I can't take credit for these beauties. I got the picture online. I am going to make mine tomorrow!

OH, I love to make these with the kids.  They are easy and smell so wonderful!  Just make sure everyone knows that they are not cookies and they are not edible.  Just ask my brother in law !

To make these ornaments you will need:

Equal parts of cinnamon & applesauce – I suggest 1 cup each for your first time

Mix in a bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture in hands for several minutes to form a ball. If mixture is to dry, add a bit more applesauce. If it’s too wet, add a bit more cinnamon.

Knead ball on cinnamon sprinkled surface until it holds together well. Then, roll out using a rolling pin sprinkled with cinnamon. You can use your favorite cookie cutters, or templates that you’ve drawn yourself to cut out your shapes.  I like the ornaments to be a little bit thick. This helps keep them from breaking over the years.

Place ornaments on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cinnamon. Use a drinking straw to cut out the little circle that you will use to hang your ornament.

Air dry for 24 to 48 hours – turning several times. You can also place the cookie sheet in a very low oven (around 200 degrees), which will help them dry much faster. Remember to turn several times.

When you pack the ornaments away, be sure to cushion them to keep them from breaking. And, if they start to loose their scent over the years, add a drop of cinnamon oil to bring back the wonderful aroma!

Save money and make this a VERY inexpensive project!

- Buy your applesauce in the large can in the bulk section of your super-mart

- Buy your cinnamon in the generic containers from the super-mart or the local discount store. I can usually find larger containers of cinnamon 2 for $1.  It can be found at great prices at a warehouse store like Sam’s too!

Use different materials to hang your ornaments

Try using things such as;
- yarn
- clear fishing line
- ribbon
- raffia
- twine or hemp
- strips of homespun fabric – my favorite, as I buy it at super-mart for $1 pr yard!

Different ways to use your ornaments

1. Decorate a small Christmas tree using only these ornaments, then as your guests leave, take an ornament off and give it to them as a little gift.

2. Use as gifts for teachers, the postman, your hairdresser, or any other person that you need to give a little special something to.

3. Use them as a gift tag or package decoration by using paint to write the person’s name on the ornament.

4. Do you make baked goods or jar mixes as gifts? If you do, add one of your ornaments to the jar or package by using a strip of homespun fabric to tie it on.

5. Use your ornaments to make a beautiful garland!

6. Add to a wooden bowl of things such as; potpourri, rusty bells, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, apple rings, and dried orange slices.

7. You can add extra touches to your ornaments with acrylic paints, or glitter.

I am writing this post rather quickly.  We are getting ready to head out of the house for a couple days, but I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging.

Part of my cookie baking marathon was these, my absolute favorite cookie EVER!, Poppy Seed Rolls.  I know, they don’t sound like a cookie, but they are.  I could make my-self sick eating too many of these.  They are that good.  This is my first year really perfecting the recipe.  My mom and Grandma make them all the time.  It took me a while to get the hang of it.  Not because it is difficult, it is one of those family recipes that never gets all the tricks written down.  Well, I am writing it down and sharing it with you.

Sorry there aren’t more pictures.  I had a huge mess in my kitchen! That is what happens when you multi-task and try to make 4 different kinds of cookies at once.  Needless to say.  My cookie recipes for the next couple days will not have a ton of pictures.

• 6 Cups Flour
• 1/2 lb Butter
• 3 eggs
• 1tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 2 pkgs yeast
• 1-2 cans of Poppy Seed Filling (Found on isle with chocolate chips)

• Dissolve Yeast in warm milk.
• Mix together the rest of the ingredients, except for the filling.
• Add milk mixture.
• Refrigerate dough over night or for at-least 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 6-8 equal parts.
• Lightly flour the counter, you can use sugar instead.
• Roll out the dough into a circle about 10 inches across.
• Spread Poppy seed filling thinly across dough.  Leave about an inch around the outside.
• Cut like a pie with a pizza roller.  I cut mine into about 12 pieces.  Roll inward.
• Place each roll onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for between 20 -30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6-8 dozen depending on size.

