New Year’s Eve Clock

Tic.tock, waiting for that midnight kiss.  This clock fulfilled my requirements:  completed ever so quickly and able to feed a lot of kids.  There are about 60 cookies on the tray and the glaze icing is super simple (powdered sugar, water or milk, and coloring- only the “hello 2014” is royal icing).  Deliciously counting the minutes until the new year.

Thanks for a great 2013.  May every year be better than the next!

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Brunch Crunch

Breakfast cookies?  Well, technically we were invited to brunch so all bets were off (um.  You already know I am “off”).    The traditional egg and bacon breakfast first came to mind (some clever cookie-rs have gone down that route).   But fate stepped in; the movie we were watching contained a song from the early 80’s.  Okay, Elton John and Kiki Dee sang theirs in the mid 70s but its close enough.  Hope you will forgive me…

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Ugly Sweater cookies

Um.  Such a party!  One person had an Ipad playing either a roaring fireplace or Happy Feet built into his sweater.  Another had “Madonna cones,” appropriately placed.  There were flashing lights, fur, and balls hung with care (ornaments, I mean).  And, of course, cookies.

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Feeding the Masses at Christmas

It’s usually quite busy around the holidays so I was trying to think of simple but quick ways to feed a relatively large number of people.  Two of these trays were inspired by 2 different cookie queens (I bow before their amazing talents):  the original idea for the tree was from MelissaJoy and the poinsettia from Sweet Sugar Belle.  Melissa Joy’s tree offered 30 cookies and I needed more like 60.  So I made the trees smaller, 2-3 bite size/3″ tall but narrow.  The poinsettia platter was made for a specifically requested number of cookies but this is another design where lots of small leaves and several small rounds in the center could make it a large group winner.  The last plate is a santa hat along the same lines.  I think I would change up the red cookie size or shape next time I made this but at least the cookies were delicious.  In any case, these simple and sweet designs allow you to bake and decorate and still have time for wrapping presents, eggnog, mistletoe?.

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Peppermint Patties

Move over, York.  These peppermint Patties are made with chocolate shortbread (thank you for sharing the recipe Lila Loa) and standard buttercream icing flavored with peppermint extract.  Crushed a couple of peppermint candies to decorate the borders and voila.  Very Minteresting!

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