Christmas Week is here! Whip up some holiday goodies that are filled with warm holiday spices! Break out the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg and bake some delicious treats. I am celebrating the beginning of Christmas Week with Gingerbread Doughnut Muffins and a cup of Christmas tea.

Don’t these look yummy? Scrumptious holiday muffins! A dusting of powdered sugar makes them look extra festive.

I used the recipe below, but substituted King Arthur Gingerbread Spice for the spices, just because I had it on hand. The recipe author also mentions that you can add chopped candied ginger, cranberries or chocolate chips to these muffins.

Wishing you a joyful week leading up to Christmas. Bake some special treats to make it seem like Christmas. It will be different this year, for sure, but if we continue at least some of our traditions, we can make ourselves feel a bit better. Merry Christmas!!!!

I used the recipe below, making half a batch. Click on the link for instructions:

One of our family’s traditions is to make cookie trays to share with family, friends and neighbors. When the kids were all home, we would take turns baking cookies, making the ones above and usually adding some new ones each year. Such fond memories!

This is the Christmas Cookie recipe sheet that we have used in our home for about 30 years! Together they make a nice assortment and it includes all our favorites! The Chocolate Crackle Cookies and Peanut Blossoms are classics enjoyed by so many people!

The Dorothy’s Christmas Cookies recipe was in the old Kitchen Klatter cookbook, from the KMA radio station in Shenandoah, Iowa. The nutmeg gives it a wonderful holiday flavor. It is a softer cookie and tastes amazing, but it does crumble and break easier when frosting and decorating.

For this batch I used the recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Her blog has so many amazing recipes. For her complete recipe, click on the link below:

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/christmas-sugar-cookies/

Sally has you roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper before you chill it. This allows you to easily cut out the cookies with precision and you don’t have flour all over the kitchen! If you are having a cookie decorating party, you can have it all ready rolled out and chilled, so it ready for the guests to just cut out the cookies. Then bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Bake and cool before frosting.

There are so many powdered sugar and royal icing recipes out there! I tried the recipe below this week and really liked it. It is easier to work with than royal icing and tastes so much better. It also hardens so that you can stack the cookies after they have dried. It has a pretty glossy finish.

https://iambaker.net/sugar-cookie-decorating-101/

The sprinkles on these sugar cookies are from the Fancy Sprinkles website. They have all kinds of sprinkles for every occasion – perfect for decorating cookies and cupcakes.

https://www.fancysprinkles.com/

Our Favorite Recipes:

You can use white powdered sugar for Christmas!

These are a few of our favorite Christmas cookies! Have fun making them with family and friends – and then share! Happy Eating!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Happy New Year!!! One more day to eat cookies…before your resolution to eat healthier starts! Do you have sprinkles and chips left over from your holiday baking? Here are two recipes that you could make to celebrate the new year!

I often post recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction and her Cake Baker Chocolate Chip Cookies will not disappoint. These soft chocolate chip cookies are made “ready to party” with the addition of sprinkles. The Chocolate Crinkle Sprinkle Cookies are from The Pretty Dish cookbook by Jessica Merchant-they are fudgy, chewy, rich and gooey! Use different sprinkles for different holidays or celebrations. Delicious cookie recipes to add to your collection.

For the Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies, you start by creaming the butter and sugars, add the egg, add vanilla, add sifted dry ingredients, stirring just to combine.

Add the sprinkles and chocolate chips, a combination of white and semi-sweet chocolate chips make really pretty cookies. Cover and chill dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and roll the dough into balls, shape cookie dough balls to be “taller” more than wide. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Once baked, press a few more chips into the tops of the cookies.

So pretty and festive!

Perfect for you New Year’s party – or any party – or any day! For complete directions and the recipe, click on the link below:

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/recipe-round-2-cake-batter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Another fun recipe for your New Year party is Chocolate Crinkle Sprinkle Cookies. These are like the Chocolate Crackle Cookies that you love at Christmas, except that you roll the cookie dough in sprinkles instead of powdered sugar.

You can also vary the sprinkles on these for different holidays or special occasions. How cute are these? For complete directions and the recipe, click on the recipe below:

https://www.browneyedbaker.com/chocolate-crinkle-sprinkle-cookies/

Pretty cookies to add to your celebration cookie trays! Happy New Year!