I’ve been a busy little bee this week working on lots of fun Christmas treats! I’m looking forward to sharing lots of cute and delicious things with you over the next few weeks.
Last year, I stumbled upon this adorable snowman gumball idea from Nothing But Country. I added it to my Christmas Pinterest Board, and have been waiting to give it a try! I love the way they turned out…they are just so cute!
These sweet little guys would make adorable little favors, or treats to share with school friends.
As you can guess (from the title), the little bodies are made from white gumballs. The hats and scarfs are made from scraps of fleece, and the face and buttons are added (on the outside of the baggies) with a permanent marker.
There is a great step by step tutorial on the original source site, Nothing But Country.
I will add that these are a little tedious to make… so if you want to make 50 for all your kids class mates, you may want to start more than the night before!
Want to see even more snowman cuteness? Here are a few more sweet snowmen projects..
Easy Snowmen Marshamallows, by Sweet Sugar Belle.
Cute Snowman (and gingerbread) Face Cookies, by Bakerella.
Doughnut Snowmen, by A Little Tipsy.
Melting Snowmen Cookies, by The Decorated Cookie.
Happy crafting!
This past weekend I wanted to make a yummy dessert for visiting family, but was short on time. I needed something that would come together quickly, but still be festive and delicious.
I love rice krispie treats, and often rely on them when I need something quick. With rice krispie treats in mind, I looked in my cupboards and found Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s (how did they get there?). I thought the hint of mint would be a perfect way to add a festive touch to the treats. In a short time, I had a whole plate of pretty Peppermint Oreo (Joe Joe) Krispie Treats! (I’m using the term Oreo here because everyone knows what they are, but as I mentioned, I made these with Peppermint Joe Joe’s)
My sister-in-law declared these to be the best rice krispie treats she’s ever had! And I think everyone else loved them too, because the plate was empty by the end of the night.
Peppermint Oreo Krispie Treats
Dress up traditional rice krispie treats with chocolate cookies, peppermint and festive candies.
Yield: 24 squares (aproximately 2" square)
Ingredients:
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
20 Candy Cane Joe Joe's, or oreos, crushed/chopped (about 2 1/2 cups crushed)
6 cups mini marshmallows
4 Tablespoons butter
2 or 3 regular sized peppermint candy canes
2 oz. white chocolate
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup mini M&M's
Directions:
Directions-
In a large bowl, add cereal and crushed cookies. Mix to combine.
In another large, microwave safe bowl, add marshmallows and butter.
Microwave 2 1/2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows are super fluffy, and melt together when stirred.
Stir together, until the marshmallows and butter are fully combined.
Pour melted marshmallows on top of the cereal and cookie mixture. Use a spatula that has been sprayed with cooking spray to quickly mix the marshmallow cream and cereal together. Stir until combined.
Quickly, pour/scoop the sticky mixture into a prepared 9"x13" pan. Spread the mixture around, and press down with spatula.
While the cereal treats cool, crush 2 or 3 candy canes in a small ziplock bag. Sprinkle crushed candy on top of krispie treats.
Melt the white chocolate by placing chocolate in a piping bag or heavy ziplock type bag, and microwave at 50% power until nearly melted. Kneed the bag a little in your hands (careful- it will be hot!) Snip off the end of bag and drizzle chocolate on krispie treats
Repeat as above with semi-sweet chocolate.
Top krispie treats with mini M&M's or festive sprinkles.
Allow chocolate to set before cutting into squares.
Recipe by Glorious Treats
I used Trader Joe's brand Candy Cane Joe Joe's Cookies for this recipe. They are delicious and I highly recommend them. If you can not get ahold of those exact cookies, feel free to use regular oreos, or mint oreos.
These are a perfect quick treat that travels well, and can be packaged up as sweet little gifts.
Love rice krispie treats? I have several other cute and delicious variations filed with the Brownies & Bars (here).
