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Gingerbread Men Sugar Cookies

December 15, 2015

Gingerbread Men Cookies-8

It’s time for Christmas cookies!! I am so excited to share some of the Christmas cookies I made this past weekend. I love making decorated cookies every year for the holidays, and gingerbread men are some of my favorite. Until recently, I just used store bought dough, icing, and sprinkles. Now I have graduated to the homemade dough and icing, and much more intricate designs. 

I didn’t use actual gingerbread for these little guys, I used my favorite sugar cookie dough, then iced them with brown royal icing to give the effect they were gingerbread. But, you could make these same cookies with gingerbread and skip the brown icing.

To set your expectations accordingly, these cookies do take at least a couple hours to decorate. However, those few hours are punctuated by long periods of waiting. In total, give yourself about 2 days to make the dough and icing then decorate. My process is spread out over a few more days. I made the dough and baked the cookies earlier in the week, then froze the cookies. On Friday, I iced the first layer and let it dry. On Saturday morning, I finished them off with their faces and scarves, and I was done by lunch. By spreading out all the steps, it makes it feel a lot less time consuming. 

Gingerbread Men

  1. Start by outlining the cookie in light brown flood consistency royal icing. Then fill in the outline with a generous amount of icing. [See my flooding/piping technique in this video or this one]
  2. Using a toothpick or scribe tool, even out the icing. Use the toothpick to push the icing towards the edge of the cookie. Tap the cookie to even out the icing and get rid of any bubbles. 
  3. While the brown icing is still wet, pipe two small dots of pink flood consistency icing to form the cheeks. Let the cookie dry for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 
  4. Once dry, use black piping consistency royal icing to make a smile between the two cheeks. Pipe two small dots for the eyes and three dots down the torso for the buttons (see in picture 5). [Also refer to this guide I put together for making the perfect Christmas cookies]
  5. Use white consistency royal icing and pipe a squiggly line at the base of the arms and feet. Let dry for at least 30 minutes. 
  6. With red (or the color of your choice) flood consistency royal icing, pipe a curved line at the base of the gingerbread mans head. Pipe another line about 1/4″ inch below and two lines on the side to connect the two lines. Fill in the with icing and even out with a toothpick. Let crust, about 30 minutes.
  7. Pipe two more lines over the top of the scarf and down one side of the torso, about the same width apart as the first part of the scarf. Fill in with icing and even out with a toothpick.
  8. To make tassels for the edge of the scarf, pipe a small line of icing at the end of the scarf. Use the toothpick to “pull” threads of icing down at different angles. Then pipe small dots on top of the “threads”. Let dry for at least 2 hours.

Gingerbread Men Cookies-10

I thought they turned out so cute! You could do various styles with the scarves. For some of them, I used a piping consistency icing to make it appear like they were knit scarves or had more texture. 

You could also use icing to make little pants, hats, ear muffs, or whatever pieces of clothing you want. I like the scarves because they are easy. 🙂

Gingerbread Men Cookies-9

/ Filed In: Cookies, Cookies New, Desserts, Eat
Tagged: Christmas, gingerbread men, sugar cookies

The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $20 – For Him

December 11, 2015

Stocking Stuffers for Him

1. Bottle Cap Gun $10 | 2. Oreo Spoon $5 | Whiskey Stones $16 | 4. Bad Ass Socks $10 | 5. Golf Ball Stamp $12 | 6. Wheel of Shots Game $15 | 7. Light Saber Chopsticks $15 | 8. Lego Coffee Mug $10

I have to admit, it is so hard for me to buy Christmas gifts for the guys in my life. But I can buy the heck out of some stocking stuffers for the fellas. My rule of thumb, just buy them anything related to drinking, golf, video games, Star Wars, etc. Or, when in doubt, buy them a random toy.

Which is probably what I will end up filling my husband’s stocking with: that bottle cap gun and the Oreo spoon. They combine some of his favorite things like drinking, being stupid, and eating Oreo’s. 