I have been busy making a huge mess this weekend.  I have been baking cookies.  I did not get as many done as I had hoped, but that is the way it goes with 4 taste testers in the house.  Meals still needed to be cooked, laundry still needed to be done, and I was trying to bake cookies.

I did get a few different kinds done and the recipes will be up different days this week.  I am really trying hard to balance family, school, myself, and the blog.  With the holidays in full swing you will have to forgive me if the blog takes a back seat some days.  I will be re-posting old meal deals for the next couple weeks.  They will still be delicious and great ideas for those of you that missed them the first time around.  I will be posting more cookie recipes, and a couple of fun craft ideas.

I will try to stay on top of the best deals I see for the holidays, and of course bring you the coupons and the sales as they roll in.  I am going to limit my posting to first thing in the morning and late at night.  This is when you will find the “fresh” deals and recipes.

This recipe today is so moist and yummy! It is for Orange cookies.  These are a soft cake like cookie that you ice while warm.  They are simply to die for!  This is another large recipe.  It will make about 6 dozen!  It is super easy.  The most time consuming part is grating the oranges for the zest, and that only takes a couple minutes.

Orange Cookies
Printable Version HERE

• 1 Cup Butter (softened)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
  
• 3 oranges (grated and juiced)
• 6 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Grate orange rinds to get zest.  You will want the zest of all 3 oranges.  After you have grated cut open and juice the oranges.
3. Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs, juice and grated rind of oranges. Mix thoroughly.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
5. In a small bowl, mix together milk and vinegar or use buttermilk.
6. Alternate adding milk and dry ingredients to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 15 minute or until light brown.  Ice cookies while warm

Icing

• 16oz powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• juice and rind of 1 orange

Whisk together to make icing for orange cookies.  Drizzle over cookies, or dip cookies into icing while still warm.

Recipe makes 6 dozen cookies!

I feel as though I need to make it up to you guys for flaking on Snackurday! If there was ever an apology gift, this is it!  Five Minute Fudge!  Oh Yes! You read correctly! No need to go get that prescription checked!  You can have homemade fudge in just 5 minutes!

What an impression you will make this holiday season offering your guests homemade fudge! This is super to give by itself or with your cookies for a Christmas Gift!  I personally don’t think any kitchen should be without fudge!  Maybe that is why I was on the exercise bike earlier! Hmmm…..I will worry about that later!

I am not counting calories right now, I am making another delicious holiday treat!

Five Minute Fudge
Printable Version Here

• (1) 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
• 6 to 8 oz Peanut Butter Chips
• 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Line a Square Baking dish with wax paper.
   
2. In a saucepan melt chips and condensed milk together over medium heat stirring constantly.
3. After Chocolate, peanut butter, and milk have melted together; remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Pour mixture into wax paper lined pan and allow to cool completely.
5. Cut into squares and serve
   

   You will thank me for the wax paper!

   

   Santa's not getting cookies this year!

Options

I was lucky enough to get a guest post on Once A Month Mom!  I don’t know if any of you read her blog, but it is great!

I did I post all about Homemade Holiday Gifts, and there is a recipe for Homemade Cocoa Mix!

GO HERE to see my post, and I will put the recipe for the Cocoa mix on the recipe tab!

Cute gifts I made to give this year!

]]> http://afewshortcuts.com/2009/12/my-first-guest-post-once-a-month-mom/feed/ 0 http://afewshortcuts.com/2009/11/snackurday-grandmas-waffle-cookies/ http://afewshortcuts.com/2009/11/snackurday-grandmas-waffle-cookies/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:48:25 +0000 Amanda @ A Few Short Cuts http://afewshortcuts.com/?p=2141

I now bake enough for and army every year.  I give a lot of it away, and eat more than I should.  Hey, It’s just once a year!