As many of us (in the U.S.) spend the next few days shopping, cooking and eating; I hope that we are each able to take a few moments this week to reflect on the pretty amazing list of things in our lives to be thankful for. In a culture that is built on always wanting more, let’s push back for a moment and assess the incredible abundance that is present in most of our lives.
This week I plan to step away from the computer, put away my phone, and focus on the beautiful little details of real life. I want to relish in the pleasure of cooking… not to take photos of it, but to simply feed my family delicious food. I’m going to embrace the joy of doing dishes… being thankful for dishes to wash, warm water to clean them with, and an able body with which to work.
I hope you are able to find a long list of things this week to be thankful for as well.
This set of cookies was made with my Gingerbread Cookie Recipe, and decorated with Royal Icing.
*Supply note- Assorted plaque shaped cutters from Copper Gifts, with the exception of the “give thanks” shape, which was a gift from a friend.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1
I recently spent a few days with a good friend who loves cheesecake. In fact it’s entirely possible that over a four day trip we ate at The Cheesecake Factory three times! I came home from the visit inspired to try some new cheesecake recipes.
I thought pumpkin would be a fitting flavor to try first. The recipe yielded a rich and delicious, lightly spiced cheesecake that would be the perfect addition to any holiday dessert menu.
I made 12 mini cheesecakes using a mini cheesecake pan (I found mine at Home Goods, but they are easily available on-line from Amazon or Sur la Table). The mini cheesecakes may be a tiny bit of extra work to deal with initially, but once baked and cooled, they make a perfect small serving, with no cutting needed.
This recipe can also be made into one large cheesecake.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
This cheesecake can be made as minis (as pictured) or as a full sized cheesecake, with equally delicious results. The proportions for 12 mini cheesecakes are listed first, with the ingredients for a full sized cheesecake below.
Yield: 12 Mini Cheesecakes (or one 9" Cheesecake)
Ingredients:
(12 Mini Cheesecakes)
Crust-
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling-
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
(9 inch Cheesecake)
Crust-
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling-
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese
1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F
For mini cheesecakes-
Preheat oven to 350*F
Prepare crust by combining crust ingredients in a small bowl. Mix to combine with a fork. Add one rounded tablespoon of moist crust crumbs into each mini cheesecake space. Use a small bottle (such as a spice bottle, or a shot glass) to press down the crumbs, to form a crust.
Prepare the filling-
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, sugar and spices. Blend until combined. Add flour and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Pour filling into prepared crusts. Divide batter amoung the 12 spaces.
Bake mini cheesecakes in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.
For a large (9") Cheesecake- Follow general directions above. Press crust into the botom of a 9" springform pan. Prepare filling (as listed above). Bake cheesecake 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours before serving.
The cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Top finished cheesecakes with freshly whipped cream.
This is a perfect dessert for the busy holiday season. The cheesecake can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator. Top your chilled cheesecakes with fresh whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon for a delicious and festive treat.
Last Christmas, I made a Sweet Gingerbread Garland to hang in my kitchen window. This year, I thought I would make a fall gingerbread garland, so I can hang it up even earlier! This cookie garland could be hung in front of a window, along a hearth, or used as part of a table centerpiece, trailing down the center of the table.
To make the cookies, I used my favorite Gingerbread Cookie Recipe. So, although this is intended for use as a decoration, the cookies are perfectly edible (and quite delicious). Use the recipe to make some cookies for decoration, and some to eat!
For the cookies you plan to use for the garland, roll out the dough a bit thinner than you might usually for cookies. This will keep the garland a little lighter, and easier to hang. Also, bake the cookies a minute extra, so they are a bit crisp, and will be more durable.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a straw to make a hole in the top (but not too close to the edge) of the cookie.
Once baked and cooled, decorate the cookies with Royal Icing (recipe here).
I used an assortment of ribbon, twine and raffia to tie the cookies together, and add to the rustic look.
Happy fall baking and decorating!
