Traditional Gingerbread Cookies

In 2006, I picked up one of those little seasonal cookbooks they have at the checkout counter of grocery stories...this particular cookbook was by Taste of Home and entitled "Christmas Cookies & Candies" and piqued my interest because it had a "photo of every recipe!" and "75 full-color recipe cards".  I must confess, the recipes I've tried from this little cookbook have not disappointed. 

 

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is from this book and quickly became a family favorite and is definitely good enough to be added to Gingerbread Snowflakes' International Winter Holiday Cookie Swap.  (Did you see the Pizelles a blogger posted?  I love Pizelles!)

Traditional Gingerbread Cookies
(From Taste of Home Christmas Cookies & Candies)
Makes roughly 5 dozen cookies (depending upon size of cookie cutters)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla frosting/icing of your choice
Red and Green paste food coloring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and molasses and mix.

Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for four hours or overnight or until easy to handle.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut with 2 1/2 inch cookie cutters dipped in flour.

Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Baking at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Tint some of the frosting red and some of it green.  Decorate as you like.  (We suggest silly faces and lots of personality, but hey, that is just the way we do it!)

Snowmen Butter Cookies

My friend Pam at Gingerbread Snowmen is hosting a St. Nicholas Eve Cookie Recipe Swap and asked me if I had any recipes to contribute and I immediately thought of this one. Not only are the cookies adorable, the kids love making them as much as people love eating them. Quick, easy and adorable...these are a wonderful addition to any Christmas Cookie Platter.


Snowmen Butter Cookies
Makes - 12

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon water

Red and green liquid or paste food coloring
Black/brown jimmies and red hot candies (cinnamon candies) (eyes and noses)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla extra together.

Gradually beat in flour and water.

Place 1/2 cup of dough in each of two bowls, reserving balance in separate bowl. Add red food coloring to one bowl and mix thoroughly. Add green food coloring to one bowl and mix thoroughly. Shape the uncolored dough into twelve 1-inch balls and twelve 1 1/2-inch balls.

Place one smaller ball above one larger ball to form the snowman body and head. For each snowman, then form the hat and the scarf. For hat, roll 1-inch ball and a flat disk for brim. Place on head. For scarf, shape 1/4 teaspoon of each color of dough into a 3 inch rope and twist together. Place scarf around snowman's neck. Insert jimmies for eyes and press the red hot in for the nose.

Bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes until set. Cool on baking sheet.

Come on! You have to admit that these are super cute!

Truly Random

Same days are notable, with all kinds of accomplishments you can point to at the end of the day.  You look down a list and see so many items crossed off and you can clearly see what you've spent your time doing.  Others?  Not so clear.

We've been having a few of those days here.  I've been busy for what seems like days, yet I don't feel that I have much to show for it.  Then again, I thought it would be fun to share a little of what has been going on at our house this past week.

I made yet another batch of this caramel corn...I think I might have a problem.  Discovering that I could have freshly made caramel corn in under 40 minutes has NOT been a good thing for me.

I also made these Pumpkin Oatmeal Scotchie cookies, but the reviews were mixed.  My neighbor and my daughter loved them, but my other neighbors and my sons didn't think they were very good. Me? Honestly, I probably won't make them again.   Read the ingredients and see if they're up your alley.

Oh, I won one million pounds via the Mercedes Benz Sweepstakes...I got an email notifying me.  Haven't gotten around to providing all the information they've requested, but rest assured, I was excited to see that I won yet another sweepstakes.

My friends gifted me with a gift card to Hancock Fabrics, so I'm finally making myself a new nightgown.  Do you like the flannel I picked out?  I'm not much of a plaid girl and baby prints aren't my think, either, so I struggled to find something I'd like, especially since I needed 6 1/2 yards of it!  Anyway, it is just about done...I'll show you the completed project tomorrow (fingers crossed).

Does this happen at your house?  When I opened the refrigerator, I discovered this little baby in my egg bin.  Not sure what to do with her, so for now she's still sleeping there.
 

Have you seen these Matryoshka Dolls made out of gourds at Gingerbread Snowflakes?  They are amazing. Seriously...I've never seen anything like it outside of a specialty shop.  Pam is so talented. (This is the picture from her website...she made it!!)

Oh...one more thing.  Remember our tiny little kitten, Bean? 

This is what she looks like now.  Same carrier, same cat.  She'll be 6 months old at the end of the month.  She still loves sleeping in the carrier, but, as you can see, she doesn't fit nearly as well.

Told you today would be random...have a great day!