Singing Reindeer Cookies!

Singing Reindeer?

Well of course..after I saw Jackie Topa's awesome stamping blog with her adorable singing reindeer craft! Check out her charming creations!

I knew as soon as I saw the paper reindeer, that these had to happen. How much fun is my sweet version of the aforementioned crooning cuties?!

As a child in our church choir, Christmas caroling was such a fun part of my childhood!

I don't know what Rudi is singing, but he's put his whole heart into it! Maybe Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? *wink*

I bought this decorating kit and used the antlers and jelly beans.

I also used:

black sparkle gel

black and red fondant

Nutter Butter cookies

candy coated sunflower seeds

red candy sprinkles (you could also use mini M&Ms)

light cocoa candy melts

small round cookie cutter (23mm)

I used the one from this set.

To make the oval shape for the reindeer mouth, I simply squeezed the smallest cookie cutter (23 mm) in my set at both ends till it was the shape I wanted.

I made the tangled Christmas lights with the antlers as the first piece since the gel takes a while to dry. I was just too lazy to make my own royal icing! I let my antlers dry overnight.

 The squeeze bottle makes this step super easy.

Just pipe the gel onto antlers and place the sesame seed lights. 

IIII love it!

To make the songbook, roll out fondant and use a knife to cut a 1 inch by 1 1/4 inch fondant piece.

I shaped the songbooks by laying them on the corner edge of the decorator kit box. Let sit till stiffened.

 To make the reindeer mouth, roll out black fondant, press the cutter through and gently press candy piece out.

Melt cocoa melts using package directions, or melt over low heat on stovetop. Dip cookies in chocolate. Use a fork to lift cookie out and gently tap off excess chocolate. Let set on parchment lined baking sheet to dry.

Can you believe this is my first time dipping Nutter Butters in chocolate?!

Well, it was super duper quick going, but oh my..I wanted to eat every single one of them!

 Well, now we have all our reindeer parts ready to assemble!

Simply attach all pieces to the cookies with melted chocolate. I like to use a food-safe paintbrush.

My little caroler is ready for his big mouth, red nose and jelly bean hoofs!

Oops! I forgot to get a photo of cutting the jelly beans in half, lengthwise for the hands/hoofs!

 If you have some food color markers, you could write Noel, etc. on the songbook.

I just do not have a steady hand and didn't want to chance it!

'Scuse my mess..crafting in session!

So now, your reindeer are ready for their big singing debut!

And on that note, I'll sing goodnight! 

This Christmas season, I wish you Joy!

Have a sweet day, Karen

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Candy Treats!

  When I say Christmas is my favorite holiday, I mean that I listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies year-round.

Aaannd, as soon as my August birthday has passed, I'm ready for the merriest season of all!

Speaking of merry, Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer song has been around since 1949, but the movie was released the year I was born!

I can still remember watching it on our old, tin-foiled rabbit eared, tv set while Mama and Daddy made Jiffy Pop popcorn and me and my siblings were snuggled up in our flannel PJ's. Oh the memories! *sigh*

There will always be a warm place in my heart for Rudolph!
I hope my sweet candy version will melt yours.

**Remember to remove dragees before eating treats**

 To build our Rudolph, we will be using:

Mounds-snack size

Kit Kats-snack size

Mini pretzels-chocolate covered

Cherry sour balls

Fondant-red

Dragees-silver

Candy eyes

Chocolate candy melts (or chocolate chips)

Jelly Belly Beans-black

Using a sharp knife, cut pretzels and Mounds bars in half.

Roll out fondant and using a fondant cutter (or knife), cut out a scarf. Use the tip end of knife to cut the fringe for the scarf. 

Melt chocolate. Dip just the cut ends of Mounds and the tips of pretzels into melted candy. Gently press into the candy bar and hold for a few seconds.

Attach candy eyes and cherry noses..hehe cherry noses..with melted chocolate.

Time to mount the deer heads.

Hey! Nobody here thinks that's funny!

Attach deer feet (jelly beans) and scarves with the melted candy.

Ohhh! Such an en"deer"ing little face!

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, 
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it, 
You would even say it glows...
Rudolph!
 You'll go down in history!