Now, my Waffle Cookie Recipe.  These are so yummy!  Don’t ask how many calories we are looking at here, because I don’t want to know.   I really have no clue.  This recipe make a gazillion cookies!  Seriously!  That is a number…a gazillion.  It is huge!  You can cut it in half!  They also freeze really well!  Great for putting in a gallon ziploc in the back of the Freezer and finding them in February!  What a nice surprise.

Shhh…..don’t tell anybody, but you can also dip them in melted chocolate….dark or white!  So good!  These are great with a cup of coffee or cocoa, or just by themselves.  Oh, and you need a waffle iron to make them.   You guys will have to tell me what you think of my Grandma’s Waffle Cookies!

Grandma’s Waffle Cookies
Printable Version Here

• 8 eggs
• 1 lb Butter or Margarine
• 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• about 9 Cups of flour

Directions

Plug in Waffle Iron to preheat.

Melt Butter.  Mix with the sugars until well blended.

Add eggs and vanilla, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add salt, baking soda, and enough flour to make dough stiff (about 9 cups give or take.)
It all depends on where you live and the humidity.  I used 9 1/4 cups today in Florida!

Roll into walnut size balls and place in waffle iron about 2 minutes or until done.  I used my handy cookie scoop!  Much faster.

This is a great job for an older child! Because….It is time consuming.

This is only about half of the cookies...minus what we already ate!

For Dairy Free just use Dairy Free Margarine or Crisco instead of butter.

It's Pie Time!

As promised here is the GFCF Pumpkin Pie recipe.  Ok, so it’s after midnight, but it’s up!  I found the Pie Crust Recipe online.  It is very easy and seems to have made a nice crust.

**Disclaimer** I don’t do crusts.  I love to bake.  I am just not good at crusts.  Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know.  I am the lady who always buys a frozen pie crust.

After making my disclaimer this pie crust was no different.  I wish it was prettier, but this is what you get from the lady who isn’t good with pie crusts.

Now, for the filling.  I used my family’s recipe.  I just used canned coconut milk in place of canned evaporated milk.  If you would like to make this Pumpkin Pie filling regular just use 2 cans evaporated milk instead.

The filling recipe will make to standard pies (not deep dish).  So, keep that in mind.  It smells delicious! I have not cut it yet because it is midnight and it just came out of the oven.  I will update tomorrow on how it tastes, but so far so good!

GFCF Pumpkin Pie

Printable Version Here

Pie Crust (enough for 2 pies)

• 2- 1/2 Cups All Purpose Baking Mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cups Butter flavored Crisco
• 4-6 Tbsp Ice cold water

1. 1. Mix together baking mix, salt, and Crisco in food processor. You can also cut them together with a fork.  Mix will be crumbly.
   2. Slowly add water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together in a ball.
   3. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour until cold.
   4. Sprinkle a little more Baking Mix on the counter and roll dough into a circle.
   5. Place in pie pan and trim to fit pan.

Pumpkin Pie Filling (enough for 2 regular pie pans)

• 6 beaten eggs
• (1) 15oz can of pumpkin
• 1- 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• (1) 13.5 oz can of coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 Degrees.
2. In a large bowl beat 6 eggs.
3. Add 1 can of Pumpkin.
4. Mix in the sugar, salt and Pumpkin Pie Spice.
5. Add the can of coconut milk.
6. Fill the pie crust with filling
7. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Then turn heat down to 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
8. You may need to cover crust with aluminum foil to keep from burning.
9. Cool completely before serving.  Refrigerate unused portion.

Friday evening and here I sit with not one cookie in the house.   I made an entire batch of the Best Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies yesterday.

Did I give them away? NO
Did I freeze them?  NO

We ate them.  Me and my crew ate an entire batch!  Ridiculous!  They are so good though! Especially when the are warm and gooey right out of the oven!  I mean, oatmeal and raisin.  They are healthy? Right?  At least, that is how I am getting through the day!

Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Ever

Printable Version Here

• ½ lb (2 sticks) margarine or butter, Softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 cups Uncooked Oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Beat together Margarine and sugars until creamy.
Add Eggs and Vanilla; Beat well.
Add Combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
Stir in oats, and raisins; mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack

Makes about 4 dozen…depending on size.

If you have a Cookie recipe you would love to share with us check out the Cookie Swap!

I have been brain storming great Holiday Ideas to bring to you guys.  I thought how neat to be able to do a cookie swap with all of my readers.  Then we come to the problem of we are scattered all over God’s green earth.   What’s the next best thing?  An online cookie swap!

What is a cookie swap?  Well, thanks for asking.  A cookie swap is where you invite friends or family over and tell them to bake and bring several batches of one type of cookie.  Everyone makes something different.  Each person then gets to take home a ton of different desserts with very little effort!

Where to get started?

Make a guest list!

Give your guests lots of notice (about a month).  Now would be a great time to start planning!  That way they can fit cookie prep into their schedules.  When the RSVP they will need to let you know what type of goodie they’ll bring.  That way you won’t end up with 5 different types of gingersnaps.   Ask your bakers to print copies of their recipes to share as well. If you are going to invite 12 ladies ask them each to make 12 dozen cookies.  That way everyone gets a dozen of each variety.

Fresh is Best!

With the invite you should place tips for fresh cookies!

• Cool Treats completely before packing.
• Store in Self-sealing bags, tins, or containers.
• Separate the soft and crisp varieties.
• Slip an apple wedge in with chewy treats to boost freshness (replace daily).
• Most cookies keep at room temp for 1-2 weeks or frozen for a few months.

Get Organized

Find plenty of serving plates, dishes, bowls and more.  Get creative.  Cupcake liners are great for tiny treats.  Check out yard sales, and good will for great platters and old plates for next to nothing.   Don’t forget to supply plenty of plastic wrap and aluminum foil to help guest wrap up their treats to take home.

Have Fun

Remember to have fun.  Play Christmas music, share holiday stories, make cocoa, and just gab with the girls!  Holidays are for friends and family to get together and enjoy each others company.  To reflect on the year that passed, and on what we would like to accomplish in the year to come.

A Few Short Cuts Cookie Swap

Since we are all spread out I want to share our cookie recipes here!  If you have a great post you would like to share use the linky below.   If you would like to share a recipe but don’t have a blog, email me!  I will be happy to post it for you! I can’t wait to see ya’lls’ great recipes!

I am so excited to bring you the first of many Holiday Baking Recipes!  It is going to be a Holiday Baking Bonanza!  Over the next few weeks I will bring you tons of great Holiday recipes!  Cakes, Cookies, Candies, Pies, Gifts, and more!

I will do my best to make as many of them as possible allergy friendly.   Please realize that this may not be possible for some recipes.   I will try to offer 2 versions! Original…and GFCF  if possible.  Everyone deserves Holiday Treats!

This first one is a decoy.  It is the quick, easy, delicious cookie you make for everyone, so that they don’t eat the goodies you are wanting to freeze or give away for the holidays!  Don’t worry!  They won’t mind because they are mouth watering, soft, yummy sugar cookies.

These are great to give as well.  This recipe just doesn’t make a ton of cookies, but you could double it!  You should end up with about 21 cookies.

I love this recipe because it is so quick to make!  Great for movie nights, or any time you want a quick homemade snack.  These taste way better than the slice and bake ones from the grocery store.  Everyone will be so impressed!

Drop Sugar Cookies

Printable Version Here

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

  .

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small bowl combine all the dry ingredients.

In the mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (This will take a few minutes on high)

Beat in egg and vanilla until blended.

Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture just until combined, scraping the bowl with a spatula.

Drop dough by heaping teaspoons, 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes or until just brown around the edges.

Cool and serve!

Makes about 21 cookies depending on the size.

**If you would like to make these GFCF I recommend using butter flavored Crisco, and a All purpose GF baking mix instead of the flour.  Don’t forget 1 tsp xanthum gum!