Carol's Christmas Cookies: Whipped Shortbread

Christmas has the BEST recipes for sweet treats, or as my chef friends calls it "Sweet Shit". My mother always has put on a spread for Christmas of treats that are AMAZING! I love using her recipes each season, like THIS 'Dream Bar' Recipe.

One of my all time favourites are her Whipped Shortbread Cookies. They are easy to make and the literally melt in your mouth.

What you need:

1lb of butter

1/2 cup of cornstarch

1 cup icing sugar

3 cups flour (all-purpose)

*Candies is you want to decorate them - We garnished our with Canadian Smarties this year.

How To:

*Beat with electric mix master until the mixture is the consistency of whipping cream. 

*Remove mixture from the bowl using a tea spoon and place each cookie on the cookie sheet.

*Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Add decorations before baking!

*Let cool and ENJOY! 

My mom and nephew baked ours this year!

Santa Berry

This Christmas I have been on creative FIRE. I am so very far from home (My native Ontario, Canada) and miss my family the most at this time of year. I have managed to keep myself busy by crafting, baking, shopping and wrapping.

My daughter has her Pre-School Christmas Concert last week and I felt compelled to whip up a festive treat for the kids and parents.  I can only partially take credit for the creation as the Strawberry Santa's I saw on-line somewhere, but the winter wonderland scene was all my own.

This would make an amazing edition to any Christmas Eve event or Christmas day treat table. Fun for the kids to help make and eat!

What you need for Santa:

*Strawberries (1lb or more)

*Creamed Cheese (You can substitute Whip Cream too) - 1 pkg

*Powdered Sugar (3-4 TBSP or to taste)

*Vanilla Extract (1 Tsp or to taste)

*Candies (something for the eyes)

Clean and prep the berries. I cut mine in half. larger on the bottom leaving the pointed top for the hat.

Mix Softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl. I used a tea spoon to add a dollop of the mixture on the strawberry base and add the hat.

You can decorate by adding candied eyes (I had left over sprinkles from Halloween Cookies & Cakes), you can add a tiny dollop on top for a pom-pom, I used tiny "pearl" candies for buttons by pressing them into the strawberry base.

If you have time and are extra crafty you can mould the cream cheese mixture into little beards :)

(I alternated colored eyes too)

I also started to set the scene with powdered sugar as "snow"

The Scene - What you need:

* Serving Tray

*Pineapple

*Shaved Coconut

*Maraschino Cherries

*Mini-Marshmallow's

*Candy Canes (Number depending on tray size)

*Orange (1)

I wanted a focal point of my tray to scream CHRISTMAS and what better way than a giant tree.  I cut the top off of a fresh pineapple and used it for the tree center. You could use the excess pineapple for Santa Stands or make little benches for your strawberry santas or gifts under the tree. I was in a pinch for time so I used it in my next day breakfast smoothie (that's a whole other blog).

Dust the ground and tree with the shredded coconut "snow" and decorate the "tree" - I used the cherries, marshmallows and sliced oranges for the top! You can use any fruits or candies that you want.

I trimmed out the tray with candy canes, unwrapped of course and ready for the kids to snag and savour.

TIME: approx 30min

EAT & ENJOY

What is your FAV holiday dish to bring to parties or events?

Treat 411: Caramel Pecan Delights

I am always thrilled when a friend takes the time to bake home made treats, wrap them up in a fabulous package and share them. I was delighted to find pretzel perfection inside my goodie bag from my friend Jensine. Let this Danish Diva walk you through the easiest treat of the season!

From Jen's Kitchen: 

Seasons Greetings, fab ladies! Lisa G has asked me to share this obscenely simple recipe for Caramel Pecan Delights. If you are in a pinch and need to whip up something for a party or a sweet and savory treat to share with those you love, then grab these three ingredients: 

*mini pretzels 

*a bag of Rolos

*bag of pecan halves.

 Want to make this recipe even easier? Enlist the help of your beautiful daughter (or handsome son, hubby, etc.). My eldest daughter, Kaia, is quick to assist me in the kitchen when she sees me put on the apron (especially when I am wearing the reversible one that she and my mom sewed for me one Mother’s Day). She is a speedy Rolo peeler.

 If you haven’t made friends with parchment paper, now is the time to do so. I discovered this amazingly functional baking tool just last year and it has changed my life!! Cut a piece of parchment paper to line a large baking sheet ( NordicWare makes a fantastic commercial baking sheet). Place pretzels on parchment paper and stack a Rolo onto each pretzel.

Bake them for 4 minutes in an oven preheated at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and immediately press one pecan half onto each melty Rolo (Mmmmmm…hungry yet?)

 Here is the toughest part of the recipe for me…making room in the refrigerator so that these perfectly salty sweet treats can chill out before making their way into your mouth!

          Oh, and don’t forget to wear a one-of-a-kind Evolution Rewind ring while baking.

Vintage Cherub Ring - Evolution REWIND

  ENJOY!

Thanks Jen! 

Will you make these? or have you made these before? Share your experience in the comments!