#ChristmasSweetsWeek Archives - Love and Confections

Easy Gingerbread Dip Recipe

Terri — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 09:00:16 +0000

Whip up a delicious and easy Gingerbread Dip recipe for your holiday snacking. Perfect for a simple treat, or featured on a Christmas snack board.

Easy Gingerbread Dip

Yesterday, I featured a Christmas Sweet Snack Board, and this dip took center stage. Gingerbread is definitely a go-to of mine during the holiday season. Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes and Gingerbread Fudge would also be great accompaniments to any seasonal party or gathering. Easy Gingerbread Dip is definitely going to become a family favorite during the holiday season.

This dip is so dreamy, and I will fully admit to eating it with a spoon. Dipping some graham crackers or other cookies are also an option too. The sprinkles on top are one of my favorite sprinkle mixes – “Reindeer Food” from Sweets & Treats Boutique. Sweets & Treats has the cutest sprinkle mixes and I cannot tell you how many sprinkle mixes I actually have – pounds and pounds! I have sprinkles for every occasion.

Preparing YOUR INGREDIENTS:

I often keep frozen whipped topping in the house for easy desserts, like my French Vanilla Éclair Cake. The one problem I encounter is I sometimes forget to thaw it, which is necessary for most recipes. I try to set a reminder to place the container into the refrigerator the day before I need it for a recipe.

The cream cheese needs to soften, but not be completely room temperature. I like to measure out my dry ingredients while waiting for the cream cheese to soften. Brown sugar has a great molasses flavor, which is why I use more of it than granulated or powdered sugar in this recipe. Check out my Tips and Tricks on how to increase the spice and molasses in this recipe also.

TIPS, TRICKS, AND TOOLS:

Here are some of my favorite entertaining products, like including wood boards, bowls and accessories.
Thaw the whipped topping.
I love molasses, cinnamon and ginger, so feel free to increase each spice amount by 1/2 teaspoon and molasses by another 1/2-1 tablespoon for a more robust gingerbread flavor.

Easy Gingerbread Dip

Prep Time 10

Chill Time 2

Servings 6

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
⅛ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
4 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
sprinkle mix
cookies or graham crackers for dipping

Instructions

In medium mixing bowl with hand blender, or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mix cream cheese, salt, brown sugar and powdered sugar until combined.
Add molasses and spices and mix to combine. Fold in thawed whipped topping.
Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours. Top with sprinkle mix before serving with cookies.

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2020! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 21 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Candy and Fudge Recipes
Peanut Butter Truffles by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Grinch Snack Mix by Sweet Beginnings
Chocolate Pecan Pralines by House of Nash Eats
Oreo Cookie Truffles by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Gingerbread Poke Cake by Love & Confections
Mini Tall & Creamy Cheesecakes by The Nifty Foodie
Small Batch Chocolate Cake with Fluffy Peppermint Frosting by Kate’s Recipe Box

The post Easy Gingerbread Dip Recipe appeared first on Love and Confections.

Christmas Sweet Snack Board

Terri — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 09:00:15 +0000

Combine your favorite holiday treats, along with a delicious gingerbread cookie dip, to create a Christmas Sweet Snack Board for your family.

Christmas Sweet SNACK BOARD:

Boards and platters are some of our favorite sharable treats. Some of my recent favorites are the Southern Brunch Board and Antipasto Platter. While we aren’t having any big gatherings this year for the holidays, my family and I are trying to still make it special, and snack boards are a great way to add that touch.

All of the ingredients on this board is readily available at most grocery stores. The only one that is specialty is the Italian rainbow cakes, and those are from Costco. My family loves a variety of cookies and treats, including Italian rainbow cookies, biscotti, molasses cookies, and my personal favorite, a Dutch cookie called stroopwafel. There is a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.

HOW TO BUILD A FOOD BOARD:

This board has both store-bought and homemade elements, which makes it easy to prepare. The homemade Gingerbread Dip is placed in a bowl and topped with one of my favorite sprinkle mixes “Reindeer Food” from Sweets & Treats Boutique!

