Holiday Baking and What's Cooking Holiday Recipe Exchange

Well, life has been busy this holiday season and has kept me away from my new blogging habit I am trying to start up here. But what a better way to start back up than to share the holiday baking I have done as well as be a part of a blog event.

So let me start with the What's Cooking Holiday Recipe Exchange event. So here is the general idea of how it worked. We emailed a holiday dessert recipe to the exchange coordinator. She then took on the great feat of mixing all of the recipes up and redistribute to each participant a new recipe for them to try, take pictures of and post. (Thank you Katie for organizing this) This was my first ever blog event and it was a blast to do. Hopefully there will be more of these type of things in my future to challenge my kitchen skills.

The recipe I received from Katie (goodthingscatered.blogspot.com) was a gingerbread cookie. I had never really made a gingerbread cookie before so I was excited to give this one a shot. They turned out awsome, and the In Laws really liked them as well. They were very good with Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee (Spiked of course with our favorite-Vanilla Royalle

Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream icing


Ingredients:
2/3 C Shortening
1 C Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 C Molasses
2 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Ginger

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and molasses. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes (I like to make stars). Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Frosting:
3 C Confectioners' Sugar
1/3 C Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
1/4 tsp Butter Flavoring
3-4 tbsp Milk

Beat sugar, butter and flavorings in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in milk until smooth and thick. Frost cookies (I like to just pipe around the edges or frost 1/2 the cookie. These would also be great dipped in melted white chocolate).


So here is a general look at my Holiday baking this year, this is 4 of the 5 varieties I made this year. The gingerbread cookies above, Sugar cookies, Oreo Truffles, Bourbon Balls (Made with Drambuie instead of Bourbon), and Chai Shortbread.