Painted Christmas Tree Cookies

Festive Christmas Tree Cookies all ready for the holiday table!

I made these cut-out sugar cookies by cutting them freehand, piping with royal icing, letting them dry completely, and painting with green food color mixed with a little vanilla extract. I used Twizzlers Pull N Peel candies and Christmas sprinkles for decorations.

I think they turned out kinda cute!

So sorry to sweet and run!

John 3:16

'til we sweet again, Karen 💗

Riffing on Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

So 20 years ago while America was in the midst of a presidential race, Family Circle magazine held a cookie bake-off between the candidates' wives.

Tipper Gore entered the 2000 contest with her Ginger Snaps, and Laura Bush with her Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies. Laura Bush won! And so did George W. Bush!

Years later after his re-election, these cookies were served at one of the inaugural balls! 

I made them for the first time back in April when "Quarantine 2020" was still kinda new. I was recovering from a broken toe surgery and actually enjoying spending a little more time in the kitchen. I found her recipe and changed it up a tiny bit by subbing out some of the oats and chocolate chips for M&M's. Oh Y'ALL!

These cookies are comfort food at its best and

they are the B0MB!! 

So many yummy goodies in these soft and chewy cookies!

I nearly always have some kind of frozen cookie dough balls ready to bake up some fresh cookies when the urge strikes!

These are ready to bake or freeze.

Hmmm..think I'll bake! 😊

 These are big cookies and you're going to love every single bite!

Cowboy Comfort Cookies Recipe

Adapted from Laura Bush

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter @ room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups M&M's

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

2 cups pecans 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

In large bowl of electric mixer, (i use every bit of my 6 quart bowl) beat butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth.

Gradually beat in sugars until thoroughly combined.

Add in eggs one at a time with vanilla, mixing after each.

Stir in flour just till combined.

Now for the fun add ins! So..add in the chocolate chips, M&M's, oats, coconut and pecans!

Using a large (3 tablespoon) ice cream scoop, scoop and place onto parchment lined baking pan.

I only bake 6 at a time on a half baking sheet with the cookies being spaced about 3 inches apart. Otherwise they may run together.

Bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes or just till edges are lightly browned and centers look slightly underbaked.

They will be delicious even if they're a tad overbaked. Yep!

This recipe makes 46-48 cookies.

For future fresh baked cookies, I scoop the remaining batch of cookie dough and freeze until solid.

I then place frozen dough balls in freezer containers with parchment paper separating layers. When I want a few fresh baked cookies, I thaw for about 15-20 minutes and bake!

You can also bake from frozen by just adding 2-3 minutes to baking time.

Frozen cookie dough will keep in freezer 4-6 weeks.

Yum and Enjoy!  

'til we sweet again, Karen 💗

Football Fudge Sticks

Are You Ready For Some Football..Fudge Sticks?

My sweetheart is watching a game right now and I predict there will be many more to come in the next few months. If your hubby is anything like mine he will be looking for those football game-time snacks and treats. If you need a cute one for your next game day get-together, here is a yummy, fun, and simple one you can put together in a few short minutes.

I used Keebler Fudge Sticks and vanilla frosting to make my footballs. I used a small round tip and filled the icing bag with the frosting.

Simply pipe lines as shown in photo.

And just like that, we have a touchdown...with no unnecessary roughness!🤭

 The fifty yard line is looking pretty sweet so I hope you enjoy your game and your treats!

Thanks for stopping by!

'til we sweet again, Karen💗

Happy New Year Cookies!

I have been blessed with a wonderful year.

My grandbabies, children, and hubby are happy and healthy. So that makes me happy too!

I pray God gives us ALL an amazing new year in 2018!

 We can start with these cookies!
Sweet and sparkly cookies; as any new year treat should be! 😉

Prepare your favorite cookie dough.

Once again, I've used Lila Loa's vanilla cookie recipe. It's so good!

On a lightly floured surface, roll out cookie dough to 1/4 inch and cut out stars.

Bake your stars @375 degrees for 7-9 minutes. I bake mine for nine as I like them a little crispety!

If you like your cookies softer, stop at 7 minutes. 

I used this Wilton molds set for my fondant numbers along with, black and gold sprinkles, canned frosting, and black fondant. You will also need cornstarch, corn syrup, a food safe paintbrush, and a spatula.

 Yes, cornstarch, I missed you so much today. You see, in my absent-mindedness, I used powdered sugar to dust my fondant mold.

I molded my numbers twice and nearly gave up as they were sticking to the mold. You might think I would have realized the problem. I did not. Hence my wonkified numbers.

Remember, bakers, dust your molds with cornstarch!

 We'll add our black sprinkles to our 2018 by painting corn syrup on the numbers first and then shaking on the sprinkles.

