Time for Christmas cookies!

Whether you like traditional cookies,

or a little shabby chic pastel,

a winter wonderland,

or cookies to leave out for Santa,

I think we can all agree that

COOKIES AND HOLIDAYS GO HAND IN HAND!

Snow globe cookie party favors

Here is the thing about my ideas, they are either epic failures or great victories.  I don't have a lot of middle ground in my kitchen.  

This one was a victory my friends.

And here is the good news; 

it is inexpensive, fun to make, and you can even do it without any baking!

Let me start at the beginning.  

I baked large round gingerbread cookies and iced them in white.  Next, I baked myself some cute little wintry cookies and decorated them.  Using traditional royal icing (2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp. warm water, and 1 1/2 tbsp. meringue powder beaten for 6 minutes with a whisk attachment on your stand mixer) as the "glue", I set my little cast of characters on top of the large round cookies.  I also used a star tip on the royal icing to make a little "snow".  

Cutey patooties aren't they?

To give the snow globe effect, I simply placed a 99 cent clear  votive holder over the top.  The only thing that is potentially tricky, is arranging your cookie characters so they fit inside the opening of the votive holder.  

Can't you just picture these on a holiday tablescape?

Are you ready for the non baked version?

Purchase the large cookies, the clear votives, and then

cruise through the grocery store and find seasonal cookies and crackers!  I gave mine a bit of icing embellishment, but you wouldn't have to.  I am in loooooooove with the little gold fish penguins!!!

A little black and white icing is all you need because the feet and bills are already orange!

I didn't do it here, but if I were making these for a party I would make a royal icing embellishment around the base of the votive holder so it couldn't slip around - especially if they were for children.  

A sweet nibble, a candle holder that can be used after the cookies are gone, inexpensive, and CAN be made with goodies from the grocery store.  

I love a good victory.
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Cookie decorating class by The Enchanted Oven

The Enchanted Oven (yours truly) is going to be teaching cookie decorating classes at the Chambersburg, PA Hobby Lobby store!

December 3, 9-11 am (home schoolers are welcome!)

December 3, 6-8 pm

December 10 6-8 pm

December 17 6-8 pm

We will be going over the basics of cookie baking - after all, you want a lovely "canvas" for your icing! 

Then, we will head into the wonderful world of royal icing where  you will learn an abundance of tips and tricks to make decorating your cookies fun and easy!  

Cost of one class is $10 and you must pay in advance to reserve your spot.  

Contact me at lisasplace07@yahoo.com

or message me here on the blog for a supply list.

I would LOVE to meet some of my sweet readers -

hope to see you in December!

Christmas cookie decorating classes

In case you are wondering why I have Christmas cookies on my blog when I still have some Halloween decorations sitting on my dining room table, the answer is simple.

I needed photos to advertise cookie decorating classes I am going to  be teaching in December.

Hobby Lobby in Chambersburg, PA is going to be the location (in case anyone was wondering).  I can't wait!

Doing highly detailed cookies takes a considerable amount of practice, but ANYONE can learn the basics. 

And it is FUN!

I have learned most of my cookie tips the hard way.  Trial and error was the name of that game!  

There won't be any more Christmas cookies for a few weeks.  I love the fall holidays, and I am in no rush to get through them. 

Thanksgiving is wonderful and sort of overlooked, don't you think?

Gotta run - its time to put those Halloween decorations away.

Playing with cream cheese and holiday wishes

I never could resist a man in a suit.

Thanks to the greatest way to waste time ever  pininterest, I had a little fun playing with my food.  First I made a small army of olive, carrot, and cream cheese penguins.

I think maybe Mr. Penguin third from the right might have gotten into my rum balls.

Since I had the cream cheese loaded into my bag and some strawberries in the fridge, I decided to do another simple cutie I found on pininterest.

I have been a bit of a slacker blogger this week (does that make me a blacker or a slogger?).  I have been baking and cooking like a crazy fool - rum balls (three of these and I would be impaired), chocolate crinkles, peanut butter blossoms, Russian teacakes, red velvet brownies, and a divine new recipe for chocolate sugar cookies that I sandwiched oreo style with white chocolate peppermint icing (drool is running down my chin just typing it).

Most importantly, though, I have been savoring the time with my family.  And with that in mind, I wanted to share a few pictures of my kidlets and my thoughts on how to have a great Christmas.  Photos are before the days of having a digital camera, so bear with the quality.

Listen to Christmas music (Teddy, the green beret, and Drew).

Smile at everyone you see (my mom and Isabelle).

Bake cookies (Drew).

Have fun every chance you get  (Alec).

Have hot chocolate before bed and sleep in the next morning (green beret, Teddy, and Drew).

Don't lie to Santa (green beret and Teddy).

Look at the world through a child's eyes (Isabelle).

Dream big for the new year (Drew and green beret).

Be grateful for the REAL gifts in your life (Alec).  I have to say, a Fisher Price magic castle IS pretty awesome, though.

                                        BELIEVE - Drew.

Realize there are angels all around you (Isabelle).

And quite possibly my favorite Christmas picture of all time - do not try to steal cookies and milk from Santa  (Teddy!).

And my Ted is far from home this year.  We are having a virtual Christmas via skype, and I would give anything to have him here with us.  Sending huge hugs and kisses all the way to Bahrain to my little cookie thief!

I am sending you all the warmest wishes for a holiday season of peace, joy, and beautiful memories for years to come!

MUCH LOVE,


LISA

The good, the bad, and the ugly Christmas cookies

So, I made some really ugly Christmas cookies the other day.  So ugly in fact, that I made a bunch MORE to camouflage them.  You know, pile them all up on a plate with the uggies on the bottom.

See the peach-ish cookie on the bottom? Terrible color combinations and badly executed designs - UGG, what was I thinking?  The bright red, green, white, and blue are much better.  Trust me, you don't want to see what is lurking on the bottom of the plate.

I need to learn that cookie decorating and a migraine medicated fog do not mix well.  I think I might have to spike the eggnog so that by the time the bottom of the plate is revealed, everyone will be a little pie eyed.

Sounds like a plan.

Nutcracker cookies

Start playing music from The Nutcracker in your head.

I had been dying to try out my nutcracker cookie cutter.

It was also the perfect opportunity to use a PME 1 tip.  FYI, it is one teeny tiny tip.  I love how little the lines are, but it isn't something I would want to use every day because it clogs so easily and is difficult to control.

I always think it is the small details that make a biggest impact.

I would have loved making a whole army of them, but I'm not sure I could have spent that much time at the helm of the PME 1.  So I will settle for my little trio of nutcracker men!

Christmas flower cupcakes

I had some left over cupcake batter that needed to be baked, so I decided to try my hand at making Christmas flowers.

I wanted RED, GREEN,  PINK, and AQUA - my take on traditional Christmas with a little twist.

I love having fresh flowers in the house at Christmas.  Poinsettias, roses, Christmas cactus, mums, amaryllis, paperwhites - so beautiful!

I can't stand poinsettias that are spray painted or glittered, but a little sparkling disco dust on the cookies is very pretty.

MAKE YOUR SEASON SWEET WITH FLOWERS!

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