Christmas Tree Cookies!

With Christmas only 5 (five!) days away, I finally made these trees!
 I've been wanting to make them for a few weeks. 

I saw a popcorn can lid on the cover of a Stew Leonard's catalog with green Christmas trees and I knew I had give them a try. The funny thing is, these look nothing like those!

The first thing I wanted to do was "go green", so I tinted my cookie dough. Now I want to tint all my cookie dough! Let's see...blue ones for winter ..red & pink for Valentines day...

 I'm really liking this color.

 Now I'm wanting an ice cream cone!

I just liked the way this photo of these cute cookie cutters turned out :o)

The Christmas Flour Tree

I like to roll enough dough out for only a couple of cookies at a time. I don't know why..it just works for me.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum..

Sometimes after I press the cutter into the dough...

I just peel off the outer layer.

Place your trees on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Cooling on the racks..

 I've got my GREENS!

You will need one bag filled with full strength royal icing for the outlines.

This is NOT the easy part for me. I don't have the steadiest hand. Hopefully with practice, I will get better!

Yay! This one turned out pretty good..after a few tries.

Let these dry for about an hour before you flood your cookies.

 Add a few drops of water at a time to the full strength royal icing until you achieve a glue-like consistency. Let the fun begin!

I like to use the tip of a sharp knife to pop the little air bubbles that WILL rise to the surface.

I used 3 different sprinkles on this one.

I'm sure I'm not the first one to ever do this but..I was flooding this cookie when I noticed the pretty design ..so I decided to let it dry for a few minutes. I then came back and flooded another section with a lighter color green. I LOVE this idea! Sorry, I didn't take a follow up photo. But keep scrolling, I used this method on a few cookies.  

I also dropped some dots in some other dots while the icing was still wet.

:o)

This turned out to be one of my favorites!

I really like these decorator bottles.

One thing I learned today..make sure you keep the tips out of the  icing and then check them anyway. Notice the dark green icing streak in the light green? Yeah, I did this a couple of times!

Love this cookie!

On this one, I did the two-tone method, then dropped dots and then used a toothpick to swirl them as well.

Just pull or drag the toothpick through each dot without lifting the toothpick.

The little trees were quick to decorate..

The finished pan!

Sweet!

Cookie Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup 10 x sugar

2 sticks salted butter (softened)

1 egg

1tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

food color (optional) I used Wilton leaf green

Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Cream butter and sugars.  Cover mixing bowl with a damp dish towel to keep the sugar dust from escaping.

Add egg and extracts mixing well.

Add flour mixture gradually till combined.

Chill dough.

Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Royal Icing

4 cups 10 x sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder

6 tablespoons warm water

Mix all ingredients on low for 7-10 minutes till stiff peaks form.

My Christmas Tree Forest

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Baking from 

Sugartown Sweets!
 I would love it if you left a comment!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today :)

Marshmallow Christmas Ornaments!

It's time to make the Christmas Ornaments!

..and shop, and bake, and decorate...

So I wanted to create something cute & fun, but it also had to be easy. I love easy :o)

Mini candy canes, mini marshmallows, regular size marshmallows, white dipping chocolate & sprinkles are all you need.

 I use Ghirardelli dipping chocolate, but candy melts (in any color or flavor) would also work just as well.

 My marshmallows today are strawberry...yum!

 I've always enjoyed playing with my food..especially candy.

 Turn the regular size marshmallow on its side, then place the mini on top. Slowly press the tip of the candy cane into the mini and through almost to the bottom of the larger marshmallow.

And there you have it..so cute already!

 getting ready to dip...

There are no pictures of the candy being dipped! I 
was really into the process and FORGOT :o)
As I dip each ornament, I give it a few seconds to make sure the chocolate is finished dripping. Then gently place it on a wax lined pan to set.

I LOVE these Wilton sprinkles!

I crushed up a candy cane to decorate this one.

Triple Sweet!

This would be fun with the kids too..

I took a LOT of pictures..

I really did!

Maybe too many?

Do you all take lots of pics too? ..or is it just me?!

These would also be cute as party table place cards.
 Just pipe a name or initial on the dipped marshmallow.

Or as a cute small gift, place an ornament in a small cello bag and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Christmas is only two weeks away, but you still have plenty of time to make these :o)

Wishing you Christmas Joy 

and Happy Creating

from

Sugartown Sweets!

Reese's Christmas Tree Farm!

Reese's Christmas Trees!
I've had Christmas Trees on my mind a lot lately!  

Not only have we been on the "Great Christmas Tree Hunt of 2011", but

Friday was my mother-in-law's birthday. It hit me in the morning...I'd forgotten her one request of Reese's brownies.

I know, I know, they've been done to death..but she LOVES them!

S0, I left work early (I've got a very lenient boss who also happens to be my hubby) to make a quick stop at the store and start baking.

I decided to not only bake each cupcake with a Reese's cup, but to also place one on top.

*Ding*  That's when the idea popped into my head to decorate those trees!

Now for the basics. Several years ago I purchased one of the "Cake Mix Doctor" cookbooks.

I love tips and I found two that I've used ever since. 

Whatever brownie mix you use, substitute buttermilk for the water and add vanilla.

 Add the oil and eggs as usual.

 Now for the buttermilk...

.

 and a little vanilla. I used 1 tablespoon.

 I so love visiting the cake decorating aisle of EVERY store !

 Here comes the fun part....

 Reese's! I may have eaten a couple..

 Press one candy into the center of the batter..

 ready to bake @ 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool.
Pipe a little icing onto the cupcake to set the candy tree into.

 We have regular and white chocolate covered trees!

 As my time was very limited, I picked up a couple of tubes of Cake-Mate ready to use decorator icing. 

 This little guy could have used a little more icing at the bottom!
Just buy a few different sprinkles and colored sugars to experiment with. So much FUN!

And this little guy was my favorite :o)

Hope you're all enjoying this wonderful Christmas season!

Happy Baking from Sugartown Sweets!

Hot Chocolate on a Spoon!

 My very favorite time of year is HERE!! 

My husband and I were in Gatlinburg over Thanksgiving weekend. I saw something cute in a store and decided to try it at home...only I wanted to "up the cute factor"! 

Dipping chocolate, mini marshmallows, festive colored plastic spoons and food writer pens is all you need.

I got mine @ a cake decorating shop, but Walmart sells "Betty Crocker Easy Writers".

Mmmmmelting..........

 Just get a big ol' dip of chocolate..

hold the spoon level like this for several seconds. This lets the chocolate set up a bit..then you can place your marshmallows on top.

This is how I saw it in the store. (Nancy's Candy Co.) was the name on the tag. I thought they were so cute. But I thought, this can be so much cuter! 

 That's when I broke out my "food writer pens"!
Food Writers equals instant cuteness :o)
Just place your finished spoons on a wax paper lined cookie sheet .

I love it! 

Sweet~Sweet~Sweet!

There are so many possibilities. You could use any Christmas themed marshmallows. I think the gingerbread men are adorable.

But today, I only have the mini marshes.

Tie these up with ribbon in a cello bag and you have an easy, quick & sweet gift on hand as you need them!

Look at these sweet little guys :o)

All you need is a mug of hot milk..now just stir with your spoon till it melts down into wonderfulness!

Merry Christmas and Happy Baking from

Sugartown Sweets!