Fake Ginger

christmas cookies

Butterscotch Peanut Fudge

Butterscotch Peanut Fudge – butterscotch, peanut butter, and peanuts! This is going to be your new favorite fudge recipe. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and salty!

Butterscotch Peanut Fudge - butterscotch, peanut butter, and peanuts! This is going to be your new favorite fudge recipe. It's the perfect mix of sweet and salty!

You guys.

I want you all to be proud of me. Not only do I have decorations up, I’ve even started buying presents.

This is a big deal because up until about 3 days ago, my kids were only getting donations to my favorite charities in their name.

I have had quite the year.

At some point in the near future, I’ve got to A) figure out where to move and B) move myself, 3 kids, 3 dogs, and all our stuff.

So I am very much anti-stuff right now. I don’t want to bring anything else into the house that I will then have to store and then move. I just cannot handle anything else.

But yeah, I gave in and bought them a few things and they’ll be happy with what they get, dangit.

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Cranberry Macadamia Nut Fudge

Cranberry Macadamia Nut Fudge – white chocolate fudge with dried cranberries and macadamia nuts. Perfect for cookie tins and holiday parties!

Cranberry Macadamia Nut Fudge - white chocolate fudge with dried cranberries and macadamia nuts. Perfect for cookie tins and holiday parties!

Happy Monday, y’all!

The holiday weekend flew by, right? I’m not ready for today! I need a few more days of doing nothing!

But the good news is that we can officially move onto holiday treats now! Yaaaaay!

So tell me, do you stick with the same holiday treats every year or do you switch it up and try new things?

I usually do a mixture of both. I always make my crockpot candy, my almond bark drop cookies, the cranberry orange cookies, and my mom’s snack mix. And then I always try a couple new recipes.

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Maple Bacon Fudge

Maple Bacon Fudge – the perfect sweet and salty treat! Maple fudge with crispy bacon and pecans. These are great in Christmas cookie tins and at holiday parties. 

Maple Bacon Fudge - the perfect sweet and salty treat! Maple fudge with crispy bacon and pecans. These are great in Christmas cookie tins and at holiday parties. 

Hey guys, happy almost weekend!

I haven’t talked to you since Halloween so how was trick-or-treating? We’re really lucky that literally everyone in our large neighborhood has kids so Halloween is always a fun night around here.

But I guess now it’s time to move onto Thanksgiving.

Or Christmas according to my Snapchat feed.

You guys. Stop. It’s too early.

Normally I’m that psycho putting out lights the day after Halloween but I just can’t handle it happening so early this year.

Plus, it’s still stupid hot in Texas.

I won’t lie, though, I was in Austin yesterday and may have run into Trader Joe’s for some of their holiday goodies. Christmas trees, I can skip for now. Buttercream truffles? GIMME.

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Chocolate Snowball Cookies


Fair warning: this is going to be an image heavy post. Like, for real.

But there’s a good reason, I promise!

Over the past few years, I’ve stopped carrying my camera around. Yes, there was actually a time when I carried my ginormous dslr in my purse. Sometimes with an extra lens. #firsttimemom

But that got old real quick and my dslr hasn’t left the house since summer of last year. I drug it all the way to Alabama on vacay and only pulled it out once. So I’ve been relying on phone pictures since and I always kick myself when I take cute pictures of the kids or the dogs and then print them and the quality is awful.

So I got a new camera and I’m obbbbbsessed.

It’s the Olympus PEN E-PL7 with 14-42mm II R Lens and it is incredible. It’s so much smaller than my dslr, so much lighter, and still allows me to manually control everything, just like my dslr would.

I’ve been carrying it in my purse in a padded makeup bag and every time something fun happens or I see a cactus that I love, I get so excited when I remember that I have it with me.

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Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints

Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints will be Santa’s new favorite cookie! Red velvet peppermint dough filled and drizzled with white chocolate!

Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints will be Santa's new favorite cookie! Red velvet peppermint dough filled and drizzled with white chocolate!

Happy almost weekend guys! How cute and festive are these Red Velvet Peppermint Thumbprints?!

I am obsessed.

Okay, so do you do the Elf thing? You know, the one on the shelf?

The one that causes all sorts of trouble after the kids go sleep?