I will probably get my brother in law the whiskey stones and and the Lego coffee mug. He is getting more into nice whiskeys, so he needs a good set of whiskey stones. And he gets the mug because I think it’s awesome and he’s really the only one that would truly appreciate it. 

My father in law is definitely getting that golf ball stamp. He plays so much golf that he would actually get a lot of use out of it. If you have any golfers in your life, you should consider this for sure!

Then for my dad’s stocking, he gets the Bad Ass socks because he’s a bad ass. Even though I won’t be there in person, I know he will appreciate it. Not only will he love the message, but he’s always eager to learn about new trends and be “hip” so it seems fitting that he should get some fun socks. 

I hope this helps inspire some of your gift giving this year!! I would love to hear of any fun stocking stuffer ideas you may have!

 

 

/ Filed In: Life
Tagged: Christmas, gifts, stocking stuffer

3-D Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

December 9, 2015

3-D-Christmas-Tree-Cookies

I am not totally sure what sparked this little baking project, but just before Thanksgiving I thought to myself that it would be fun to try to make a 3-D cookie. I have seen some cookie cutters that make 3-D animal cookies, like lions that stand on 4 legs – you get the idea. But I wanted to do something more Christmas-y. 

Of course, you can’t just turn any cookie shape into a 3-D cookie, it has to be something that has a wide base and can easily stand on it’s own. Which makes the Christmas tree the perfect cookie shape for this project! 

Christmas Tree Cookies A-1

I started by dying my dough green. The very first attempt (there were 3, total), involved using a plain sugar cooking and icing the cookie. Guess, what, that didn’t work. So instead, I just dyed the cookie green, making the icing much easier!

Christmas Tree Cookies A-2

I then rolled out the cookies to about 1/3″ thickness (I use these rolling pin bands), and cut them into Christmas tree shapes. I moved the cut out dough to a baking sheet then cut out the slots so that I could fit two cookies together. I also cut off the stump of the tree so that the cookie could stand a lot easier. 

Christmas Tree Cookies A-3

To get the slots right, you want to find the center of the cookie, both vertically and horizontally. Use a knife or toothpick to mark the spot. You then want to mark off how wide you want the slot to be, which should be slightly wider than the cookie’s thickness. If the cookie is 1/3″, then the slot should be about 1/2″, or maybe a tad smaller. Use the knife to cut the slot from the center point. For half the cookies, you will cut from the center, down. The other half, from the center, up. 

Christmas Tree Cookies A-4

You can remove the cut piece of dough if you want, but the cookie will expand slightly and you will have to cut it again after it’s baked. I learned after attempt 2 that it was better to just cut out the slot, but leave the dough there and bake the cookie whole. Immediately after the cookies have baked, go back in with a sharp knife and recut the slot and remove the piece of cookie. Make sense? If you look at the picture above, it what I did with the two cookies on the far left. 

Once they have baked, fit the cookies together by placing one cookie perpendicular to the other and sliding together. If some don’t fit, you can use a sharp knife to shave down the edges. 

The just decorate them however you want! I decorated mine two different ways. One was more of a snow covered tree. I painted white royal icing over the tops of the trees and on the tips of each limb. I think sprinkled sugar all over the wet icing to make it look like snow. 

Christmas Tree Cookies B-1

Christmas Tree Cookies B-3

The other was more of a decorated tree. I used royal icing to ice on ornaments, garland, and lights! It was pretty simple, and nothing special. I am sure all of you could make these look super cute! My only advice is do not decorate the center of the cookie that crosses with the other cookie. If you try to put your cookies together once the icing is dry, they won’t fit anymore. 

Christmas Tree Cookies C-1

 

For these cookies, I used my basic sugar cookie dough with a few drops of green, a touch of blue, and a bit of black, to get that dark evergreen tree green. For the icing, I used this recipe. 

I hope you give these a try this holiday season! I think these would be so fun to make with kids! And they just display themselves! 