We eat with our eyes first, so you have to keep in mind colors, textures, flavors, and movement when building a board or platter. It wouldn’t be as enticing if there wasn’t a variety. With the gingerbread theme, there tends to be a lot of brown, so I broke it up by using red and white bowls, and had a variety of colorful cookies. I also wanted some greenery, and garnished the board with rosemary sprigs from the garden. It gave a nice amount of color, without me worrying if I had non-edible items on the board.

TIPS, TRICKS, AND TOOLS:

Here are a few of my favorite entertaining products, like including wood boards, bowls and accessories.
This board focuses on my family’s favorite holiday treats. Feel free to customize for your taste
Start by placing larger items and bowls first, then work your way down to the smaller items.
I like to keep everything on your board edible, or food-safe.

Christmas Sweet Snack Board

Prep Time 10

Servings 6

Ingredients

prepared Gingerbread Dip
Italian rainbow cookies
biscotti
stroopwafels
molasses cookies
festive shortbread cookies
Spiced Sugared Pecans

Instructions

Starting with largest snacks and bowls, place on platter or board. Arrange the remaining cookies and sweet treats.

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Cranberry Orange Quick Bread by Simply Inspired Meals
Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal by Making Miracles

Candy and Fudge Recipes
Christmas Snack Board by Love & Confections
Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Dark Chocolate Graham Crackers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Hard Cinnamon Candy by Blogghetti
Papaya Halwa by Palatable Pastime
White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge by An Affair from the Heart

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Christmas Tree Krispie Treats by Sweet Beginnings
Hot Chocolate cookies by Christmas Tree Lane
Lemon Olive Oil Sugar Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies [Vegan & Allergy-Friendly] by Bear & Bug Eats
Candy Cane Ice Cream Pie by A Little Fish in the Kitchen Lemon
Gingerbread House by House of Nash Eats
Gingerbread Layer Cake by The Redhead Baker
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies by The Mandatory Mooch
Chocolate Saltine Toffee by For the Love of Food

The post Christmas Sweet Snack Board appeared first on Love and Confections.

Easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread

Terri — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:00:57 +0000

Create the perfect holiday breakfast with my easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread. This pull-apart treat is sure to please the whole family.

Orange-scented biscuits, dried cranberries, cinnamon orange sauce, and a powdered sugar glaze create this delicious and easy holiday breakfast or brunch dish the whole family will love.

Cranberry Orange BISCUITS:

Biscuits are one of my favorite breakfast or brunch items, and canned biscuits from the refrigerated section makes this an easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread. The biscuits are tossed with a mixture of granulated sugar, cinnamon and orange zest. When zesting, make sure you only get the zest and not the white bitter pith of the orange.

The cranberry-orange combination is such a classic holiday flavor combination. You could enjoy it alongside my Cranberry Orange Meltaways or with a Cranberry Orange Madras Cocktail. I would personally choose a White Cranberry Moscow Mule to have with brunch.

Orange Cinnamon SAUCE:

Traditional monkey bread uses brown sugar, butter and cinnamon for the sauce. I opted for a different route this time. The molasses flavor in the brown sugar could overpower the orange and cranberries, so granulated sugar was the best option. Salted butter, cinnamon and fresh-squeezed orange juice are melted with the sugar for a delicious, fragrant sauce. Vanilla extract is added off the heat, after everything is melted and combined

The biscuits are layered with dried cranberries, then topped with the orange cinnamon sauce to bake. It is so delicious and the house smells fantastic from the cinnamon and orange flavors!

TOOLS, TIPS & TRICKS:

Make sure your bundt pan is well greased.
If you let the monkey bread cool too long, it will stick to the pan when trying to release it. I aim for under 10 minutes of cooling time.
Here is one of my favorite bundt pans for monkey bread.
I opted for no brown sugar, because I did not want to molasses flavor to overpower the cranberries and orange.
Make sure when zesting, to not get the white, bitter pith, and only the zest.

Easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Cooling time 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings 8

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Biscuits

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
zest from 1 navel orange
2 cans Grands Southern Homestyle Original or Buttermilk Biscuits (8-count)
1 cup dried cranberries

Cinnamon Orange Sauce

¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup salted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice from 1 navel orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F. Grease bundt pan with butter or cooking spray. Place bundt pan on half-sheet tray and set aside.
In small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cinnamon and orange juice. Stir until butter and sugar are completely melted and mixture is combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, and zest in medium bowl. Quarter biscuits and roll pieces into sugar-spice mixture. Layer biscuit pieces in bundt pan with dried cranberries sprinkled throughout.
Gently pour the sauce over the biscuits. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then carefully turn over onto rimmed serving plate. Be careful when turning over, so as not to burn yourself with the hot butter sugar sauce.
Combine ingredients for glaze and pour over monkey bread. Serve immediately.

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread by Love & Confections
Eggnog French Toast by Sweet Beginnings

Candy and Fudge Recipes
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge by House of Nash Eats
Popcorn Three Ways by Christmas Tree Lane

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Dark Chocolate Graham Crackers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Nifty Foodie
Toffee Chip Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Gingerbread Cupcakes by Magical Ingredients
Instant Pot Gingerbread Cheesecake by Kate’s Recipe Box

The post Easy Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread appeared first on Love and Confections.

Spiced Sugared Pecans

Terri — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:00:38 +0000

My family’s tradition of Spiced Sugared Pecans is the perfect sweet and crunchy treat, or edible gift, for the holiday season!

Spiced Sugared Pecans:

Every year around this time, the house smells delicious! Between the Spiced Sugared Pecans and our family’s favorite holiday cookie – Ginger Crinkles – you can definitely tell it’s the holiday season. This easy-to-make recipe is a yearly tradition around Christmas. My mom got this recipe a few years ago, and we have been making it ever since.

I usually make more than one batch at a time – sometimes 2-3 batches total. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled, you just need to ensure you have the oven space to cook the nuts. For 2-3 batches, either split the nuts between 2-half sheet pans with sides, or on a larger 2/3rd or full-size sheet pan with sides. We love these nuts, so a single batch doesn’t last very long. The whole family snacks on them throughout the holiday season, or however long they last.

Edible Gifting Options:

As long as the recipient does not have an allergy, I love giving edible gifts for the holidays. Whether it is homemade cookies, spiced pecans, or pumpkin butter, the edible gift options are endless. Mason jars are among my favorite vessel for packaging. They keep the nuts airtight and a festive ribbon tied around the lid looks great.

Spiced Sugared Pecans

Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 pound pecan halves
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 250°F. Butter a half sheet pan and set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and salt, set aside
In large bowl, whip the egg white and water until foamy. Add in pecans and stir to coat completely. Pour sugar mixture over nuts and toss to coat completely. Spread evenly on sheet pan
Bake for 1 hour, or until nuts are completely dry, tossing every 15 minutes to ensure doneness. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Beverage Recipes
Homemade Dark Hot Chocolate Mix by Bear & Bug Eats

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Cherry Croissant Breakfast Bake by Making Miracles
Classic Cinnamon Rolls by The Nifty Foodie
Cranberry Eggnog French Toast Bake by The Redhead Baker
Spiced Pear Quick Bread by Simply Inspired Meals
Star Bread by House of Nash Eats

Candy and Fudge Recipes
3 Ingredient Old Fashioned Potato Candy by Blogghetti
Bourbon Caramels with Chocolate and Vanilla by Christmas Tree Lane
Chocolate Peppermint Graham Crackers by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Spiced Sugared Pecans by Love & Confections

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Banana Cake by Palatable Pastime
Blue Curaco Velvet Cake by Magical Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Sugar Cookie Bars by Sweet Beginnings
Egg Nog Ice Cream by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Hazelnut & Raspberry Balsamic Brownie Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
Hot Chocolate Sweet Rolls by Kate’s Recipe Box
Lemon Ricotta Cookies by A Little Fish in the Kitchen Lemon
Peanut Butter Cut Outs by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Pecan Crusted Pecan Pie by The Mandatory Mooch
Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies by An Affair from the Heart
Pioneer Woman’s Nantucket Cranberry Pecan Pie by For the Love of Food

The post Spiced Sugared Pecans appeared first on Love and Confections.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Cookie Cups

Terri — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Pumpkin and chocolate are a match made in dessert heaven. You won’t miss the pie when these bite-sized, easy Chocolate Pumpkin Cookie Cups are on the menu.

