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HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup solid shortening (butter flavored preferred)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup solid shortening (butter flavored preferred)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS:
Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl
at medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy.
Cmbine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture,
mixing on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill
1 hour, if desired, for easy rolling. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll half of dough at a time. Roll out dough on lightly floured
surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in
desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Roll leftover
pieces. Sprinkle with coloured decorations or leave plain to
decorate when cool. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes,
or until edges are light brown. (Time will vary with cookie
size.) Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack. Cool
completely before decorating.
Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl
at medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy.
Cmbine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture,
mixing on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill
1 hour, if desired, for easy rolling. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll half of dough at a time. Roll out dough on lightly floured
surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in
desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Roll leftover
pieces. Sprinkle with coloured decorations or leave plain to
decorate when cool. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes,
or until edges are light brown. (Time will vary with cookie
size.) Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack. Cool
completely before decorating.
Yield: about 36 cookies: varies with cookie size
Categories: Cookies, Desserts, Holiday
Categories: Cookies, Desserts, Holiday
FROSTING RECIPE FOR COOKIE DECORATING:
1 pound powdered sugar
2 egg whites (or 5 tablespoons meringue powder if available)
2 egg whites (or 5 tablespoons meringue powder if available)
Combine powdered sugar and egg whites or meringue powder
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment. Set on low speed. Add 1/2 cup water drop by drop.
For a thinner consistency, usually used as foundation, add
more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for
further embellishing. Beat until the mixture holds a
ribbonlike trail on the surface for five seconds when you
raise the paddle.
Makes 6 cups
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment. Set on low speed. Add 1/2 cup water drop by drop.
For a thinner consistency, usually used as foundation, add
more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for
further embellishing. Beat until the mixture holds a
ribbonlike trail on the surface for five seconds when you
raise the paddle.
Makes 6 cups
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things to do with kids for Christmas, Bake cookies. Kids love to help in the kitchen and baking cookies is a wonderful way to spend time together. just keep an eye on them. Once, while helping a friend and her daughter I caught the daughter Licking the frosting spoon then wanting to use that spoon to frost the next cookie. I think I blew it when I said "stop". when I explained why though everyone got a good laugh from it.
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HOLIDAY WREATHS -
Cherry Christmas Wreaths
Cherry Christmas Wreaths
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 16-oz. containers Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting
green food coloring
1 20-oz. can light cherry pie filling
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 16-oz. containers Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting
green food coloring
1 20-oz. can light cherry pie filling
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1. Heat oven to 350º.
2. Grease and flour a 10" tube pan.
3. Prepare, bake and cool cake as package directs for a bundt pan.
4. Split cooled cake into 2 layers. Place each layer on a plate (cut side up) and brush off loose crumbs.
5. Reserve 1 cup frosting. Spread remaining frosting on tops and sides of both cakes.
6. Add food coloring to reserved frosting to tint deep green.
7. Decorate cakes around edges of top (including center top edge) and bottom edges using decorating bag and desired tip.
8. In medium bowl, combine pie filling, cinnamon and extract. Spoon half of cherry mixture on top of each cake between green rings.
2. Grease and flour a 10" tube pan.
3. Prepare, bake and cool cake as package directs for a bundt pan.
4. Split cooled cake into 2 layers. Place each layer on a plate (cut side up) and brush off loose crumbs.
5. Reserve 1 cup frosting. Spread remaining frosting on tops and sides of both cakes.
6. Add food coloring to reserved frosting to tint deep green.
7. Decorate cakes around edges of top (including center top edge) and bottom edges using decorating bag and desired tip.
8. In medium bowl, combine pie filling, cinnamon and extract. Spoon half of cherry mixture on top of each cake between green rings.
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Blue Christmas
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the same dear
if you're not here with me
And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'
That's when those blue memories start callin'
You'll be doing all right
with your Christmas of white,
but I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
You'll be doing all right
with your Christmas of white,
but I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
*******
Craft a Blue-and-Silver Christmas Tabletop Tree
Make this pretty Christmas tabletop tree from a variety of blue and silver crafts supplies.
What You Need: 
What You Need:
- 3 7/8 X 8 7/8-inch foam cone
- Package of 100 long pearl-head straight pins
- Multicolor glitter crafts paint; paintbrush
- 5 silver glittered leaf florist's picks
- 1 teal-color grape cluster florist's pick
- Assorted teal, blue, and silver sequins
- White and teal snowflake-shape foam stickers
- Crafts glue; scissors
- Iridescent star topper
- Clear glass votive cup
How to Make It:
- Paint the cone with the crafts paint and let dry. Cut silver metallic leaves from florist's picks and separate into large, medium, and small sizes. Insert a pearl-head pin into a single large leaf and attach it to the cone at the bottom, placing at a diagonal.
- Continue to place single leaves at an angle to make a row around the bottom of the cone. Arrange subsequent leaves in groups of three, poking a pearl-head pin through each group of three and fanning out to cover as much area on the cone as possible. Use larger groups of leaves at the bottom of the cone, medium-size ones at the center, and the smallest ones toward the top.
- Cut beads from the grape cluster florist's pick. Leave about 1 inch of wire extending from each bead. Insert beads into the cone near the leaf clusters. Continue to fill in spaces
- Glue additional pieces of silver foliage from the florist's picks to fill in any gaps. Insert the star topper into the top of the cone using wire from topper, or glue in place with crafts glue.
- Turn the clear glass votive upside down, spread a thick layer of crafts glue on the bottom, and adhere the decorated tree on top. Let the tree dry.
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Things to do at Christmas time, Get your pets fresh new collars, name tags and leashes. I may have posted this already, but I know my pets love new collars and leashes. Oh. I saw a 5ft leash at Wal-mart today that lights up. A great thing to have if your walking your dog in the dark.. 5 foot is a bit too short for me. especially when walking three dogs but if I only had one dog, it would be great.
*****
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Wassailing through History
by Robert Doares
Rings of orange and lemon afloat, the wassail bowl filled with spiced wine or ale is a tradition that goes back a thousand years and more.
As traditional and familiar as most any English Christmas carol, the song is among the season's more anachronistic, an evocation of a holiday custom that pretty much puzzles modern celebrants: wassailing.
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Billie C.
Celebrate the happiness that friends are
always giving, make every day a holiday
and celebrate just living!
~ Amanda Bradley ~
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