Lights!

I do love Christmas lights – they way they sparkle and twinkle and light up the streets in the winter.  I used disco dust on the white highlights of these cookies so they actually sparkle.

It’s December 1^st so I think it is totally acceptable to pull out the Christmas lights.  That will give you plenty of time if you need to untangle strings and replace burned out bulbs and get set for the holidays.

Also if you start decorating now, it will give you plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the season before you need to take it all down.

When do you start decorating for Christmas?  When do you take it down?

Keep Calm

The “festive holiday season” can be stressful.  All the cooking, baking, shopping, anticipation … can make it difficult to sit back and remember that the holidays are about family and friends.

I do some things to try and “keep calm” which include preparing stuff in advance (like my husband’s snowball cookies), shopping in October (yes I’m done) and using ingredients like William-Sonoma’s Handmade Peppermint Snow because the snow is so much easier than crushing your own candy canes and for whatever reason, don’t ask me why, hand crushed candy canes are simply not as perfect as this product.

I love the way these cookies came out.  They are keeping me calm.

What do you do to stay calm during the holidays?

The Little Black Dress

Do you have to go to a corporate holiday party? Do ya wanna go?  Are you wearing black or red?  Are you wearing anything as tasteful as these cookies?

I originally got this cookie cutter to make a classic LBD for a 1962 party -- but realized it would be perfect for holiday party dresses.  

Now I'm thinking of a job in fashion design -- now I'm thinking I wish I could sew.

Let the festive holiday season begin!

Just SAY IT in Cookie

When anyone says “Just SAY IT!” it is usually followed by something you don’t really want to hear.

In this case though, it is followed in cookie – so it is just want you want to hear – something sweet (even if it says something not so nice;). I have made these Thought Bubble cookies before but I could not resist sharing these because I just loved the way they turned out. I can't help notice the difference in the quality of the cookies -- not sure if it because I'm getting a little better at decorating OR if it is my favorite PME 1.5 tip that makes lettering WAY easier.

These cookies were for my sister-in-law’s 50^th 35^th birthday.  We really did want to wish her all the best so came up with all kinds of fun birthday greetings like:

•  Happy Birthday!
• ·      You Look Marvelous
• ·      Skip Around The Room
• ·      WOW!
• ·      This is What 35 Looks Like
• ·      HB2U HB2U HB DU HB2U
• ·      & on & on

I keep thinking of more and more ideas for this CopperGifts.com thought bubble cookie cutter.  I’m thinking they would be great saying Thank You, Love You, Will You Marry Me?, etc.  I would love to make these cookies as placecards for a fun party – “You’re At Table #1” or “Shelly, Sit Here!”. 

What would you like to “say in cookie”?

Happy Halloween!

Have A Happy & SAFE Halloween!

Candy Corn

Halloween is three weeks today. One of my favorite Halloween treats is candy corn.  I think I love it because it has a creamy caramel and marshmallowy flavour.  It’s also pretty cute – orange & yellow & white and in the case of these cookies, polka dotted.

What is your favorite Halloween treat?

I Can’t Believe It’s LOW-FAT Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf

It is starting to feel a little like autumn – and I guess it should be as it is October 1!  So that means the leaves are getting starting the change colours and I feel like baking something with pumpkin.  In my mind the fall equals pumpkins.  Not sure if the pumpkin thing is because I love orange and the smell of pumpkin or the fact that Halloween is around the corner.

I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie so I made this low fat pumpkin loaf with dried cranberries.  The pumpkin and low fat yogurt make the loaf really moist and the chewy cranberries and crunchy cornmeal provide a rich texture.

It is a really nice dessert for your Thanksgiving table and great with coffee or tea the next morning.

And here is how I made it…

Ingredients

 

1 cup brown sugar  (I like the consistency of the Redpath Golden Yellow Brown Sugar)

½ cup all-purpose flour (I always use Five Rose)

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp salt

¾ cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, I like this E.D. Smith pure pumpkin and you can freeze what you don’t use)

½ cup low-fat plain yogurt (I’ve also used vanilla yogurt)

2 ½ TBSP canola oil (I like Becel)

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together brown sugar, flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger & salt. Mix together and get all the lumps out.

In another bowl (I used my KitchenAid bowl but you don’t really need a mix master for this recipe), whisk together pumpkin puree, yogurt, oil, egg and egg white.

Stir dry ingredients with cranberries in until moistened. 

Pour patter into greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan.  I use Bakers Joy it is simply a joy to bake with this product – hence the name I guess – really it is such a great cake release.

Bake 350^O for about 60 minutes.  I always turn my baking half way through.

Cool in pan.  Turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

I’m posting this on Monday to give you time to get organized and bake it for the weekend celebrations. 

Have a great long weekend and a Happy Thanksgiving.