I am already over it. This is, like, year 4 for me and I am out of ideas. I reused one of last year’s ideas for day 1, threw him on the husband’s drums and muttered something about him being loud when the kids found him on day 2, and then reused another idea today.

So then I check Pinterest and these people have crafted some sort of basket for their elf and he’s hanging from balloons in the middle of their living room and I’m like, DO YOU HAVE A HELIUM TANK IN YOUR HOUSE?! Did you really leave your house after your kids were asleep just to have balloons filled? Do you not value your precious TV time after the kids are in bed?!

Help me. Give me ideas.

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Cranberry, Pistachio, and White Chocolate Biscotti

Have you started thinking about teachers gifts? Mailman gifts? Neighbor gifts? That lady that once watched your kid when your husband was in the field and you had pink eye again gifts?

I, as usual, am totally stressed and overwhelmed over all of it.

I really want to DIY most of those gifts but you know I’m not much of a crafter so I’m thinking food is my best bet. And who doesn’t like to get food?

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Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles – easy gluten free Christmas cookie recipe! Soft and chewy cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar.


Gluten Free Snickerdoodles - easy gluten free Christmas cookie recipe! Soft and chewy cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Snickerdoodles are and will always be my favorite holiday cookie.

I’m drinking a snickerdoodle iced coffee as we speak because I am that obsessed. How do you get me to buy something this time of year? Say it’s snickerdoodle flavored.

My husband had no idea what a snickerdoodle was the first time I made them and now, 10 years later, he still says, “What are those again? Ginger snaps? Sugar cookies?” every single year.

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Almond Bark Drop Cookies – No Bake Avalanche Cookies

Santa’s favorite cookie: almond bark drop cookies! Peanuts, Rice Krispies, and marshmallows coated in white chocolate and peanut butter! No baking required!

No Bake Avalanche Cookies - Santa's favorite cookie! Peanuts, Rice Krispies, and marshmallows coated in white chocolate and peanut butter!

I promised you guys my favorite Christmas cookie so here it is!

I made these Almond Bark Drop Cookies last year on Christmas Eve so I didn’t get a chance to blog them.

So obviously They were the first cookie on my list for this year and I have already made them twice!

We made them for my kid’s cookie exchange at school and they were perfect because they’re no-bake so he (a 6 year old) did almost all of the work by himself!

And then I made them again because… they were all gone and I was sad.

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Peanut Brittle

Do you give baked goodies as gifts around the holidays?

I think I did one year and I really enjoyed it but in recent years I just haven’t felt as confident in my baking abilities and have been too scared to give anything away.

I always feel like people are telling me they like something just so they don’t hurt my feelings!

Peanut Brittle!

I wanted to make some peanut brittle just because I hate making candy and needed to see if I could actually make it.

Amazingly, it was super simple and took less than an hour to make! You just boil corn syrup, water, and butter until it hits the soft crack stage on your candy thermometer, stir in the peanuts, and keep boiled until it hits hard crack. So easy!

Peanut brittle is one of my favorite holiday treats so it’s pretty exciting that I know I can make it now.

Yield: about 24 servings

Peanut Brittle

Peanut Brittle

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cups sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup butter, no substitutes
  • 2 1/2 cups peanuts
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

  1. Butter 2 large baking sheets; set aside.
  2. Butter sides of a heavy 3-quart saucepan. In pan combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 275F, soft-crack stage (about 30 minutes). Stir in nuts; continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 295F, hard crack stage (15 to 20 minutes more).
  3. Remove pan from heat; remove thermometer.
  4. Quickly sprinkle baking soda over mixture, stirring constantly. Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheets. Use 2 forks to lift and pull candy as it cools. Cool completely; break into pieces. Store tightly covered up to 1 month.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me in your Instagram photo - @fakeginger

© Amanda Livesay

Want more holiday treats recipes?

Crockpot Candy

Maple Bacon Fudge

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies – chewy gingerbread cookies with gooey chocolate mixed in! Santa’s going to love these!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies - chewy gingerbread cookies with gooey chocolate mixed in! Santa's going to love these!

Thanks for all the kind words about my husband last week. He still isn’t home – it’s actually become pretty funny. They were ON the plane the other day and then blah blah blah happened and they had to stay. Hopefully this week! My poor, sweet 3 year old is still waiting for his birthday party that was supposed to happen 2 weeks ago! Bless his heart.

