Can you guys believe it?! We're less than two weeks away from Christmas and I still have Christmas shopping to do. Oh boy, this is stressing. Thank goodness I've got good gift ideas, I just have to find some time to get out of the house and be away from the fam. Honestly, the struggle is real. Every day this week has been filled with something festive and as busy as it's been, it's been a blast. I love it so very much. We've made a bucket list of all the things we want to get out of December and I'm so proud of us! We are checking off so many boxes and fully embracing this last month of 2016.
Today was my favorite day of the holidays: holiday baking!! Oh how I love me some festive treats and sugar cookie dough. Today was a blast and I couldn't have asked for some better pals to spend it with. My mama, Jill, and I baked all day and if I do say so myself came up with some pretty tasty treats for our upcoming Christmas party this Friday.
Okay, so I love baking but I always seem to do a crap ton of it all on one day. Why is that? I always end up stuck in the kitchen for six hours straight making so many goodies. Alright, I love it, but man am I drained. The funny thing: I'd do it all again tomorrow.
For this post I'm going to share with you three of my favorite holiday treats that are bound to be a favorite at your next party or perfect for a day in! Also I've got some easy creative ways to dress up your gift wrapping this season. With new holiday treats under your belt and your wrapping to the next level, you're gonna be acing this season.
CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES
Okay, I do Christmas for the sugar cookies. No lie; their seriously my all time favorites and an all time classic. You simply can't do the holidays without a sugar cookie topped with shiny royal icing. Lucky for you, I've got the PERFECT and only recipe you'll need this season. With this recipe there is no need to chill the dough and you won't get over sized fluffy cookies. Because who wants a Christmas tree that looks like and oval, and a snowman that looks like an oval, and an angel that looks like oval. See what I mean? Well with this recipe you are guaranteed true to shape cookies that are quite tasty too!!
Yeilds: 3 dozenINGREDIENTS:
* 1 Cup unsalted butter
* 1 Cup granulated white sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 egg
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3 cups all purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth, at least 3 minutes
3. Beat in extracts and egg.
4. In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
5. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
6. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack
ROYAL ICING
INGREDIENTS:
* 6 cups powered sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 tsp cream of tartar
* 4 large egg whites
* any food coloring desired
1. Combine all ingredients to a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until icing becomes smooth. About 5-6 minutes. Then divide up icing and add in your desired colors. Then get creative with your sugar cookies!
Sugar cookie decorating is one of my favorite traditions and memories. My favorite part is when I'm nearing the end of icing and there are about seven or eight cookies left. The icing is starting to dry up and sprinkles are littered on my plate. So in record decorating speed I iced all the remaining cookies dumping the assortment of sprinkles on top and called it festive instead of what it really was: tired. I did that when I was eight, I did that once again today and have every year in between. I absolutely love it. Oh they all taste the same no matter the amount of sprinkles or icing, they are the perfect bite of a soft cookie with the smoothness of icing, soooo good!
MINT OREO TRUFFLES
Um, you can't do winter without some mint and chocolate. At least I can't. That quickly becomes a staple in the Surrett household. I don't know who said mint and chocolate had to get together, but whoever did, I thank them a thousand times. I don't know what I'd do without the lovely combination this time of year?? So I've whipped up a recipe that's bound to meet your mint chocolate cravings and be hit on any movie night or at any holiday get together. Okay let me spell it out. Cream cheese, mint Oreos, and chocolate all rolled into a chewy truffle. Sign me up for some! ( or three or four.)
Yields: 24
*1 (15.25 oz) package Mint Creme Oreos
* 8 ounces (224g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
* 12 ounces high quality semi-sweet chocolate1
* Optional: sprinkles and green candy melt
* Process the Oreos (the entire cookies, filling and cookie) in a food processor or blender. Pulse until crumbs are formed.
* break apart softened cream cheese and add to food processor with crushed Oreos. Mix until a thick sticky dough is formed. This might take a little bit, so make sure the cream cheese is room temperature.