This post is sponsored by Dixie Crystals in conjunction with #ChristmasSweetsWeek.

All opinions are mine alone.

Cookie cups are a favorite of mine, because of all the flavor and filling combinations. It’s day 5 of #ChristmasSweetsWeek and I am a firm believer that pumpkin is not just a September-November food. Yes, fresh pumpkin is only available at certain times of the year, but I used canned pumpkin for the pumpkin pudding and it is so amazing!!

I have made quite a few cookie cups this year, like these Funfetti Cheesecake Cookie Cups and Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake Cookie Cups. Like I said, so many options for flavors. I have so many ideas for more cookie cup creations next year.

The chocolate cookie cups are so easy to make, and I used a pestle to press the centers down after baking. You can also use the back of a wooden spoon or muddler if you have one. The key to getting the cookie cups so uniform is using a small cookie scoop. Cookie scoops/ice cream scoops are a lifesaver when I make cookies and cupcakes. I know that everything will be the same size and bake at the same time.

Visit Dixie Crystals for the full recipe:

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PIE COOKIE CUPS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes:

Beverages:

Bourbon Salted Caramel Coffee with Whipped Cream from With Two Spoons
Cookie Butter Eggnog Cocktail from My Suburban Kitchen
Coquito from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Eggnog Martini from Everyday Eileen
Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate from Eat Move Make
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Sticks from Family Around the Table
Mulled Red Wine Sangria from Platter Talk
Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from Live Love Texas
Salted Caramel Affogato from Tara’s Multicultural Table
Salted Caramel Apple Cider Martinis from Sweet Beginnings
Salted Caramel Chocolate Martini from The Crumby Kitchen
Salted Caramel Espresso Martini from An Affair from the Heart
Salted Caramel White Hot Chocolate from Who Needs A Cape?
Sugar Cookie Martini from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Vanilla & Spice Hot Mulled Wine from The Baking Fairy

Breakfast:

Baked Eggnog French Toast from The Spiffy Cookie
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Candies:

Almond Butter Rum Toffee from Take Two Tapas
Christmas Eggnog Fudge from For the Love of Food
Christmas Grinch Bark from Blogghetti
Cookie Butter Bark from Seduction in the Kitchen
Eggnog Sugar Cookie Bark from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge from Daily Dish Recipes
White Christmas Sugar Cookie Dough Fudge from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Desserts:

Black Forest Cheesecake from Kate’s Recipe Box
Butter Rum Cheesecake from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Butter Rum Nutty Biscotti from Love and Confections
Chai Snickerdoodle Cookies from Mildly Meandering
Christmas Cornflake Wreaths from The Mandatory Mooch
Cookie Butter Blossom Cookies from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Frozen Mint Meltaway Pie from Cooking with Carlee
Lemon-Cardamom Sugarmen Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes from The Beard and The Baker
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Eggnog Butter Frosting from Lady Behind the Curtain
Santa Hat Cupcakes from The Redhead Baker
Slice ‘N’ Bake Grinch Cookies from Big Bear’s Wife
White Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies from Cheese Curd in Paradise

Thank you ChristmasSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Lorann Oils & Flavors, Torani, Joyjolt, and Sweets & Treats Boutique for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The ChristmasSweetsWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The ChristmasSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the ChristmasSweetsWeek posts or entry.

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Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream #ChristmasSweetsWeek

Terri — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Skip the coffeehouse and bake some delicious Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream! These delectable cupcakes are topped with a coffee buttercream, adorable specialty sprinkle mix, and mini gingerbread man cut-out cookies!! They are almost too cute to eat!