I haven’t been doing much cooking lately but I’ve been baking tons and tons of cookies. I made two batches of these last week, one for me and one for my cookie swap people! They were really delicious but I forgot to take photos of either batch so yeah.

These cookies were on my to-do list last Christmas but I just ran out of time and they never got made. I wanted to get them done early in the season this year so it wouldn’t happen again! And I’m so happy that I did. They are definitely one of my favorite cookies I’ve made this year.

I also have a list of 30 of the best Christmas cookie recipes from all my blogger friends!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies - chewy gingerbread cookies with gooey chocolate mixed in! Santa's going to love these!

 

How To Make Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

They’re a no-fuss gingerbread cookie (meaning no rolling out the dough, no cutting into shapes, you know) with chopped chocolate mixed in so it gets all gooey and delicious and they’re perfect.

It starts by stirring together all the dry ingredients: flour, all the typical gingerbread spices, and cocoa powder. That gets set aside so you can work with the wet ingredients. 

Butter, brown sugar, and fresh grated ginger are creamed together until light and fluffy. Add molasses to get that classic gingerbread color and taste. 

And then – the interesting thing about this recipe – you dissolve baking soda in water before adding it to the wet ingredients, alternating with the dry ingredients. The baking soda gets dissolved in water so it’s already activated when you add it to the dough. 

Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, stir in chopped chocolate and then let the dough sit until it’s easy to roll into balls. Roll the balls into granulated sugar and then bake until the cookies are set and the chocolate chunks are gooey and delicious. 

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies - chewy gingerbread cookies with gooey chocolate mixed in! Santa's going to love these!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

from Martha Stewart Cookies, via Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes

Ingredients

  • 7 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
  3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
  4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me in your Instagram photo - @fakeginger

© Amanda Livesay

Cookies & Cream Fudge

Cookies and Cream Fudge – easy 3 ingredient white chocolate fudge with chopped Oreos! Perfect for holiday cookie tins and parties.

Cookies and Cream Fudge - easy 3 ingredient white chocolate fudge with chopped Oreos! Perfect for holiday cookie tins and parties.

I am having the worst time coming up with Christmas goodies this year!

I always want to make something that just screams CHRISTMAS but I just haven’t stumbled upon much inspiration.

So I guess I’m sticking with the treats I make every year. Starting with this one!

Cookies and Cream Fudge - easy 3 ingredient white chocolate fudge with chopped Oreos! Perfect for holiday cookie tins and parties.

How To Make Cookies & Cream Fudge recipe

This Cookies & Cream Fudge is what I like to call Cheater’s Fudge. It’s so easy and turns out delicious every time.

You just melt chocolate with some sweetened condensed milk and then fold in chopped up Oreos. Seriously, that easy.

From there, you just have to wait for it to set up in the fridge (torture!) and then you can slice and enjoy!It makes a ton so you’ll have plenty for your cookie tins or to share at holiday parties.

It’s not going to have the exact texture as your normal candy thermometer fudge, but it’s so good that I don’t even care. Plus, you can’t beat how easy it is!

And yes, totally use different cookies if you want! And the holiday Oreos are especially fun in this!

Cookies and Cream Fudge - easy 3 ingredient white chocolate fudge with chopped Oreos! Perfect for holiday cookie tins and parties.

More Fudge Recipes

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Cookies and Cream Fudge - easy 3 ingredient white chocolate fudge with chopped Oreos! Perfect for holiday cookie tins and parties.

Yield: 36

Cookies & Cream Fudge

Cookies & Cream Fudge
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 18 ounces white baking chocolate
  • 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 cups Oreo cookies, chopped

Instructions

  1. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. Put white baking chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat and stir frequently until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in Oreo cookies. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 226Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 96mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me in your Instagram photo - @fakeginger

© Amanda Livesay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies – sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

Cranberry Orange Cookies - sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

Today I’m sharing my most favorite Christmas cookie ever!

Okay, so it’s not really the kind of cookie you’d think about for Christmas.

Normally it’s snickerdoodles or decorated sugar cookies or Italian sugar cookies dipped in a glaze and covered in sprinkles.

But I have been making these Cranberry Orange Cookies every Christmas for years now. And the holidays are the only time I make so I look forward to them all year long.

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