Here's another easy and delish Christmas cookie recipe! My love for gingerbread is extreme and this recipe makes the perfect soft cookie...topping it off with a creamy frosting almost takes it over the edge. Sweetness overdose!...but that's ok since it's the holidays, right?

Gingerbread Cookies

3 1/4 cups flour                             1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda                          2 sticks butter
2 tsp ginger                                   3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon                             1/2 molasses
1/4 tsp nutmeg                              1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degress.
Combine all dry ingredients & mix well.
Combine butter, sugar, molasses & egg - mix well. - I added in a tsp of vanilla bean ; )
Gradually combine dry ingredients into butter/sugar mix.
Place drops on cookie sheet (they don't speed out much while baking). Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 mins. (I made larger cookies and baked them for 15-16 mins)

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Cream sugar and cream cheese together. Add in vanilla and gradually add in powdered sugar. Mix well. Just to note, I eyeball this recipe. I usually do equal parts of butter & cream cheese. Then I add powdered sugar till it gets to the consistency I want.

Merry Christmas everyone! Here's a little look of how I styled my gifts. It's a little bit non-traditional I suppose, I used yarn & twine pom poms and tassels. It was a fun experiment. I have these all over my house and it was fun to decorate gifts with these stylish and fun pieces as well.

A Christmas favorite has always been these cookies, Chocolate Crinkles. My mom usually makes them every year along with various other delicious goodies. It's now become my tradition to make as well.
Chocolate Crinkles (via Betty Crocker):

1/2

cup vegetable oil

4

oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled

2

cups granulated sugar

2

teaspoons vanilla

4

eggs

2

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

2

teaspoons baking powder

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup powdered sugar

• 1In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• 2Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
• 3Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
• 4Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Talk about some glam cookies! These lovely and delicious peanut butter cookies are covered in metallic sparkly silver and gold sprinkles. Such an easy way to add some festiveness to your holiday goodies. By the way, these are the best peanut butter cookies in the world! They are a must try! 

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

bag of Hershey's Kisses

Cream butter & sugars. Add peanut butter & eggs. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl & then add to peanut butter mixture. Make into balls, roll in sugar sprinkles and slightly flatten with spoon. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Place a Hershey's kiss on each cookie, bake for another minute.

Enjoy!

This year I got a new white Christmas tree. It's gorgeous with all the colorful ornaments! All the bright colors pop! I wanted some more big pieces for my tree in the colors of my living room so I made a bunch of Poms to place on it. Best idea ever. It's Inexpensive while adding texture...makes a statement, that's for sure!

Cup cake gig for a friends brewing company. What did I get myself into? Cupcakes take up some time!

My newly created leopard felt stocking and a very toasty fireplace