This post is sponsored in conjunction with ChristmasSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

These cupcakes are everything! Talk about a delicious and moist gingerbread recipe. I was so excited to make these cupcakes because I love gingerbread. I have to admit, I was more excited about the toppings at first, but the whole thing has me in love. Don’t forget to enter the #ChristmasSweetsWeek giveaway at the bottom of the post.

The gingerbread cupcake recipe is so easy to make and this version makes a smaller amount than a normal batch. I used strong, warm coffee as one of the wet ingredients – just be sure it isn’t too hot that it starts cooking the batter.

Coffee buttercream is one of my new favorite experiments. I love the flavor that LorAnn Coffee Emulsion gave to the frosting. I used a lot more frosting than usual on the cupcakes, but only because it photographs better. You can definitely decrease the amount of frosting on each by piping a simple rosette – like on my Christmas Rosette Sugar Cookies.

The sprinkles are out of this world!! I used the “Reindeer Food” sprinkles from Sweets & Treats. It was the perfect color scheme for my cupcakes and I adore the miniature gingerbread quins.

When I envisioned this cupcake, it needed a topper that would wow – something out of the ordinary. After realizing I needed a mini gingerbread cut-out cookie, or gingerbaby as I was calling it all day, I turned to none other that one of the cookie queens herself, Sweet Sugarbelle. Her gingerbread recipe is phenominal and will be in my Christmas cookie rotation every year!

Here are some items used in today’s recipe:

Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

1/2 cup Cabot unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Oils Coffee Emulsion
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup strong coffee, warm
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground ginger,
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Coffee Buttercream

1/2 cup Cabot unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons LorAnn Coffee Flavor
2-3 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Sweets & Treats Sprinkles
Mini gingerbread cut-out cookies

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F. Line tin with cupcake baking papers and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and sugars, and cream 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add in egg, vanilla and coffee flavoring. Mix to combine. Slowly add brewed coffee while mixer is on low. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Using a small measuring scoop, add dry ingredients in while mixer is on low. Scrape down sides and mix gently with spatula if needed.
Using a scoop or disher, divide batter between 14 cupcake liners, roughly 2/3 full in each. Bake 16-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool in tins for 5-10 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool completely.
Coffee Buttercream Instructions: In large bowl with hand blender, or bowl of mixer with whisk attachment, mix butter and shortening together until completely combined. Add in salt, vanilla, and coffee flavoring and mix on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Once incorporated, whip on medium low and add in heavy cream, starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more after incorporating powdered sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once combined, whip on medium to medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. If you live in a humid climate, or frosting does not hold shape, add sifted powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired piping consistency. If necessary, add additional heavy cream for looser piping consistency. Place frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and mini gingerbread cut-out cookie.
Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Yield: 14 cupcakes

#ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes:

Beverages:

Puerto Rican Coquito from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Frozen Salted Caramel White Russians from Blogghetti
Gingerbread Salted Caramel Coffee Martini from Daily Dish Recipes
Hot Buttered Caramel Apple Cider Mix from Tip Garden
Salted Caramel Martini from April Golightly
Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from Cheese Curd in Paradise

Breakfast:

Chocolate Hazelnut Doughnuts from Kate’s Recipe Box
Cranberry Eggnog Quickbread from Jonesin’ For Taste
Cranberry Orange Bread from Juggling Act Mama
Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls from Moore or Less Cooking
Eggnog Cinnamon Roll Donuts from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Candies:

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Cranberry Eggnog Fudge from Sweet Beginnings
Snickerdoodle Fudge from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Desserts:

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies from Seduction In The Kitchen
Chocolate Espresso Mousse from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Cranberry Champagne Cupcakes from Our Good Life
Eggnog Gelato from The Redhead Baker
Festive Coconut Macaroons from For the Love of Food
Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream from Love and Confections
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Peppermint Pattie-Stuffed Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies from Platter Talk
Peppermint Red Velvet Macarons from The Crumby Kitchen
Rum Spiked Eggnog Cupcakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Salted Caramel German Chocolate Dessert Shooter from Take Two Tapas
White Christmas Cupcakes with White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream from Family Around the Table
White Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake from Who Needs A Cape?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream #ChristmasSweetsWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

Cranberry Orange Meltaways #ChristmasSweetsWeek

Terri — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are the perfect addition to any holiday cookie platter. Cranberry and orange combine in a buttery and delicious drop cookie that will leave you wanting more!

