CONFETTI CRISPS

Confetti Crisps
We made these for New Year's Eve 2011. So yummy! Easy to eat :-)
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2011/12/confetti-crisps.html

40 square (about 2×2?) saltine crackers
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter (not margarine!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (or more) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup mini-twist or stick pretzels, broken into small pieces
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup Mini M&M’s (my friend used regular sized)
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange crackers side by side in single layer on large bar pan or jelly roll pan (used cookie sheet - didn't put crackers all the way to the edge) (make sure you use parchment paper, tin-foil or non-stick spray).

Combine brown sugar, butter and vanilla in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk, until mixture comes to a full boil across the surface. Boil, stirring constantly 4 minutes.

Immediately pour sugar mixture over crackers and spread evenly with a spreader or rubber spatula. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack.

Immediately sprinkle baked crackers with chocolate morsels. Let stand 3 minutes, allowing morsels to soften, then spread evenly over surface. Sprinkle with pretzels, peanuts and mini M&M’s. Lightly press toppings into melted chocolate using back of a spatula. Let stand at room temperature to cool completely. Refrigerate 20 minutes to firm chocolate. Cut into squares or just break up.

Store in tightly covered container in a cool place at room temperature so they will stay crisp.

CINNAMON & APPLE SAUCE CRAFT

CINNAMON & APPLE SAUCE ORNAMENTS

We had fun making these and they smelled so yummy when cooking. It was a bit messy though. Both kids had to change their clothes when we were done and they make your hands super dry. I always tend to make things too thin. The thicker ones worked out much better. We had fun painting with paint and glitter glue when they were cooled.

2 cups applesauce

2 cups cinnamon (also used for to put on table/cutting board)

parchment paper (optional)

pencil or straw to make a hole for ribbon

cookie cutters

ribbon

Mix together cinnamon and apple sauce. Lightly sprinkle flat surface with cinnamon to prevent dough from sticking. Knead dough until you have a firm, pasty consistency. Roll out to 3/8" thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. With a pencil/straw poke a hole at the top of each shape. Bake on baking sheet (I placed them on top of parchment paper) in 150' oven for 3-5 hours. Decorate when dry. Add ribbon for hanging.

CHINESE NOODLE COOKIES

Chinese Noodle Cookies

http://lds.org/friend/2005/12/christmas-workshop?lang=eng&query=chinese+noodle+cookies

These are so yummy, easy to make and hard to stay out of. I think next time I would like to try 2 cups chocolate chips, 2 cups butterscotch and 2 cups toffee chips.

3 cups chocolate chips

3 cups butterscotch chips

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup peanuts

2 1/2 cups crisp chow mein noodles

1. 1.
   Place the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted.
2. 2.
   Take the mixture off the stove. Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla.
3. 3.
   Gently stir in the peanuts and noodles.
4. 4.
   Using a tablespoon, scoop heaping-tablespoon-sized chunks of the mixture onto sheets of foil. Freeze until solid. You can also spread them out on a cookie sheet and then break into pieces once frozen.

Makes about 2 dozen.

GINGERBREAD MAN

GINGERBREAD MAN

This was Abagail's choice for FHE treat. We all had a great time. I used the stencil of the boy (from kids set) and just cut around it. I put some dough on a piece of parchment on the cookie sheet.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup (used molasses)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in the orange peel and dark corn syrup. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves and salt, mixing until well combined. Chill dough for at least 2 hours, I like to chill overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are firm and lightly toasted on the edges.