I now get my craft magazine fix via Zinio. No need to go to the magazine stands or carry around bulky magazines. I now bring along craft inspiration wherever I go!
Check out the Kitschy Digitals Holiday Guide for adorable halloween and holiday printables for sewing,stitching, crocheting and gifting(and cute freebies in between).
Happy Monday!
Touted as Santa's favorite cookie, Pfeffernüsse is a traditional German holiday treat that's both delicious and easy to make. Enjoy it with coffee, tea or your favorite holiday drinks.
Pfeffernüssen (German Spice Cookies)
(Recipe from Martha Stewart)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioner's sugar in a brown paper bag.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Place butter, brown sugar and molasses in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture until combined. Pinch off dough in tablespoon amounts and roll into ball.
4. Bake until cookies are golden and firm with slight cracking about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly about 10 minutes. Place cookies in paper bag and shake until cookies are well coated. Store in airtight container.
Handmade Christmas ornament making starts today as there are only 9 weeks to go before Christmas. Come and join me.Let's start sewing and stitching into Christmas!
Would you agree that there's no holiday more playful than Halloween? It brings out the kid and the dark witch in us. ;)
This year I've set up a Nightmare Before Christmas Village (another excuse to get into the Christmas mood albeit early). Using Martha Stewart's Shocking Halloween Silhouette templates I cut out the halloween shapes from black cardboard stock. I think I have succeeded in creating a rather eerie yet fun atmosphere in the house. Now I do look forward to nightfall.
Any fun Halloween project you're making this year?
Perhaps you have seen dessert honey bread being served in Korean cafes. Well, you can enjoy this wonderful delicious treat at home with your favorite cup of coffee!
KOREAN HONEY BREAD
Ingredients:
2 inch thick unsliced white or wheat bread
honey butter
cinnamon sugar
maple syrup or chocolate syrup
peanut butter spread
whipped cream
fruits (cherries, kiwi, strawberry etc)
Directions:
1. Microwave 2 tbsp honey and butter for 20 seconds.
2. Cut 1 inch thick grid-like patterns across the bread. Drizzle top with honey butter mixture until the bread gets well soaked.
3. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
4. Transfer bread to a plate. Spread top with peanut butter. Drizzle with maple or chocolate syrup.
5. Pipe whipped cream rosettes or swirls on top of the bread. Garnish with sliced fruit.
6. Dust with cocoa or confectionery sugar.
7. Enjoy! Happy eating!
Oh my! I've been a very bad blogger. Sorry I haven't posted anything during the month of September. Work got in the way.
Anyway I can't believe it's October already. Halloween and Christmas are just around the corner. This year, I want to bake all the holiday Christmas cookies that I can. Let's start with something totally crisp and comforting, like sugar sprinkled Honey Ginger Snaps cookie. This recipe is adapted from the book Santa's Favorite Cookies: Sweet Treats for the Christmas Season.
Enjoy!
HONEY GINGER SNAPS
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease cookie sheets. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, salt and cloves in medium bowl.
Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar until blended; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in honey, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture until blended.
Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl; roll balls in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.