Lisa’s Handmade Cards

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 white chocolate chips

Combined first 8 ingredients and mix. Blend in remaining ingredients. Shape and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

I get the most compliments from these cookies! You won’t be disappointed!

Here are a few pics of my gingerbread house this year complete with Mike & Ike stairs and Pull n’ Peel wreath. I should have taken some pics of my sisters houses. I try to make mine look like an ordinary gingerbread house and they do crazy things like gummy bears jumping into the house through the sunroof landing on the orphan’s. Click HERE for the recipe.

A Christmas tradition for my family is making gingerbread men/houses every year. (We will be making the houses in a few days and I’ll post them.) One year when I was away to school I made these little guys for my roommates (all 13 of them) and the group of guys we hung out with. I decorated them with frosting of all colors and made them to look like the receiver- big project but tons of fun. Today I just shaped and baked.

Here is the recipe. We triple it for the houses and then cut them out.

Gingerbread Men

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Combined. Shape a ball for the head and two “snakes” for the legs and arms then bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Side Note: My husband hates that I center the text so I’m going to try it his way for a little while.

I started on multiple projects today. I stamped a bunch of images and I almost finished a case for my camera. Why have a lame-o black case when you can have a cool colorful one?!? I just have to get some fabric glue and it will be finished and ready to post.

I also made some super yummy pumpkin bread today. I tried a new receipe I found at Skip to My Lou that I’ve been wanting to try ever since I read about it. This new receipe will be replacing all others I’ve ever tried. I also will be trying any other receipes she posts in the future. We’ve already ate a loaf and a half (it yields 3).

I’ll be posting more tomorrow!

Sorry that it’s been awhile. I wish there was more time in the day for crafts. I made one of my favorite cookies for my sis-in-law Meghan today, pumpkin walnut. That are soft and super fab. I thought since cooking is another thing I love that I’d share the recipe.

PUMPKIN-WALNUT COOKIES

Yields 3 dozen

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
walnut pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until creamy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix well.  Continue beating on low while adding the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Hand stir in the walnuts. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Combine all frosting ingredients (except walnuts) and beat on low. Garnish with walnut pieces.

I hope you love them as much as we do! I do have my Thanksgiving turkey layout done but don’t have the time to post it at the moment. It will be up soon! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!