At most craft and art stores this time of year they have fillable glass or PVC ornaments and this is a simple and elegant ornament for you and your children to make. Fill 1/7 way up with granulated sugar. For buttons and nose you can make them from polymer clay or buttons can be chocolate chips and nose can be a hot tamale candy or something similar. Make sure not to shake and cap it tightly. Hang from a tree and watch the faces of people who come to see it.
Author Archives: Jeffrey Scott Thomas
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- MAPLE FROSTING:
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- Dash salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in water and molasses. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; add to the creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For frosting, in a small bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in maple syrup and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes and pipe a gingerbread man on the top or top it with a cookie gingerbread man. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen.
Candy Pie Banks
Make a favorite sugar cookie recipe (a recipe that makes hard sugar cookies) or you can make this with gingerbread. Cook the cookie in a “whoopie pie” pan. When cookies are done and cooled take two halves and use icing the “glue” them together after you have stuffed the bottom side of this “pie” with Skittles, M&M or similar candies. Pipe on a bow of icing or tie on a ribbon with a bow on top. Would make a great gift or party favor or wouldn’t it be a special treat for the kids for desert?
Cany Cane Flower Floral Pot
What a great way to spruce up a poinsettia or other flower pot inside your home. It is only temporary so it can even be made around a favorite pot in your home right now.
Put a rubber band around the middle (from top to bottom) of the pot. Stick candy canes around under rubber band until you get the look in the picture. Tie a ribbon and then bow around the middle the of the candy canes. For a slightly more permanent design, hot glue the ribbon as you wrap it around the middle of the candy canes over the rubber band. Would make a great gift or decoration for a party, especially this time of year!
Wishes For Everyone For A Perfect Holiday Season
May everyone be surrounded by family, friends, good food and most importantly love this holiday season. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza and a perfect New Year! To America’s soldiers overseas I pray for a safe journey until you get home to your loving families. I want everyone to take a moment and think of someone outside of their normal holiday business – to a child or senior who has little in their life. Give a few presents to make life a little happier and if you can’t do that take some time and visit with someone in a who while you volunteer your time. If you love shopping and have the extra money find someone to “adopt” (Walmart has Senior angles – we adopted three this year). This season means so much than getting – give yourself, your time, and money if you can.
