I think Gingerbread Houses are so pretty and festive. I simply can't resist picking up a kit every Christmas. While they do make for a fun craft project, they aren't exactly tasty. So I want to show you how to make this Holiday favorite into a delicious cake! 

You will need:
-1 box of cake mix (I used spiced cake mix)
-white frosting
-chocolate frosting
-Graham crackers
-Golden Grahams cereal
-Assorted candies and sprinkles for decorating

First, bake your cake in a cake pan and allow it to cool completely. Then slice the cake into 4 even squares. 
Stack the squares with chocolate frosting in between each layer. The first carve a peak with the top two layers of cake to form your roof. Then cover the entire cake with chocolate frosting. 

Then cover the sides with graham crackers. Cover the roof with the golden grahams cereal as the shingles of your house. Then use the white frosting around the edges and to make windows, a door and snow. Decorate with some candy and for a special touch you can sprinkle some powdered sugar on the roof for snow. Enjoy!

These are super cute tiny Hot Cocoa Treats that are fun to do with little ones. They call for just a few ingredients and come out super adorable. 

You will need:
-large marshmallows
-small mini candy canes
-chocolate covered cookie(or any small round cookie works)
-White frosting
-chocolate frosting
-mini marshmallows
-Holly sprinkles or any small festive shaped sprinkle(optional)

Directions:
First cut the curve part off of the mini candy candy. This will be the handle of your hot cocoa cup. Then line the candy cane handle on the side of a large marshmallow and cut two slits with a knife and insert the ends of the candy cane into the marshmallow. 
With your white frosting embellish the front of the marshmallow. I chose to use some holly sprinkles. 
Next, glue your marshmallow to your cookie saucer with some of the white frosting. Then pipe some chocolate frosting on the top of the large marshmallow. This will be the hot cocoa. Lastly, take your mini marshmallows and cut them up into small pieces(I used kitchen scissors) and place on top. 

There you have it, a mini Hot Cocoa Treat! Enjoy! 

How adorable are these Snowman Cupcakes? ⛄ They are so simple and fun to make. These cupcakes are great for the kids to bring to school for their classmates or for a Holiday party. 

You will need:
-cupcakes(any kind you like)
-white frosting
-white sparkling sugar
-mini chocolate chips
-Orange candy slices 
-black licorice
-green gel food coloring
-green peppermint
-holly sprinkles and black frosting(optional)

Directions:
Frost the cupcakes with the white frosting and then cover with the white sparkling sugar. I just poured the sugar on a plate and rolled the top of the frosted cupcake in it. 
To make the cute top hat I cut the black licorice into  pieces. I used three. I found some holly sprinkles and decided to glue that on the top hat with the black frosting I already had on hand. This is totally optional. 
For the eyes and mouth of the snowman use the mini chocolate chips and insert the tip of the chocolate chip down. Cut a small sliver of the orange  slice candy for the carrot nose. 
To make ear muffs I put a round green peppermint on each side of the cupcakes and then connected them at the top by drawing a line with the green gel food coloring. You can use whatever color or round candy you want to make the ear muffs. 

Enjoy and Happy Holidays! 

I am huge fan of YouTuber Rosanna Pansino! I love  her YouTube show Nerdy Nummies. She recently launched a baking line and I purchased her silicone poop swirl treat mold. It makes your treats look like the poop emoji! Well I wanted to make something festive with the mold so I decided to make Elf Poop Brownies! 

Ingredients: 
-1 cup of butter
-3 oz of white chocolate
-4 eggs
-2 cups of sugar
-1 tsp of vanilla
-2 cups of flour
-1 tsp of salt
-red and green food coloring 

Directions:
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate until melted. Then set aside to cool. 
In a bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Then add in the butter mixture. 
Stir in the flour and salt. 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
Divided the batter into two separate bowls. Make one batch of batter red by adding a few drops of red food coloring and the other green by mixing in green food coloring. 
Put the red batter into a small pipette bag and do the same for the green. Cut the tips and then place both pipette bags into one large pipette bag  and cut the tip. 
Spray some non-stick spray into your treat mold then begin squeezing batter into each mold in a swirl pattern. 
Bake for about 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean then it is done. 
​Enjoy!! 

Are of you a fan of How The Grinch Stole Christmas? I love Dr. Seuss and I was really excited to give this Who Pudding recipe that I found online a try. I decided to modify the recipe by cutting it in half. So if you wish to just make about 2 servings or so, follow the recipe below: 

Ingredients: 
1/3 cup of long grain rice
1 1/2 cups of milk
6 tbs of sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1 tbs of butter
1/4 tsp of salt
2 eggs separated
red and green M& M's 

Directions:
In a double boiler, combine the rice and milk and cook for 30 minutes. 
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks until frothy. Then stir in the sugar, vanilla, butter and salt. 
Then combine the rice mixture. 
Grease baking dish. I use two souffle dishes. 
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees. 
Then refrigerate overnight and top with M&M's before serving. 
 