It’s day 2 of #ChristmasSweetsWeek and I am on a roll with the cranberry and orange combination. Don’t worry, this will be the last cranberry-orange combo for the week – I have more deliciousness coming your way! Cranberry Orange Meltaways are one of my favorite cookies because they are so easy to make – and even easier to eat.

These light and buttery cookies have the perfect amount of citrus and tart cranberries. If you’d like it a little sweeter, a dusting of powdered sugar would be a great addition. Since these cookies are so tender and soft, it is best to bake them on a day when there isn’t a lot of humidity. That can be quite difficult living in Florida, so I usually only make these on cold Winter days.

Cranberry and orange is one of my favorite holiday flavor combinations, like my Easy Cranberry Orange Madras from yesterday. It’s tart and sweet and fresh – something a little different than the usual heavier Christmas cookies.

One of my most-used kitchen tools is a small cookie scoop. I can’t live without it because it makes portioning out cookies so easy. Every one is uniform and you don’t have to worry about them baking at different times, since they are all the same size.

Here are some tools used to make this recipe:

Cranberry Orange Meltaways

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1 cup unsalted Cabot butter, softened
zest from 1 medium navel orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar for garnish, optional

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment.
In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream sugar, powdered sugar and butter 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in zest, vanilla, and egg, and mix to combine, scraping down the sides as necessary.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time.
Place cranberries in food processor and pulse a few times until small pieces. Fold in chopped cranberries.
Using a cookie scoop, portion out dough onto cookie sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until bottoms are light golden brown.
Cool on tray for 5 minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely. If desired dust with powdered sugar.

Yield: 4 dozen

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes:

Beverages:

Candy Cane Crunch Milkshake from The Redhead Baker
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Toddy from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Frozen Blue Hot Chocolate from For the Love of Food
Grumpy Grinch Punch from For the Love of Food
Merry Mistletoe Cocktail from Who Needs A Cape?
Raspberry Thyme Prosecco Punch from Take Two Tapas
Vanilla Milk Punch from Cooking with Carlee

Breakfast:

Cranberry Orange Make Ahead French Toast Bake from With Two Spoons

Candies:

Cookie Butter Balls from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Homemade Peppermint Patties from Everyday Eileen
White Chocolate Bark from Family Around the Table

Desserts:

Apple Cheddar Hand Pies from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Sparkling Wine, Cranberry, and White Chocolate Layer Cake from Cheese Curd in Paradise
Chocolate Orange Crinkle Cookies from Kate’s Recipe Box
Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Tart from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Cranberry Orange Crinkle Meltawats from Love and Confections
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake from The Crumby Kitchen
Gingerbread Cookie Cups from Moore or Less Cooking
Gingerbread Sprinkle Cookies from Daily Dish Recipes
Grandma’s Chocolate Pie from Tip Garden
Italian Butter Cookies from April Golightly
No Bake Eggnog Pie from Our Good Life
Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Bread from Sweet Beginnings

The post Cranberry Orange Meltaways #ChristmasSweetsWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

Easy Cranberry Orange Madras #ChristmasSweetsWeek

Terri — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Easy Cranberry Orange Madras are the perfect cocktail for any holiday party. Simple ingredients, with a twist, create a memorable drink that is great any time of the year.

It’s day 1 of #ChristmasSweetsWeek! Fun and festive cocktails are a must at any holiday party, and I love creating them to kick off my themed weeks. #ChristmasSweetsWeek brings together 44 bloggers and over 180 recipes featuring fudge, cookies, layer cakes, breakfast sweets, cocoas, martinis, ciders, and much more. Plus, there is a huge giveaway (enter below) with some amazing prizes, just in time for the holidays!