What---year---is---it??

To make our beautiful and sparkly gold star cookies, use a spatula to spread the frosting and then shake on those gold sprinkles. Attach numbers to cookies with a dab of frosting to the backs.

Now you have your edible, New Year's Eve party decorations all ready for your hungry guests!

What a great way to start off the New Year!

Hope you have a blessed and sweet one, Karen 😊

Chocolate "Gingerbread" Cookies~Tangled in Christmas Lights!

           

Can we call these gingerbread cookies when they're made with chocolate cookie dough? Yes, we can! Because this is not just any chocolate cookie dough.  It's Georganne's awesome recipe from Lila Loa! She makes some of the most amazing cookies!

Cookie baking and decorating is just one of our Christmas traditions. Choosing new ornaments is another. Every year, at least one of these ornaments will be personalized.

I LOVE this one!

We found it at Personal Creations.

And it is my inspiration for today's post!

To make and decorate these cookies, along with the chocolate cookie dough, I used:

gingerbread man cookie cutters, icing tubes in white, green and black, and candy coated sesame seeds.

I also used Wilton tips #2 and #3 with my Wilton brand icing tube.

 Roll out this delicious, chocolaty cookie dough on a lightly floured surface.

Cut out with cookie cutters and place on parchment lined pan.

Here comes the fun part!
Slice off the inside arms..wait! Where's my Christmas cheer? That should not be fun! hehehe!

 Place and gently press the arms onto the outside shoulders of the chocolate gingerbread peeps.

Next, lift one inside leg and place on top of the other.

Bake cookies @ 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

So here's where it gets tricky for me.

I can not pipe. 

If you feel that you're in the, #cantpipeclub, with me, go ahead and make these anyway. If I can do it, I know you can too!

Whew! Faces done!

Using the green icing, pipe the tangled lines onto cookie.

Now let's decorate with our Christmas lights by placing candy sesame seeds atop the strings.

Aren't these sweet?!

 So I had this tiny little gingerbread cutter..and made a wittle, bitty cookie! 

This is where I used my #2 decorator tip for the mouth. It's okay if you don't get right on the first try. I had to pipe and scrape off the icing more than once!

Kudos and awe to all you wonderfully talented cookie decorators! For me, this is just a *pipe* dream! ha 😜

Wishing you all a Sweet & Merry Christmas, Karen

Happy Birthday Dear ol' Dad. I 💗 You!

Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cookies

So I never thought I would say these words→I killed my KitchenAid!

The old white workhorse had become a much loved and necessary countertop apparatus.

 Arriving on a distant Christmas morning back in '97, she was gifted to me by my sweet hubby. She was beautiful and I could hardly wait to see what she could do! And just as I suspected, she could do anything!

Inspired by our MeMaw (who had passed just two months before), my sister and I began taking the first of four cake decorating courses. Bringing royal icing to our classes was a requirement and it only took making one batch to realize a stand mixer was a must-have.

I loved my first one, but like I said, I killed it. Killed it trying to make my first ever batch of cinnamon rolls. Still scared to try them again just yet..saving that for another day.

 So I walk into the shop the other day and my honey surprises me with a brand new KA! It's bigger, better, stronger and..RED!

What to make? Well, with a pantry brimming with cookie mix-ins and my Mom's fave candy being Butterfingers, I went with Butterfinger cookies. So easy, I just added a bag of Butterfinger chips to my classic Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. I also made a ganache to dip the cookies in and sprinkled with additional chips. These cookies are a winner!

Oh my but don't these look good?!

Beginning with a classic peanut butter cookie dough, we'll add to it a bag of Butterfinger chips.

I used two bags of Butterfinger bits. One for the cookie recipe and one for sprinkling on the finished dipped cookies.

This recipe will make 52 cookies. Umm..53 if you count the yummy cookie dough bite I had to sample! 😉

Out with the old ..to make room for the new.

The first stick of butter. Am I too sentimental?

Creaming, mixing, stirring, adding.

I'm loving the horsepower. Does a mixer even have horsepower?

Since I'm using Butterfingers, I'm shaping them like Butterfingers. Well, kinda anyways.

Bake cookies and cool.

Ghirardelli chips and heavy cream equals ganache!

Heat cream just to a boil, pour over your bowl full of chocolate, let sit a couple of minutes to melt, stir till smooth, lick the spoon!

Let's dip these beauties...mmmmm!

Sprinkle with Butterfinger bits.

Let sit till chocolate sets.

Recipe yields 52-53 dipped cookies!

I have to say, I think next time I'll try making the ganache with semi-sweet chocolate, although my taste-testers liked these just the way they were!

Thanks for stopping by Sugartown Sweets.

Have a sweet day, Karen 😋