Winter Swag

I was getting a little sick of my Christmas wreath greeting me at the front door every day. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. Just not in the middle of January. I wanted to freshen things up for the new year, but didn't have a lot of time or money to spend. Enter the winter swag. This cutie only took me about a half hour to make and cost less than $10. 

All you need is some burlap ribbon, scissors, twist ties and fake or fresh evergreen trimmings. I only used two trimmings because I didn't want the swag to be too big. 

Place the two evergreen trimmings next to each other and connect them using twist ties.

Cut the burlap to your desired length and tie it around the evergreens, covering the twist ties. 

Create a bow and trim the ends to your desired length. The first time around, I made the ends too short. They kind of reminded me of any time I've had a haircut that was so short it was awkward. I ended up redoing the ribbon so that the ends were about as long as the evergreens. I watched this YouTube video for guidance on creating my bow. I also cut a little "v" into the ends of the ribbon to give it a more polished look. 

And voila! A fresh front door decoration that is as easy to make as it is on the eyes. 

     

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Icing

Sometimes you're craving a nice, moist piece of cake; sometimes you're hungry for a tasty cookie...and sometimes you just need cookie dough piled sky high on top of a cupcake. On those days, turn to these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chip peanut butter cookie dough icing. OK, so it's not exactly icing, it's pretty much just cookie dough slathered on a cupcake - but, for the life of me, I just can't find anything wrong with that.

To make these sweet treats, just whip up cupcakes using your favorite chocolate cake recipe. I used The Post Punk Kitchen's vegan "Just Chocolate Cake" recipe. My older sister is a vegan, so I'm always on the lookout for great desserts that she can enjoy. These turned out to be moist and delicious, although I don't personally prefer almond extract, so I'll be leaving that out next time.

Once your cupcakes have cooled, top them with some peanut butter cookie dough icing. I recommend using the recipe I found on Gimme Some Oven's blog. The dough doesn't contain eggs (although is is not vegan,) and it was soft enough that I was able to easily pipe it onto the cupcakes.

These treats were very rich - which is just what I was looking for from cookie dough topped cake!

Mini Pies

When I think of Thanksgiving desserts, I immediately think of pies. What to make, then, for a pre-Thanksgiving work party? I didn't really want to whip up five pies at once, not to mention they aren't convenient to eat while mingling. Enter the mini pie. These cuties deliver the comforting taste of pie in a conveniently portable size.

First, roll out your favorite pie dough. I cheated and used a pre-made dough, but any kind will do.Then, cut small circles out of the dough. I used the top of a glass to do the work for me.

Next, place the circles of dough on a prepared baking sheet. Put your filling in the middle of each circle. I used mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. 

Pull two sides of the dough up over the filling and pinch together.

Pull the other two sides of dough up and pinch them together.

Press the edges together so that the filling is completely sealed in the dough.

Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle sugar on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (until they are a nice golden color.) Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and enjoy them warm or cool.

Thank you to Picky Palate for the inspiration!

Recipe

Your favorite pie dough

Filling of choice (I recommend Hershey's Kisses or mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups)

Sugar

Powdered Sugar

-Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

-Roll your pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut small circles out of the dough (approximately 3 inches.)

-Place the circles of dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Place your filling in the center of each circle. 

-Gather two sides of the dough over the filling and pinch together. Gather the other two sides of the dough over the filling and pinch together. Press edges tightly closed. 

-Brush prepared mini pies with melted butter and sprinkle sugar on top.

-Place mini pies in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (until tops are a nice golden hue.) 

-Remove from oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of mini pies and serve warm or cool. Store in an airtight container.