Christmas Cookies~

               

The kitchen was bustling with baking and decorating cookies today...

Christmas is almost here....

Gingerbread Roll & Fun Christmas Vignette Boxes

 

      We were invited to a Christmas party and I had to come up with a dessert.....Did a bit of searching and decided to make what sounded right up Christmas alley....Gingerbread Cake Roll...oh yeah. I am familiar with making pumpkin rolls which are divine mind you. I found a recipe so simple ....It was a hit of the party too...Oh yeah....So I thought I would share. Listen to this. The filling is made with cream cheese and egg nog....How festive it that? Okay so here ya go...
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Gingerbread Roll

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1 box Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake Mix

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/2 cup water

1 8 ounce cube cream cheese

5 tablespoons butter, softened but NOT melted

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup egg nog

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
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Directions~
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 1. In a large bowl beat together the Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake Mix,

 pumpkin puree, oil, and water together until smooth.

2 .Generously grease and flour a large cookie sheet. Spread batter into a thin, even layer on cookie sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, or just until the cake has set.

4. Allow the cake to cool just slightly. While it's just a little bit warm to the touch, quickly invert the cookie sheet with the cake on it on top of a large, thin clean dish towel.

5. Roll the towel up gently from one end, rolling the cake into a spiral with the dish towel wrapped up in the spiral as well. Rolling the cake in the dish towel allows the cake to cool completely in a spiral shape, which will help avoid cracks and tears in the Pumpkin Roll during the final step.

6. Allow cake to cool completely at room temperature.

7. In a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, egg nog, and vanilla. If you don't have egg nog, you can use milk, but will need about a tablespoon less, since it's a thinner consistency than the egg nog. Whip all ingredients together until fluffy.

8. Once the cake roll is completely cooled, gently unroll the towel. Spread frosting on top of the cake, then gently re-roll the cake into a spiral. Use the towel, if needed, to keep the cake securely together. Place the cake in the refrigerator and cool for 1 hour, or until ready to serve.

 Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
 

So I'm in Wally Mart passing through all the Christmas goodies and boxes for goodies as I ran into these cute lil boxes made for homemade cookie gifts. So I picked up a couple for a $1.00 each with one thing in mind. They are not only cute but they have little clear windows...

I came up with these fun vignettes to use in my kitchen

  

Aren't they cute? I just took some cotton, sprinkled a bit of Vintage Mica Snow over the cotton snow and made a little scene with some of my Christmas decorations.

This would be a cute way to give a gift too. I love it. Don't you?

  

Can you believe Christmas is a week away? Are you ready?

Just a couple more things to do on my end and we are ready. I love Christmas.

Hope you have a merry weekend.

Christmas In The Kitchen...

Freckles made her gingerbread house last night....She did it on her own this year....With a bit of a struggle with the piping of the frosting....It still turned out cute. Now the kitchen looks extra festive.

Next we'll be baking gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies like we do every year. I love Christmas traditions. I know my kids do too...They look forward to it all. There will be lot's of baking and cooking in the kitchen this Christmas.
    
Have you seen the special edition vintage Coca~Cola bottles? They are celebrating their 125th anniversary so, they brought back their circa 1899 "Hutchinson" bottle, the first bottle that was embossed with their Coca~Cola trademark. They are pretty cool. I will probably fill them up with flowers.
 I found them at Wally World Mart if anyone is interested.

What are you all baking this year? Do tell...
Have a Happy Day.

Christmas Baking

Busy, busy working in the Christmas kitchen baking cookies,
 bread, cakes and making gift bags to put them in. Whew....
I feel like an elf in Santas workshop.

 
We got out all our favorite cookie cutters
 to use for the cookie cut outs.

  

I also made some candy...Yummy white chocolate,
 peppermint bark...plus I dipped pretzels filled with peanut butter
 into dark chocolate peppermint...Delish!

I also made a Christmas cake for the Christmas party we went to...
 And my dear Freacles and Darling Nephew helped
 decorate all the sugar and gingerbread cookies.

  

Pair up yummy desserts with a cup of hot tea...And all the magic starts!
Now to finish off the butternut squash, banana, and cranberry loafs for gifts.
What are you baking for Christmas??

The Gingerbread House Rock...

Another favorite activity during the Christmas season is putting together, making then eating a gingerbread house. Well... maybe not eat it, but at least munch on the candies while you decorate your house. We have been making gingerbread houses for years. This year though, it was just Freckles decorating her house since Maestro was off doing something else...Ho hum!

   

I decorated the table all cheery like with all my vintage doilies and candies
 so that would make the atmosphere quite cheery,
 then we put on some Christmas music and got busy.

   

Freckles got into it!
 She took her time icing the roof  before
 placing all the goodies on it.
 I had fun just watching her work her magic.

   

It turned out really sweet....
 And I mean sweet!
She was like a little elf in a toy shop,
 well maybe a candy shop....
whichever, it was fun!

 

Now we're off to my sisters house to bake
 Christmas cookies with our Mom and Gramma!
Happy baking!