bake it, gift it: snowball cookie recipe

Yesterday I posted my "make it, gift it" DIY button rings that I made for a Holiday Gift Swap. Today I am sharing my recipe for the The Great Food Blogger's Cookie Swap from Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen.

I wanted to make a family recipe, one given to my grandmother from her friend and my mother's godmother. This recipe goes by many names, but the one most appropriate for the season is Snowballs. They are also called Viennese Crescents when shaped slightly differently and Mexican Wedding Cookies when made with vanilla in place of the almond extract. I think the almond gives them a great not-too-sweet flavor. 

[The dough]

It's important to note that the dough is very very crumbly. You will be forming these with your hand and have to really squish the dough together. I was taking a fistful of crumbly dough to end up with the cookies you see below.

[Before baking]

[Cookies just out of the oven]

Snowballs
½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. almond extract 

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup blanched slivered almonds, ground

Mix all ingredients together.  Shape into small balls, about 2-4 bites per cookie. These do not rise or change shape, so you can fit about 20 on a baking sheet.  Bake at 325 degrees on greased cookie sheet for 20-22 minutes.  When mostly cooled, roll in conf. sugar before serving. 

Yield:18 cookies

Recipe is easily doubled. Cookie size can also be reduced, decrease baking time accordingly.  

[Ready to coat in powdered sugar]

[All done!]

make it, gift it: DIY button ring

[Vintage button collection]

A few weeks ago I posted my excitement about participating in the Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap and the Holiday Gift Swap, both organized by some awesome bloggers. The deadline for mailing out treats for both was recently and I wanted to share what I created. Today I have a diy instructional for my gift- button rings.

I knew I wanted to make jewelry and making rings from vintage jewelry and buttons is an easy diy that anyone can do. To start, you need one or more buttons (or other bauble such as a rough gemstone, cocktail earring piece, etc) and a ring blank. Ring blanks are available at craft and bead stores.  

[I decided to create a layered look with the large tortoise shell buttons and various small gold and colored buttons.]

[You'll have to remove the back of the button if it doesn't lay flat. Use pliers and just work it back and forth.]

[Use E-600 glue (from a hardware store) to secure the ring blank to the button. I added a strip of fabric, also glued down with E600 to add stability. If your ring blank has a large flat surface then this is not needed, but if your ring is only circular, like mine, then it is helpful. ]

[Your ring is ready! Here is what they looked like before being mailed.]

 

[I added fun bows to the packaging, just because I love gifts.]

Thank you so much Freshly Picked for putting together this awesome showcase of crafters! Over the past week, I've received adorable notecards, holiday coasters, and a necklace from a repurposed tie. I'm looking forward to the last few arrivals and to sharing my Great Cookie Swap recipe with you tomorrow.

how to: make a sparkly wreath in 2 minutes

And for basically $0.

Okay, definitely less than $2.

I started getting warm and fuzzy Christmas feelings, oh, a month ago. This was bad since I have a strict no carols/decorating until after Thanksgiving policy. It is now after Thanksgiving. But unlike my friend Lara and her amazing trove of Christmas treasures, I have no decorations. This is my first Christmas away from home where a) I am not in college or b) my roommates are not (undergrads) in college.

Nonetheless, I am inspired to start decorating. And today I made a wreath practically for free. How? First I started with a set of silver cupcake liners. These come with a silver liner and a white liner inside. At first, I thought, "how ridiculous!" Then I thought, "wonder if that's metal's toxic? yay for white liners!" So to make this wreath, in three easy steps.

Step one: gather your silver liners (before or after use; I went with after.) The number you use changes the size of your wreath, I used 13.

Step two: take one liner and flatten it.

Step three: Assemble in a circle and tape on the back. I just used Scotch tape. Use liberally, it won't be showing.

Okay, I guess there sort of is a step four.
Step four: Hang your wreath!

holiday sale! use coupon code "thanks"

recipe: my mother's pumpkin muffins

As soon I saw canned pumpkin in the store, I swooped up several cans, thinking not of pie but of my mother's delicious pumpkin muffins. They are perfect for enjoying a taste of fall all through Thanksgiving and even up to Christmas. Bake regular muffins for yourself or miniature muffins to take as treats to coworkers, friends and family.

Pumpkin Muffins
Dry ingredients:

1 2/3 cup flour

1 ½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Optional: 1/3 cup raisins or walnuts

Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup water

2 eggs

1 generous cup canned pumpkin

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add dry until blended.

Bake in greased muffin tins (or with liners) at 350 until golden brown. My mother’s recipe says 35 but she told me to check earlier. I took them out at 30 minutes, but they could have even used about two minutes less. For miniature muffins, bake 15 min.

Makes about 18 muffins. I made a dozen regular and a dozen minis. 

*I didn't have pumpkin pie spice, but figured I could google a substitute. I used this one. 

happy halloween

[From Brain Pickings]

Do you have Halloween plans tonight? I have a bag of candy and am hoping from some tiny witches- and vampires, baseball players, puppy dogs and princesses- to come by my door.

sharing the holiday spirit with blog swaps

I'm very excited to be participating in two internet swaps- a Holiday Gift Swap and the Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap. You don't have to be a professional crafter or baker to participate so sign up!

The Holiday Gift Swap is open for sign ups through Friday, November 4th. You'll make five items to send out to five participants (on November 7) and you'll get five goodies to keep or give as holiday gifts. The goal is to simplify your holiday shopping while allowing you to give homemade artisan goods to your loved ones. The Great Cookie Swap is similar, but you send and receive three batches of a dozen cookies. Sign up by Friday, November 18 and send your cookies out by December 5th.

Which swap do you want to be part of?