For Christmas dinner I enjoy making Cornish hens with veggies for my husband and I. It is really simple and requires no carving. 

Ingredients:
-2 cornish hens
-1 sweet onion chopped
-carrots
-potatoes
-1 stick of butter melted
-2 tsp of dried oregano
-2 tsp of  dried rosemary
-1 tbs of minced garlic
-1 tbs of olive-salt and pepper
-oven bag (optional)


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
In a bowl, melt the butter and mix in the garlic,oregano and rosemary. 
I used small potatoes and mini carrots so that I didn't have to chop. Place the vegetables and onions in a bowl and combine with the butter mixture. 
I like to use an oven bag because I feel is makes the chicken extra moist. 
Place a little bit of flour in the oven bag and put in the veggies and place in a pan. 
Brush olive oil on the hens and season with salt and pepper. Place on top of the vegetables(breast side up) and close the oven bag. Cut a few slits into the oven bag. 
Bake in the oven for 1 hour-1 hour 15 min or until the  thermometer reads 180 degrees. 

I had to make donuts using my absolute favorite holiday beverage, EGGNOG!!!

Ingredients:
-1 cup of flour
-1/3 cup of sugar
-3/4 tsp of baking powder
-1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
-pinch of nutmeg
-1/4 tsp of salt
-1/2 cup of eggnog
-1 egg
-2 tbs of vegetable oil
-1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Eggnog Glaze
-3 tbs of eggnog
-2 tbs of water
-1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions:
Prheat the oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease your donut pan. 
In abowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Then add the eggnog, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla until mixed well. 
Put the batter in a large ziploc bag and cut the tip and fill the donut pan. 
Bake for 6-7 minutes. 
To make the the glaze , just simply whisk together the powdered sugar, eggnog and water. 
Once cool dip into the eggnog glaze. 

I was really fascinated by the Unicorn Poop cookies that I had to create a festive version with the Holidays approaching. So why not make Elf Poop Cookies? They taste like peppermint because an Elf's diet surely consists of candy canes! LOL 

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of softened butter
-1/2 cup of shortening
-1/4 cup of cream cheese
-1/2 tsp of salt
-1 cup of sugar
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp of peppermint extract
-2 cups of flour
-red and green food coloring

Optional
-red glitter icing
-Christmas sprinkles


Directions: 
In a bowl, combine the butter, shortening and cream cheese and beat well. Then add the sugar and salt. 
Beat in the egg and  peppermint until combined. Then gradually add the flour. 
Divide the dough in half  in two seperate bowls and add the food coloring( one red and the other green). 
Wrap the red and green balls of dough individually with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge for an hour. 
Set the oven to 375 degrees. 
Remove the dough and place on some some wax paper on the counter(this way you don't need to use flour). Take a tbs size ball of the red dough and roll into a rope. Then do the same for the green dough. Then twist and coil the two together and place on a greased cookie sheet. 
Bake for 8-10 minutes. 
Once the cookies are cool I went ahead and put some red glitter icing and sprinkles on top. 
Enjoy! 

Gingerbread Man cookies are my favorite Christmas cookie! I decided to make a GIANT version of this Christmas cookie classic. 

This recipe yields about 3 Giant Gingerbread Man cookies. You can double the recipe to make more. 

Ingredients: 
-3 1/2 cups of flour
-2 tsp of Gingerbread spice
-1/2 tsp of ground cloves
-1/2 tsp of baking soda 
-Pinch of salt
-3/4 cup of molasses
-1 tsp of vanilla
-1 egg
-1 stick of softened butter
-1/4 cup of sugar
-1/2 cup of brown sugar


Royal Icing
- 2 cups of confectioner's sugar
-1 egg white
-1/2 tsp of water

Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutout Template

Directions:
-First mix your dry ingredients in a bowl. The flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. 
-In another bowl beat your butter, sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla. Once mixed well slowly add in your flour mixture. Mix well until combined. 
-Then take your dough and separate into two balls and wrap with plastic wrap.Set aside in the fridge to chill for 2 hours. 
-Remove the dough from the fridge and roll between two pieces of parchment paper. Once the dough is flat place in the freezer for about 15 minutes, 
-Then take the dough out of the freezer and cut out into Giant Gingerbread Man cookie shape. Then once it is cut out place on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. 
-Remove from freezer and bake the cookie at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Then remove from the oven and rotate and bake again  for about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes before decorating. 
-Decorate with royal icing and candy!
Enjoy!

I always look forward to making butter cookies for Christmas! My co-workers really enjoy it. This recipe is super simple to make. 

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
1 1/2 sticks of butter softened 
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Then cream the butter, sugar, egg and add to the flour mixture. Then add the vanilla. 
Scoop the dough into a tablespoon round ball on a baking sheet. My trick is   with the bottom of a wine glass, dip into sugar then flattened the tablespoon of dough on the baking sheet. Makes the cookies have a nice circle shape and a sugar topping. 
Bake for 10 minutes.