Snowman Donuts

I thought this would be a such a cute neighbor gift or FHE treat. They just make me smile! Idea found on creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com

Cookie Dough Jar

I love this idea from creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com

Instead of taking over a plate of cookies... take a cute jar full of your favorite cookie dough. This way the recepient can bake at her leisure. Make sure to include baking directions. Cute jars can be found in the kitchen section at Wal-Mart for $2.86. Other fun ideas would be to do sugar cookie dough and attach a cookie cutter. Or fill a shaker jar with fun sprinkles and attach a recipe.

I'm totally doing this for Christmas neighbor gifts...I love it! This is the perfect cookie dough to use!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever

2 cups butter, softened (yes, you read correctly that's 4 sticks)

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. almond extract

5 1/2 cups flour

2 t. salt

2 t. baking soda

small pkg French Vanilla instant pudding straight from the box

2 pkg chocolate chips (you could use m&m baking bits or the holiday colored choc. chips)

Basic cookie directions...Cream butter & sugars. Add eggs & extracts. Mix dry ingredients together. Slowly pour dry into wet. Stir in chips. Oven 350 for 10-12 minutes. I experimented and liked them at the 10 minute mark over the 11 or 12, slightly more doughy looking tastes better I'd say.

Thanks Jamie for your awesome recipe!

Halloween Treat "Hand" bags

I got this super fun idea from creativeholidgiftideas.blogspot.com..I think it originates on Family Fun's website. This would be so fun for a Halloween party at school or home. I'm definitely going to try it.

Here is what you need:

clear, plastic food handlers gloves (I found mine at the Dollar Store)

Candy Corn

Popcorn

Twist ties

Take the candy corn and put one in the finger of each glove. Then fill up each glove with the cooled popcorn, and really stuff it in there.Then twist the hand closed with your twist tie. You are done! The kids loved them and they are sort of spooky too! I will warn you, that it took me about an hour to fill about 15 bags, the popcorn was kind of hard to stuff into the fingers

Mini Carmel Apples

I found this recipe on the Family Fun website and it's a super cute idea! I made these yesterday for my visiting teaching ladies!

{the pics and recipe comes from} Family Fun

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
4-inch lollipop sticks
Melon baller
Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)
Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)
Small paper candy cups



1. First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry.


2. Melt the chips according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.

Peppermint Truffle Cake

Peppermint Truffle Cake

{from} creative holiday gift ideas

Filling
1 (6-oz.) package (or 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips.
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
(not evaporated milk – you want the sweet, sticky stuff)
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Cake
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1 (8-oz.) container nonfat sour cream (you can use the fat kind, too)
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Icing
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
6 hard peppermint candies, finely crushed
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (or bundt pan). (Pam with Flour makes this sooo easy.) In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 to 20 seconds. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat with electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Spoon into greased and floured pan. Drop spoonfuls of filling over batter, keeping filling away from sides of pan.
3. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted ner center comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. (Center of cake may sink slightly during cooling.)
4. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the milk; beat with wire whisk until smooth, adding additional milk until of desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Store in refrigerator.

HIGH ALTITUDE (ABOVE 3500 FT):
For cake, add 2 tablespoons flour to dry cake mix. Decrease oil to 2 tablespoons and increase eggs to 4.
Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Crockpot NUT CLUSTERS

Chocolate Nut Clusters 32 oz. jar of unsalted peanuts
8 oz (2, 4-oz bars) of German sweet chocolate
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
24 oz chocolate almond bark (confectioners coating)
Put in the crock pot in the order listed; cook on Low 2-3 hours. Stir and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. They will harden without putting in the refrigerator.
Number of servings: 70 pieces

Homemade ice cream toppings

Hot fudge
1/2 cube butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar1
/8 cup flour
1 can regular evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
Melt butter, add dry ingredients, mix, add milk, mix well with whisk, boil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Crunchy Ice Cream Topping (my favorite part of apple crisp)
4 cups oat
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter (cut into small cubes)
Mix all ingredients on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Christmas Potpourri

I got this fun idea and pic from creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com

This Christmas potpourri fills your house with a delicious holiday aroma.
You will need: Fresh oranges, lemons and limes, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks (I got my spices in bulk and it saved me a ton of $). I got my cellophane bags at Michaels and you could atttach any sort of tag you wanted.

I typed up these directions on the back of my tag:
Christmas Potpourri
1. Place ingredients in pot.
2. Fill Pot with water, covering potpourri mix.
3. Bring to a boil and turn down to low.
4. Let simmer & continute to add water as needed.
* potpourri will last approx. one week.
These can be used as visiting teaching gifts or little party favors etc. I think I spent around $14 to do approx. 40 bags. They are always a hit! Hope you enjoy!

Easter Smores

Easter smores

Thanks to creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com for this fun idea and pic

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 quart jar.
3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.
4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.
6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.
Changes made to original: M&M's first, then Peeps, then put combined brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in baggie. I didn't like how the crumbs made a mess in the jar.
Attach a gift tag giving the following instructions:

(link to a cute tag here)

1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.(Makes 9 to 12 bars.)

*Option - leave bunnies whole; combine remaining ingredients and place the bunnies on top; then bake as directed.

*This gift jar may be created to suit any holiday for which marshmallow candies are available.

Pretzel Hugs

Thanks Becky Higgins for the recipe and picture of these cute pretzel hugs

These are great for neighbor gifts...
1 bag pretzels
1 pkg. M&Ms
1 pkg. Hershey "Hugs"
Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Hug on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Hugs to melt). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving. At room temperature, this takes SEVERAL hours. I would recommend making these the day before you plan on eating/delivering. Or you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process