Cherry Winks ;-)

Hello everyone! It's Emily here from Create Serendipity with another yummy Christmas recipe post & packaging idea! I had so much fun baking this week and even more fun making packaging for the goodies!

Here's one idea that I came up with for packaging cookies:

Yep, it's a French Fry box! I got the little cut from my Cricut Cartridge, Art Philosophy, but I've also found the cuts for the box in svg form by searching online. These little boxes are so easy to make and fun to decorate! Just add some ribbon and wrap your cookies in cellophane and stick them in the little box! So cute!

I used the Red Glitz Ribbon and the Jute String Natural from RRR.

Now for the yummy cookie recipe!

Cherry Wink Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
2 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
10 maraschino cherries, quartered

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
-Cream the shortening with the sugar. Blend in the eggs, milk and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chopped pecans, chopped dates and 1/3 cup maraschino cherries.
-Shape teaspoonful sized chunks of dough into balls. Roll each ball in the crushed corn flakes. Place balls on the prepared baking sheets and top each cookie with 1/4 maraschino cherry.
-Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Easy Cupcake Presentation With Blue Hawaii Cupcake Recipe

Hi Everyone!True :D here.Welcome to day 5 of our "Recipe Swap and Food Packaging Week"!
For thoes of you who don't know, I create digital stamps and lately have been doing some fun cupcake wrappers. Bonnie suggested that I feature my wrappers during this special week, so I thought I would show you a very simple way to decorate and present a cupcake.This would be a great little gift for a teacher, mailman, paper boy, or just about anyone!
This is what the gift looks like all prettied up with Double Band Teal Satin/Grosgrain ribbon.

I simply put the cupcake in one of my digital "Snowflake Cupcake Wrappers", dropped it in a clear Dixie cup then down in a clear treat bag. Add a tag from the digi set and the pretty ribbon and you have a cupcake worthy of gift giving!

Here is my digi set.

It is available for instant download for just $2.50!

 I was very excited to see that Wilton makes blue snowflake sprinkles.

I have seen them in almost all stores I have been in lately!

This is what my cupcake looked like after a little taste testing. Mmmmm nummm yummy!

I wanted a blue cupcake to match my wrappers so I went looking for a recipe and found one called Blue Hawaii. While that recipe looks great, I wanted something a little faster so I came up with my own recipe made with a cake mix and added a few extra ingredients.

Here is my version of the Blue Hawaii cupcake.

True's Blue Hawaii Cupcakes

1 White cake mix prepared as directed using the egg white version.

Add the following:

 1 small can of crushed pineapple that has been drained VERY well.

1 cup shredded coconut

1 tsp. coconut extract

2 or 3 drops of blue food coloring

Fold to incorporate added ingredients then bake as directed on package.

Cool, then frost with pre-made Whipped White Frosting then sprinkle with coconut and optional snowflake sprinkles .

Yes, I cheated and took the easy route, but they sure turned out yummy!

Now if you'll excuse me...I have a cupcake to finish!  LOL!

Have a sweet day!

Hugs,

True :D