/ Filed In: Desserts, Eat
Tagged: Christmas, cookies

The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $20 – For Her

December 4, 2015

Stocking Stuffers for Her

1.Coloring Book $10 | 2. Colored Pencils $5 | 3. Philosophy Shower Gel $18 | 4. Ugly Christmas Sweater Socks $10 | 5. Peppermint Bark Coffee $15 | 6. Gold Striped Tumbler $18 | 7. Selfie Stick $14 | 8. Rollerball Perfumes $10 | 9. Invisibobble Hair Tie $8

Stocking stuffers are by far my favorite Christmas gifts to give (and get). They are always a mix of ultra practical (socks, underwear) and extremely random and quirky. Obviously, when giving stocking stuffer gifts, I lean more toward the random and quirky side. 

This year we are spending Christmas with my husband’s family which means I have 5 people to buy stocking stuffers for, including my sister- and mother-in-law.

I have gotten them both an adult coloring book and colored pencils. I have seen these around everywhere and think they are so cool. It’s supposed to be really good for stress, but I just think they are fun. 

I also want to get my mother in law some festive bath soap and coffee since she deserves to be pampered. And my sister-in-law definitely needs some quirky socks and a selfie stick. 

The girls were relatively easy to shop for, but I think the guys will be pretty tricky. So far all I have gotten them are socks. Once I get their stocking situation more flushed out I will share with you some of the things I plan on getting them. 

What are some of your favorite stocking stuffer gift ideas?

 

/ Filed In: Life
Tagged: Christmas, gifts, stocking stuffers

Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookie

November 30, 2015

Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is all of the treats, cookies, and candies that are around all the time. If you hadn’t figured it out already I love just about any cookie, candy, brownie, truffle, etc, so this is probably no surprise. 

To kick off the Christmas cookie making season I wanted to start with something a little different. Oatmeal cookies aren’t always associated with the holidays, but when you add in some green pistachios and red dried cranberries, they take on a much more festive look. 

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies-10

But they don’t just look festive. They taste delicious. The cranberries are tart and chewy. The pistachios are salty and crunchy. And the white chocolate balances them both out with their sweetness. 

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies-3

The recipe is pretty simple. Other than the extras, it starts with your basic oatmeal cookie recipe. If you have a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, you can start with that as the base then add in the chocolate, cranberries, and pistachios. If you don’t have a favorite oatmeal cookie, I highly recommend the one I used below. It makes a delicious, crumbly, soft, with crunchy edges oatmeal cookie. 

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies-9

So if you are looking for a fun alternative for a cookie swap or holiday party, I recommend these cookies! I promise you won’t be disappointed!

[yumprint-recipe id=’85’]

/ Filed In: Cookies, Cookies New, Desserts, Eat
Tagged: Christmas, cookies, cranberry, oatmeal, pistachio

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2013

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season, spending time with the ones you love.

/ Filed In: Life, Uncategorized
Tagged: Christmas

Spiced Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

December 11, 2013

My mom’s recipe for cheesecake has been widely request from friends and family over the years. It is her go-to dessert when she wants to impress. And it’s no surprise, because it is amazing!

This past weekend, when I volunteered to bring a dessert to our friends Christmas party, I knew this cheesecake would be perfect!

Instead of using sugar cookie dough, like my mom, I used gingersnap cookie crumbs for the crust to make it a little more “Christmas-y”. I also added some spices to the batter to compliment the crust.

One new thing I tried was baking the cheesecake in a shallow pan with a little water. This is a trick I learned from Martha Stewart to prevent the cake from cracking on the top, like it is prone to do.

The result is an extra creamy, and a tad bit spicy, cheesecake. And a little bit goes a long way! One small slice is perfectly decadent, so an 8 to 9 inch pan can serve well over 10 people.

Unless you are serving a large crowd of cheesecake lovers, in which case, you may want to make 2.

What is your go-to recipe for the holidays?