* Using your hands, roll into 30-35 balls. Place balls on two large plates, a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or a silicone mat-lined baking sheet. Freeze the truffles for about 30 minutes. (Freezing the balls is the most important step of this recipe. If they are not cold and solid, the melted chocolate will not coat the balls properly.)
* Coarsely chop the chocolate and melt according to package directions. Working with 1 truffle at a time, coat in chocolate. Here's how I coat truffles: drop the truffle in the middle of the melted chocolate. Swirl the chocolate all around it with a fork. Pick up the truffle with a fork - do not pierce it, simply pick it up on top of the fork's prongs. Tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Place on a lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet or drizzle with the melted green candy melts, if using.
* Refrigerate truffles for at least 10 minutes so the chocolate sets. Truffles must always be chilled and will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. ENJOY!!
S'MORES CRISPIES
To be honest, this recipe was a what-have-I-got-left-in-my-pantry sort of recipe. I found me some marshmallows (in two different places), half a box of gluten free plain Chex cereal ( consisting of crumbs mostly), and half a bag of dark chocolate chips. That to me sounded like the making of a s'more...and a rice crispie treat....then the two became one. Oh happy day. These took no time at all to make (or eat) and your always bound to have these ingredients or some very similar to it on hand for a quick tasty goodie to throw together. Here's how it goes.
Yields: 16
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups rice Chex cereal
1 bag of mini marshmallows
2 tbsp butter
1/2 dark chocolate chips
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non stick spray and set aside
In a medium sauce pan melt marshmallows and butter over medium heat
Once combined add cereal and mix together until cereal is coated with marshmallows
Place Chex Crispie treats in baking dish and press down until bottom of dish is evenly covered and place in refrigerator to chill.
Pour half a bag of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 sec increments (stirring every 30) until totally melted.
Grab Crispies and pour the chocolate over the bars with a rubber spatula until top is totally covered.
OPTIONAL: sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top. Replace in refrigerator until chocolate has set then cut into 16 bars.
I adore this holiday season because of all the goodies I get out of it. Baking all the time is fun, but it just seems like the proper thing to do during the holidays. Not gonna lie, the only reason I'm still working out in the winter is because my passion for baking has increased. Balance right? These three recipes are bound to be hit no matter where they end up. Hope you enjoy the recipes throughout this entire season.
BROWN PAPER WRAPPING
Brown paper packages tied up with string are seriously some of my favorites things. I can't help myself. Pretty paper with pretty decor...makes me heart go pitter patter. I met my love of adorned packaging by deciding to take a stab at some elevated Christmas wrapping.
Materials I used:
Brown wrapping - found in the packaging aisle, I had to ask. I found it at Wal-mart for about $5.00
Card stock paper - I used pink, mint, and white
A decorative piece of paper - I used black and white polka dots
Twine
Gold glitter
Liquid glue
Greenery - alive or fake, I used some generously provided by my front yard
5 boxes varying in size
Scissors
These are all the materials I used and here are the steps to a couple of boxes I did. This is super easy to change up and get creative with and use as a guideline. Wrapping is something you can easily make your own, and I don't see why you shouldn't. Have fun with it.
Okay here's what I did for a couple of mine.
corners. I then took a fuller piece of greenery and taped it in the middle of my square. And there you go. Give it a To and From and you have some simple and beautiful wrapping.
then punched a whole in the end of them all, I long process, but the result is so pretty and unique, I just love it. From there tape the end of a piece of twine to back of your wrapped box, then string on four lights (any pattern of your choice), then wrap twine around with the lights on the front and an empty strip in the back. Repeat this process two more times until you have twelve twinkling lights hanging from you package.
Hope you enjoy this post and elevating your holiday season in such a simple, creative, and festive way. I know these are going to become some annual staples for me, hope they do for you too.
Happy Christmas!!
XOXO - Em
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