Growing up, whenever we went out for a special dinner with my grandparents, they would order cocktails. My grandfather usually got a CC and Ginger and my grandmother ordered a Madras. The pretty, pink-hued drink graced our dining tables and was her regular cocktail of choice. Years later, I grew fond of the cranberry and orange combination and love having it with vodka or champagne in cocktails. She doesn’t get out much now, but if she did, I’m sure she would still order this beautiful drink.

I love pretty drinking glasses and have loved the Stella Highball Glasses from Joyjolt for a while. They are the perfect size and have a great weight – not too heavy, but heavy enough that I don’t have to worry about them tipping and spilling easily. These were the perfect choice for my Madras. They sent me some other glassware to try out and I cannot wait to create more drinks and cocktails in them.

I strayed just a bit from the traditional recipe by adding some Torani Vanilla Syrup. I love this little hint of sweetness it gives to the cocktail. Torani also sent me their Salted Caramel Syrup and I have some delicious plans for that soon too!

This drink came together in a breeze and you can add lots of fun garnishes to jazz it up. I chose cranberries and orange slices. Sugared cranberries would be beautiful, as well as orange zest spirals. These would even be fun with rock candy sticks too!

Easy Cranberry Orange Madras

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

Ice
1 1/2 ounces vodka
3 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
1 1/2 ounces orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoon Torani Vanilla Syrup
Cranberries and orange slices for garnish

Instructions

Place ice in highball glass. Add vodka, cranberry, orange juice, vanilla syrup and stir. Garnish with cranberries and orange slices.

Yield: 1 highball glass

#ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes:

Beverages:

Brownie Batter Hot Chocolate Mix from The Spiffy Cookie
Christmas Flip from Our Good Life
Easy Cranberry Orange Madras from Love and Confections
Glogg from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Grinch Cocoa with Peppermint Marshmallows from Kate’s Recipe Box
Salted Caramel Toffee Martini from Family Around the Table
Sparkling Snowfall Cocktail from Seduction in the Kitchen
Sugar Cookie Martini from The Redhead Baker

Breakfast:

Christmas Cranberry Bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Easy Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree from Jonesin’ For Taste
Overnight Caramel French Toast from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Candies:

Cherry Mash Truffles from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Chocolate Covered Orange Cheesecake Truffles from Cooking with Carlee
Dark Chocolate Cherry & Peppermint Snowflake Bark from Sweet Beginnings
Grinch Fudge Topped Brownies from Big Bear’s Wife
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Fudge from Lady Behind the Curtain
Red Velvet Fudge from Live Love Texas

Desserts:

Black Forest Tiramisu Parfait from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Chocolate Bundt Cake from Juggling Act Mama
Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes from The Crumby Kitchen
Christmas Chocolate Chip Sprinkles Butter Cookies from Moore or Less Cooking
Cookie Butter Pudding Cups from The Beard and The Baker
Cranberry Almond Ecstasy Bars from Tip Garden
Date Filled Cookies from Platter Talk
Easy Snickerdoodle Cake from Daily Dish Recipes
Eggnog Blossom Cookies from Blogghetti
Eggnog cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle from My Suburban Kitchen
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream from Tara’s Multicultural Table
Glazed Gingerbread Loaf from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Marbled Star Cookies from Eat Move Make
Mint Chip Cookies from The Mandatory Mooch
No Bake Peppermint Eggnog Pie from Who Needs A Cape?
Peppermint Shortbread from Cheese Curd in Paradise
Pepper Jelly Rugelach from Take Two Tapas
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from April Golightly
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Toffee Thumbprint Cookies from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Ugly Sweater Cake from Mildly Meandering
Vanilla Yogurt Mousse with Cinnamon Apples from With Two Spoons
Vegan Hot Chocolate Layer Cake from The Baking Fairy
Winter Wonderland Snack Mix from An Affair from the Heart

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This recipe is intended for individuals ages 21 & up. Please drink responsibly. Thank you ChristmasSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Lorann Oils & Flavors, Torani, Joyjolt, and Sweets & Treats Boutique for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The ChristmasSweetsWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The ChristmasSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the ChristmasSweetsWeek posts or entry.

