2012 TomKat Studio Gift Guide

published by

the tomkat studio

2012

holiday gift guide

celebrate the season

everything you need to make your holiday parties pretty

the tomkat studio

CliCk here to shop >

Favorites from The TomKat Studio’s founder

Kim’s Picks i love Pottery Barn Kids anywhere chairs! i’m ordering these sherpa covers for tommy and Kate this year. i couldn’t resist!

sherPa anywhere chair

cooKies for santa Plate & mug

i am using burlap and brown tones this year to decorate for christmas, so i’m loving these woodland stockings. they have an adorable angel which would be perfect for Kate!

woodland stocKing gourmet Kitchen

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what’s inside Kim Stoegbauer

The TomKat Studio

my favorite things

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dan Stoegbauer

The TomKat Studio

great gifts for dads

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tommy Stoegbauer

The TomKat Studio

the sweetest gifts

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Melisa Fluhr and Pam Ginocchio Project Nursery

best gifts for babies

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Kate landers

Kate Landers Events

gifts for little boys

Becki crosby

Vicki Tamburrelli

20

Whippy Cake

gifts for beauty queens

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Bakerella

gifts for big boys

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angie dudley

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Vicki Lynn Photography

gifts for photographers

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Jennifer Sbranti

Hostess with the Mostess

hostess gifts

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kate Stoegbauer

The TomKat Studio

gifts for little girls

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Amy Atlas

Amy Atlas Events

delicious gifts

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LIndsey Riel

Pretty Darn Cute Design

tech gifts

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39

sweet treats recipes & tutorials

40 48 all wrapped up printable gift tags

33 Smores Cups, The TomKat Studio

47 Kim, The TomKat Studio

34 Gingerbread Donuts, Half Baked

48 Kori, Paper and Pigtails

36 Santa Cake Pops, Bakerella

49 Kim, The Celebration Shoppe

38 Easy Oreo Truffles, The TomKat Studio 39 Shortbread Star Cookies, Sweet Style 40 Gingerbread Cookies, Sweetopia 42 Hot Chocolate on a Stick, The TomKat Studio 43 Pecan Praline Dessert Drizzle, Pen N’ Paper Flowers

staff

44 Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting, Glorious Treats

Kim Stoegbauer Editor

toni chase

Assistant Editor

50 Maureen & Adria, Anders Ruff 51 Catherine, Design Editor 52 Jessica, Pen N’ Paper Flowers 53 Kelly, The Party Dress 54 Becca, Cake 55 Lindsey, Pretty Darn Cute Design 56 Paige, Paiges of Style

jessica peterson Art Director

Jessica Downey Cover Photo

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s g n i h t e t i r favo y m f o w e f a

patriots faux fur hoodie victoriassecret.com

rhinestone headband whippycake.com

cake cosmopolitan tote petunia.com

flower bomb sephora.com

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Xtreme nail polish target.com

welcome to our 2012 holiday gift guide

Thank you for viewing our 3rd annual Holiday

pillowtalk pajamas victoriassecret.com

Gift Guide! With the fabulous response we’ve received from the past issues, we were thrilled to begin working on this year’s guide! Not only are we bringing you fabulous gift ideas as usual, but we have expanded the publication and added a few new sections that you are sure to love!

We’ve added a recipe section filled with sweets perfect for gift giving from your favorite baking bloggers. We also have enlisted our favorite printable designers to create a huge variety of

philosophy orange cranberry spritzer lotion philosophy.com

free downloadable gift tags that are sure to dress up your packages this year! You’ll also see ads from our favorite sponsors sprinkled throughout the publication. Keep in mind, everything in the guide is “clickable” to make it easy for you to purchase products, learn about our contributors and download printables! So, grab a cup of hot chocolate, get cozy and enjoy the guide!

kate spade bow bracelet katespade.com

xoxo, Kim Lucky Sequin Tote deuxlux.com

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the sweetest

gifts

tattly party set temporary tattoos tattly.com

cake pops holiday amazon.com

candy perfume by prada shop.nordstrom.com

jeni’s ice cream sandwiches jenis.com

glitterville cake carrier glitterville.com

wooden popsicle playset gltc.co.uk

kitchenaid stand mixer chefscatalog.com

compiled by

Angie Dudley, Bakerella bakerella.com

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cookie stamps suck.uk.com

Angie enjoys baking cute and delicious treats that make people smile. If you love to bake, be sure to check out her blog and her fabulous books, Cake Pops and Cake Pops Holiday.

