Mini Cherry Pies in a Jar

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The 11th Day of Bloggy Christmas!

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On the 12th Day of Bloggy Christmas Miss Nichi gave to me Dipped Oreo Reindeer Cookies!

I'm so excited to be a part of of the 12 Days of Bloggy Christmas.  Thanks to Krista at A Handful of Everything for the invite and all of the wonderful blogs that have contributed.  Today, "on the 12th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me".....Dipped Oreo Reindeer Cookies.

These little cookies are my newest creation for our Christmas gatherings.  They are almost too cute to eat.  Made with love, they will be a new family tradition year after year. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 package chocolate almond bark (or any other chocolate that you prefer)
Oreo cookies
candy eyes (I used Wilton's candy eyes)
small pretzels
red M&M's

Directions:

Melt bark or chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments until stirred smooth.  

Dip Oreos until covered.  Lay on waxed or parchment paper.

Add pretzels for antlers, candy eyes, and M&M for nose.  Let dry completely.

Source:  Mandatory Mooch original

Don't miss my Tasty Thursdays linky party.  It goes live at 5pm Central time on Wednesdays.

I like linking my posts to THESE GREAT PARTIES!!!! 

Please stop on over to say hi!!

Thanks ~ Nichi

The 1st Day of Bloggy Christmas!

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On the 1st Day of Bloggy Christmas Miss Joy gave to me Cornmeal Stars with Orange Glaze

I am so happy to be participating in A Handful of Everything's 12 Days of Bloggy Christmas! It runs from December 1st through 12th, and then wraps up with a cookie link party (The Baker's Dozen Christmas Cookie Exchange) on Friday, Dec. 13th! A lovely cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread, the taste of these Cornmeal Stars reminds me of a sweet scone. The cornmeal gives an enjoyable, slightly chewy texture- a bit of a rustic touch. The sweetness and orange flavor are nicely subtle in the cookies themselves, then increase with the addition of the glaze. I preferred the cookies plain, and my husband enjoyed the glazed ones- so I prepared some of each. While baking, these little stars fill your home with sweet smells of orange, butter, and vanilla. They will be a delicious addition to your holiday celebrations.

Cornmeal Stars with Orange Glaze  Printable Recipe Makes 58, 3 1/2" cookies Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 egg whites 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons orange zest, divided use 5 tablespoons orange juice, divided use 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions: 1. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. On low, beat egg whites into butter mixture, just until blended. Still on low, add egg yolk, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons orange zest, 2 tablespoons orange juice and vanilla to butter/egg white mixture, beating just until blended. 2. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture in three parts, beating just until blended after each addition.  3. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Flatten dough into discs and refrigerate for 8 hours or freeze for 1/2 hour. Dough is very soft and must be chilled before handling. 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out one portion of dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters and place cut outs on parchment lined cookie sheets (or roll dough directly onto parchment paper, cut out cookies and remove trimmings. Place parchment paper onto cookie sheet and bake). Re-roll trimmings for additional cookies. Keep dough refrigerated between rollings. 5. Bake for about 10 to 11 minutes or until just starting to brown. Cool cookies on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove cookies to wire racks until completely cooled. 6. For orange glaze/frosting, combine remaining 1/2 tablespoon zest, remaining 3 tablespoons orange juice, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl, whisking until smooth. (Add a little more sugar to make the frosting thicker, if you like, or add a few drops of orange juice if you'd like it to be thinner). Spread topping on stars. Place cookies on wire racks until topping is set, about half an hour or so, depending on how thick it is. 

Cooks notes: The original source showed the cookies with frosting. Following the recipe exactly, mine made more of a glaze, which we ended up really liking- it's a little lighter, and you can see the pretty flecks of zest.

Merry Christmas!

*Recipe from Simply Sweet Best Christmas Cookies and More magazine, 2013

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Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

I have never been a big fan of store bought icing and I was so grateful to my Mother-in-Law for showing me how easy it is to make your own.  Since then I have experimented with several different kinds of frosting and I made this one to complement my Pumpkin cupcakes.  It is the perfect addition to the wonderful spicy flavors of fall!  Tell me what you think :)

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp milk

In a mixing bowl add the butter, cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar.  

 Beat with an electric mixer until blended.  Add in the brown sugar, another cup of powdered sugar, the vanilla extract, and 1-2 Tbsp of milk.  

Beat with the mixer until well blended.  Add another cup of powdered sugar and beat.  Then repeat with the remaining sugar.  Beat an additional minute until the frosting is fluffy and all of the sugar is incorporated.