them cool in pan completely before removing. (note: If they are still warm when you take them out of the pan, the cookie may fall apart.)

Recipe Source: www.whatmegansmaking.com

Candy Cane Fudge Kiss Cookies

This year it was time for me to mix it up and try some new Christmas cookie recipes.  I had to have chocolate .. and mint is a nice addition.  Besides tasting wonderfully delicious, these cookies are also pretty and festive to look at.  The dough requires chilling for a couple of hours … then into the oven they go.  An easy, delicious recipe … why not add them to your Christmas cookie repertoire?!

Candy Cane Fudge Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1 cup confectioners sugar

40 candy cane white chocolate kisses

Preparation:

Melt chocolate chips, let cool and set aside.  Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl to blend.  In a separate bowl cream together butter and brown sugar using a mixer on medium speed until creamy.  Beat in eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate until combined.  Add dry ingredients into wet mixing until combined.  Stir in nuts.  Cover cookie dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a 1-inch ball.  Roll balls in confectioners sugar and place 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 12-14 minutes until cookies are set and tops are cracked.  Let sit for one minute and then gently press a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie.  Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Storage tip:  Refrigerate in an airtight container in a single layer for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.  Redust with confectioners sugar if needed.

Recipe Source:  EverydaySisters

Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing – Snowmen and Snowflakes

I baked and decorated a lot of sugar cookies this year!  I love the way sugar cookies look decorated with royal icing.  They can be elegant or whimsical and this sugar cookie recipe is so good!!  Not only does it taste fantastic but the dough is so easy to work with.  The cookies are baked at a high temperature for a short period of time so they don’t spread and lose their shape.

It’s hard to believe I started decorating cookies 2 years ago … time flies!  I’ve learned a lot about decorating, picked up valuable tips, and am much quicker since I first started decorating.  There are great sources of inspiration and tutorials on the internet.  A good place to start is here at The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle.  She has numerous tutorials and tips and is the “Queen of Sugar Cookies”!  Seriously, her cookies are amazing.

One of the best tips I picked up is that you don’t always have to make two consistencies of icing for flooding and piping,  And you do not have to wait to let the outline dry before flooding your cookie.  In fact, if after piping your outline and you flood your cookie immediately you create a seamless cookie which is much more attractive!  The more cookies you do, the better you get!  Go ahead … give it a try … you’ll love the results!

Let it Snow … Christmas Snowflake Sugar Cookies … Lavender, White and Blue

Chocolate Mint Truffles

Chocolate Mint Truffles – 3 ingredients – easy, easy, easy!  I love recipes that are this easy and look so beautiful!  Enjoy!

1 package Oreo cookies (I used mint Oreo)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (using different extracts allows for subtle flavour changes…I’ve used mint extract, upped to 1 tsp) (optional)
1 lb milk chocolate (melting chocolate, semi-sweet or dark chocolate can be used)
1/2 lb white chocolate

Directions:

Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).

Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or overnight.

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. In double-boiler, melt milk chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.

In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. (You can also melt chocolate in a zip lock bag in the microwave.  Cut the tip from one corner when melted and drizzle over truffles) Let cool.

Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

3 Dimensional Christmas Sugar Cookies

Why not add some interest to your dessert table during the holidays with these adorable dimensional snowmen cookies?  Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe or this recipe,  and decorate with royal icing.  I used a toothpick to attach the snowman to the cookie and frosting to attach the candy cane.  Happy Decorating!

Decorated Christmas Sugar Cookies

I couldn’t let Christmas go by without making some decorated sugar cookies.  I first started decorating sugar cookies with royal icing last Christmas and fell in love with the results.  Give them a try, and impress yourself, family and friends.  Decorating cookies is really not hard, it just takes time, but the results are so worth it!  You can refer to my previous posting for instructions on decorating cookies with royal icing.

The Ultimate Sugar Cookie

• 3/4 cup Golden Crisco or Butter-flavored Crisco (shortening)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cream Crisco, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy. combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill 1 hour, if desired, for easy rolling. Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll half of dough at a time. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Roll leftover pieces. Sprinkle with coloured decorations or leave plain to decorate when cool. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown. (Time will vary with cookie size.) Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack.

Buckeye Candy

I never heard of “Buckeyes” until I moved to Ohio … and my hips wish they hadn’t heard of Buckeyes either!  🙂   Ohio’s nickname is the “Buckeye State”.  Ohio received its nickname because of the many buckeye trees that once covered its hills and plains.  These candies are supposed to look like the nuts that come off the Buckeye Tree.  I’ve never seen a buckeye tree, but these buckeye candies are to die for!!  If you love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups … lookout hip because you will be popping these into your mouth one after the other!  Enjoy!!

Buckeye Balls

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter1/2 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

1.	Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2.	In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.
3.	Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
4.	Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set

How to Package Sugar Cookies Beautifully

Packaging Sugar Cookies

Okay, so you’ve spent all that time decorating your sugar cookies.  Now they deserve to be packaged as beautifully as they look!

I came up with this packaging idea:

To make personalized tags:  I searched google images – for the lavender cookies I searched for “lavender polka dots”.   Once I found an image I liked, I copied and pasted it into a blank Publisher document and “saved as” a jpg file.  I then copied the jpg into a blank Word document and manipulated it to the size I needed for my “treat bags”.  I added a text box for the “Merry Christmas”.  I grouped the image and text box, then copied the image and text box and flipped it over above the other tag, printed, and cut it out, and folded it in the middle.  This way the image and wording is on both sides of the bag.  Then I cut some coordinating ribbon, put a dab of hot glue on the middle top of the tag and glued the ribbon and tied it.  I put the cookies in the bag, folded over the top of the bag several times and stapled the gift tag to the top.