Peel & press, gluten-free dessert toppers, naturally colored sprinkles, finishing sugars, decorating kits and NEW freshly baked custom desserts. Your perfect gifts are ready to ship.

(Mention ‘Tomkat’ at checkout for your free gift!)

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hostess gifts

casserole carrier vonny.com

crackle flute cb2.com

curve frame

jonathanadler.com

Manzanita Candelabra westelm.com

glitter tart server leifshop.com

kraft and silver reversible gift wrap cb2.com

handheld frother

williams-sonoma.com

beaded linen pillows jonathanadler.com

compiled by

Jennifer Sbranti Hostess with the Mostess hwtm.com

Jenn is a graphic/event designer & editor that adores bright colors and modern style. page no.

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great gifts for dads lenovo idea pad yoga 13 amazon.com

pottery barn shuffleboard potterybarn.com

roku

amazon.com

reebok zig running shoes amazon.com

sonos wireless music player amazon.com

playstation 3 amazon.com

compiled by

Dan Stoegbauer pottery barn weekender bag potterybarn.com

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topfiverealestate.com

Dan is an amazing husband to Kim {TomKat}, wonderful father to Tommy & Kate, electronics aficionado and fantasy football legend.

The new TripleThick™ card. www.minted.com

The thickest. The best. Exclusively ours.

10% off plus free shipping on holiday cards.

Code: TOMKAT10

© 2012 Minted LLC

Click here to shop!

Alethea and Ru th Seattle, WA

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best gifts for

babies

nuna leaf nuna.eu

3 sprouts storage caddy makaboo.com.com

“serenity Star” nursing accessory adenandanais.com

Pediped Eva in Silver

babyhome dream

pediped.com

babyhome.com

mixie baby formula bottle mixiebaby.com

7am Enfant Blanket 212 7amenfant.com

charlie banana cloth diaper charliebanana.com

compiled by

Melisa Fluhr and Pam Ginocchio projectnursery.com

ergo baby

store.ergobaby.com page no.

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Melisa & Pam specialize in teaching parents how to take charge of their own children’s interior design and decorating projects.

www.popandlolli.com

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gifts for little girls

faux fur sweater gap.com

claire vanity

potterybarnkids.com

easy bake ultimate oven amazon.com

Pink Pettiskirt

shoptomkat.com

inkoos pink bear amazon.com

gap earmuffs Pink Ugg Boots

shop.nordstrom.com

gap.com

bow headband gap.com

compiled by

Kate Stoegbauer thetomkatstudio.com

la dee da party dolls amazon.com

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Kate puts the “Kat� in TomKat and is a sweet and sassy five year old who loves all things pink, princess and pretty. She has a passion for sweets and treats, just like her mommy.

www.ciciandryann.com

ff 10%oo mKat

for T ter ers, en Custom at” k m “to kout. . at chec /12

12/31 ex pires

let her sparkle all year long in

CiCi & RyaNN, uNiquely fResh GiRls ClothiNG! click here to shop

size NB to 12

coming soon to The TomKat Studio Shop Pettiskirts, tutus and Accessories Click here to visit the shop!

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gifts for big boys

skylanders giants amazon.com

matt ryan jersey amazon.com

wilson baseball & glove potterybarnkids.com

baseball pinball landofnod.com

slinky

landofnod.com

under armour duffle bag amazon.com

hurley shirt

shop.nordstrom.com

kindle fire HD amazon.com

compiled by

Tommy Stoegbauer thetomkatstudio.com

zooma splat

amazon.com page no.

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Sweet seven year old Tommy is the “Tom” in TomKat. When he’s not acing a spelling test, he’s kicking around the soccer ball with his friends or cuddling with his mommy (shhh!).

速

ORIGAMIOWL.COM

TH

d e z i l a n o s r e E PERFECT p

N O L R I G Y R E V E R O F t f i g . t s i l y a d i l YOUR ho page no.

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gifts for little boys

vintage fire truck scoot rhbabyandchild.com

foam transportation set potterybarnkids.com

organic sleeper

hannaanderson.com

peppermint lollipops chasing-fireflies.com

personalized book plates laylagrayce.com

personalized book

potterybarnkids.com

compiled by

Kate Landers

red gingham bow tie trendyties.com

katelandersevents.blogspot.com

polar bear velour bath wrap potterybarnkids.com

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Kate Landers is a well-known children’s event blogger, designer & stylist. You can follow her on Layla Grayce as their celebration expert.