Thanks for dropping by Sugartown Sweets!

And since we're only halfway through November, I'll just say..
Have a sweet Thanksgiving! Karen

Twix Candy Turkeys

As Thanksgiving sneaks up on me this year, I'm feeling incredibly grateful, thankful and all around blessed!

The same precious grandson that is still healing from his fourth surgery in as many years, has also been called to preach. I love his precious self and his willing heart for God.

Just a few more things I'm thankful for in anticipation of one of my favorite family filled holidays, with a few lines from a beloved song---->

"There's a roof up above me,
I've a good place to sleep,
There's food on my table,
And shoes on my feet,
You gave me your love Lord,
And a fine family,
Thank You Lord, 
For your blessings on me."

I'm also thankful that I get to have fun here @ Sugartown Sweets while you follow along with me!

I Love You All!!

Y'all wanna make a flock of turkeys with me?

So, my hunky hubby brings home this huge bag of fun size Twix. They are a favorite with the grandkids..aaand, since there were so many leftover, what better way to use them than to make turkeys with, am I right?!

Using icing leaves decorations, Airheads, candy eyes, and orange triangle sprinkles along with the Twix candy bars and chocolate chips, we can easily make these fun candy turkeys!

Y'all know that odd little turkey snood thingy?
Well it grosses me out! But not today, 'cause we're using cherry Airheads to make ours. Gobble, gobble!

Just snip off a piece of the candy and roll it between two fingers to form into a teardrop shape.

The chocolate chips are for melting and using as the "glue" to attach all our sweet turkey parts to our turkey body. Hmm..did that sound weird?

 Use a food safe paintbrush to generously add melted chocolate to the top back side of candy bar.  

Flip candy bar over and attach icing leaves. I rested the whole thing on a fork handle until the chocolate completely hardened.

I then attached the remaining candy pieces using the paintbrush and melted chocolate.

Ohh..I'm so cute, and tasty too!

Hey, can somebody pass the gravy please!

I thank you all for waddling over to Sugartown Sweets today
and I wish you a very blessed, sweet & 
Happy Thanksgiving, Karen  :o)

Happy Veterans Day!

Thank you to all our Veterans for your selfless service!

You are loved and appreciated!

Have a sweet day, Karen  :o)

My Turkey in the Straw Cupcakes Video Airing on the Rachael Ray Show!

I can barely believe it myself, but..my Turkey in the Straw Cupcakes are gonna be famous! Well, for 15 minutes at least! *wink*

*EDIT* My video has aired!! 

I'm not sure how long the link will be good, but I am sharing it here!

Click here to see my video as it aired on the Rachael Ray Show!! Did I really just say that?!
Life is sweet!  :o)

Wanna hear my story? Because I really wanna tell you!

I blog about sweet creations because I luvvve it. Nothing is quite so satisfying and just so dang fun as posting a new treat made right here in my candy kitchen, and then seeing someone has taken time out of their own day to comment on it! Squealing inevitably ensues..with a knowing glance and a smile from my su-weeet hubby!

He, along with my family and friends have always been so supportive AND such great cheerleaders.

My big sister, Donna, has gone a step beyond. And I have to say when she told me last year that she had emailed Ree Drummond and Rachael Ray, I groaned inwardly. 

Ya know, like I said, I really love creating and sharing sweet treats with y'all here on my blog. It's a safe zone. It's my zone. You visit me here because you want to. 

But to pester (for want of a better word) these busy, and very successful women, just made me kinda cringe inside. Especially when there are tons of others that are way more talented than I could ever hope to be.

With all that being said, I can not tell you how thrilled and excited I was to be contacted by the Rachael Ray show to make a video of my Thanksgiving cupcakes!

What an awesome opportunity. I only wish I had been more myself and not so nervous. But still, I hope you all can watch!

My (very short) video will air on the Rachael Ray show on Wednesday, November 9th!!

And so, here's a big shout out to my big sister Donna! Thanks D, I love ya!

To see my original post on how to make these Turkey in the Straw cupcakes, click here!

Thank you so much for stopping by Sugartown Sweets! God is better to me than I deserve!

Have a sweet day, Karen  :)