The post Easy Cranberry Orange Madras #ChristmasSweetsWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

#ChristmasSweetsWeek 2018 Giveaway

Terri — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 05:30:00 +0000

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2018! My co-hostess, Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures, and I are so excited for this sweet week! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and a fun giveaway? 44 bloggers from around the country have come together to share over 180 sweet Christmas recipes!!

Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, martinis, cocoa, and more! Our #ChristmasSweetsWeek sponsors are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you so much, Sponsors, for your generosity. We have an incredible giveaway below and would love if you would take a moment to read about it and what you can win!

Prize #1 Dixie Crystals

Dixie Crystals is giving one winner a Keurig K-Select Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker.

Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South’s choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. For generations, Dixie Crystals has been at the heart of family traditions and celebrations. Our pure cane, non-GMO sugar products guarantee that treasured family recipes will turn out right every time. Bake with love and Dixie Crystals.

Prize #2 Cabot Creamery Co-operative

Cabot is giving one winner a cheese gift set, including a Cabot Cheese slate cutting board, small cheese cleaver, Cabot custom Bee’s Wrap, an assortment of Cabot’s finest cheeses.

Cabot Creamery Co-operative, makers of naturally aged, award-winning cheeses and dairy products is owned by 1,000 dairy farm families in New England and New York.

Prize #3 LorAnn Oils & Flavors

LorAnn is giving one winner a collection of 6 LorAnn Bakery Emulsions, a collection of three LorAnn Oils vanilla extracts, a candy making cookbook, The Sweetapolita Bakebook, and a 12-unit variety pack of LorAnn super-strength candy oils.

Our flavors. Your creations. For over 50 years, LorAnn Oils has been supplying professionals and home chefs with the finest quality candy and baking flavors, essential oils, and specialty ingredients. Visit us at www.LorAnnOils.com to shop, learn, and discover new recipe ideas.

Prize #4 Joyjolt

Joyjolt is giving one winner an Aurora Whiskey Decanter Set. Our Aurora Whiskey Decanter set has a timeless and sophisticated design that adds both class and style to any table. This set is hand made with top quality lead free crystal glass and cutting edge materials. The sets quality, design and upscale packaging makes the Aurora a perfect addition to your home, bar, hotel, restaurant, club or office. DRINK WITH JOY. ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

Here at JoyJolt we believe that so many of the moments you enjoy most include raising a glass. From the jolt you get from that first sip of coffee in the morning to toasting a milestone with close friends. Thats why we have created glassware equally as special and unique as your happiest moments.

Prize #5 Sweets & Treats Boutique

Sweets & Treats is giving one winner the Year of Sprinkles Box at a $150 value. It contains holiday mixes, classic sprinkles, and some of their most popular sprinkles.

Sweets & Treats, a party and baking supplies manufacturer and wholesaler, started out of a baking industry need for truly grease-proof cupcake liners. From there, the company expanded into a handful of specialized categories including the latest, Sweet Sprinkles, their one of a kind sprinkles and sprinkle mix line. With hundreds of truly unique products, they are a one stop shop for your next party!

Prize #6 Torani

Torani is giving one winner a year supply of Torani: 12-750ml glass bottles, flavors will be winner’s choice, plus pumps for each bottle.

Torani inspires you to taste life, one flavorful experience at a time. Even though people all over the world recognize our iconic Torani bottle, we’ve remained a family-owned company — adhering to the high quality standards that Rinaldo and Ezilda set over 90 years ago. Each and every syrup, sauce, and smoothie is created with care and pride. Way back we started with just five syrups. Today, you can use more than 100 of our naturally flavored syrups, sauces and beverage bases in coffees, sodas, teas, smoothies, cocktails and more. And we’re excited to bring you new taste traditions and flavors as we move forward.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2018 Giveaway appeared first on Love and Confections.