/ Filed In: Eat
Tagged: cake, cheesecake, Christmas, dessert, gingersnap, holiday, Winter

White Elephant Gifts

December 10, 2013

1. Sharknado DVD $10, 2. Moose Drink Cozie $16, 3. Toilet Bowl Coffee Mug $10, 4. Like/Dislike Facebook Stamps $10, 5. Handerpants $5, 6. Soap shaped like food $7, 7.  Thumb Wrestling Ring, $7

I love white elephant parties. And, to be clear, I mean the gift exchange parties where people bring the most asinine gifts. Definitely not those gifts that people can actually use. If you are looking for some pretty awesome and totally useless gifts, ThisIsWhyImBroke.com and Amazon are going to be your best bet. You can find just about anything your weird imagination can dream up.

What is the best White Elephant gift you have received or given?

/ Filed In: Life
Tagged: Christmas, gifts, holiday, shopping

Gifts for the Beauty Queen

December 6, 2013

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette $50 / 2. Chi Orbit 3 in 1 Tourmaline Ceramic Curler $100 / 3. Clarisonic Mia Cleansing Device $100 / 4. Sally Hansen Salon Pro Gel Nail Colors $10 / 5. GlamGlow Gift Sexy Set $70 / 6. Beauty Blender Makeup Sponge and Blender Cleanser $25 / 7. Channel Ultra Wear Lip Colour in Light Rose $35 / 8. Forever 21 Makeup Bag $10

I am fairly certain that any girl in your life has a little beauty queen in them. They may not do their makeup or hair every day (I’m guilty of that), but most women do care about their appearances. And it is always really nice to get a friend a little luxury that they may not get themselves. Take for instance, the Naked Palette and the Channel lip gloss. Both are purchases I was hesitant with at first because of the price, but in the end they were definitely worth the extra bucks! I guarantee that both will become staples in any makeup routine. Plus, its nice to say you got someone something from Channel! The Beauty Blender and makeup bag are perfect for anyone and you don’t even need to know anything about their makeup routine! For those looking to get that flawless complexion, then the Clarisonic or the GlamGlow will be right up their alley. I love giving nail polishes as a little stocking stuffer or just that something extra, and gel polishes are very popular right now. If you are willing to spend some extra money on your beauty queen, then the Chi 3-1 curling iron might be the perfect gift. It’s currently on sale at Ulta, and I may just have to get one for myself!

What is the best beauty gift you have gotten?

/ Filed In: Uncategorized
Tagged: beauty, Christmas, gifts, holidays, shopping

Gifts for the Health Nut

December 4, 2013

1. FitBit Force $130 / 2. Nike Studio Wrap $50 / 3. SKLZ Weighted Speed Rope $20 / 4. Garmin Forerunner $130 / 5. Sony Walkman Sports MP3 Player $80 /  6. Grid Foam Roller $70 / 7. $10 / 8. Giada’s Feel Good Food $30
Even if you don’t have a friend that is a full on health nut, there is probably at least one thing above that would appeal to anyone who has a remote interest in fitness. For the runners, the Garmin watch/pedometer/GPS will track distance, calories, steps and the Sony Walkman has the earbuds and MP3 player included in one, compact device so they don’t have to deal with extra wires while running. For the at-home exercisers, the weighted jump rope and resistance bands will add an extra punch to their workout. For the barre-lovers or yogis, the Nike Studio Wraps will give them stylish and practical footwear for their favorite classes. For those that are looking to loose some extra weight in the new year, the FitBit will help them stay on track and Giada’s cookbook will provide them with some healthy meals to keep the pounds off. Then, for everyone, I think a foam roller is the best tool to add to a fitness routine, no matter how mild or intense. It helps relieve sore muscles and promotes flexibility. 
Do you have a health nut in your life? What are you getting them for Christmas?

/ Filed In: Uncategorized
Tagged: Christmas, exercise, fitness, gifts, holidays

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Hey There!

Hey there, I'm Lindsey. I'm a number cruncher by day and a home cook and baker by night. While I love to eat healthy and find fresh and healthy alternatives for my favorite foods, I will never turn down dessert! Life is all about moderation, right?

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