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delicious gifts mini brownies

facebook.com/MINIbrownieNYC

bite me cheesecakes

cookie chips

bitemecheesecakes.com

shop.hannahmax.com

french Macarons danasbakery.com

chocolate truffles

momofukustore.com

hammond’s cocoa and cider hammondscandies.com

chocolate bars

malibsweets.com

compiled by

Amy Atlas amyatlas.com

hot chocolate on a stick page no.

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pop-bar.com

Amy Atlas, also known as “The Sweets Stylist” is a coveted entertaining expert, baking and crafting stylist, and is internationally recognized for creating the stylized dessert bar trend. Amy’s first book “Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It” came out this year.

Perfect for

holiday parties & gifts visit www.cakepopco.com call (417) 886-2767 click here to shop

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gifts for

beauty queens

liverpool jeans company ‘Abby’ gold skinny jeans shop.nordstrom.com

la lumiere bracelet shopwithhrh.com

tiffany & co bow ring tiffany.com

lorac front of the line pro liquid liner sephora.com

lorac nude scene lipstick sephora.com

camel gloves

sam edelman ‘felicia’ flat

hm.com

shop.nordstrom.com

benefit hello flawless powder cover-up benefitcosmetics.com

striped 3/4 sleeve

compiled by

Becki Crosby

forever21.com

whippycake.com

party line iphone case society6.com

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Becki is a designer and professional stylist. Her passion for fashion is fueled by color, glitter, ruffles and prints.

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gifts for photographers

florabella actions

florabellacollection.com

iphone lens

shooting gloves

amazon.com

clickinmoms.com

kettie handbag

kettihandbags.com

lightroom

amazon.com

bloom theory camera strap bloomtheorystraps.com

compiled by

Vicki Tamburrelli vickilynnphoto.com

fanciful frames

fancifulframes.com page no.

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Vicki is an amazing photographer, wife and sweet mama to three beautiful children.Â

live in the moment vickilynnphoto.com 路 vickilynnphoto.com/blog

babies

families

weddings

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tech gifts

pocket projector for iphone brookstone.com

polka dot laptop bag katespade.com

happy stripes iphone cover shoptomkat.com

pink key thumbdrive buyamt.com

rain design mstand raindesigninc.com

bose soundlink wireless speaker amazon.com

recharge station potterybarn.com

typewriter key bracelet etsy.com

compiled by

Lindsey Riel Pretty Darn Cute Design nikon coolpix pocket camera amazon.com

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prettydarncute.com

it’s about time t-shirt shop.ugmonk.com

Lindsey is a Web & Graphic Designer/Blogger who loves anything and everything design.

sweet

s t a e tr days li o h e h t r o f ls ia r o t u t d recipes an

g n givi r o f t c perfe

recipe from

smores cups

Kim, The TomKat Studio

Ingredients

7 whole graham crackers (1 cup finely crushed) 1/4 cup powdered sugar 6 tbsp butter, melted 4 bars milk chocolate candy, divided 12 large marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350째F (180째C). Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter in small bowl. Spoon one tablespoon of crumb mixture in each cup of a mini cupcake pan. Press crumbs with spoon or fingers to form shallow cups. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.

click here for printable labels and recipe cards

Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using kitchen shears dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened. Remove from oven to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.

Break remaining candy bars and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute-1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn top side up and let stand 40 minutes-1 hour or until set. page no.

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recipe from carrie, half baked

gingerbread

donuts (makes 20 donuts) Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp cloves ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup molasses 2 eggs 1 cup water

Directions

For the Glaze:

1 cup brown sugar 1 cup water 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced 1 cinnamon stick Pinch of nutmeg and clove Powdered sugar Gold luster dust

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350.

STEP 2: Start the glaze. Combine brown sugar, water, fresh ginger, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and clove in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Let this ginger syrup cool while making the donuts.

STEP 3: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dry spices.

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carrie sellman

Half Baked Carrie Sellman lives in Florida with her 2 year old daughter and husband of 12 years. Her favorite cake flavor is good old classic vanilla.

STEP 4: In another large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar and molasses. Add eggs.

STEP 5: Add 1/3 of the water to the egg mixture. Stir. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Stir. Continue alternating water and flour until all is combined.

STEP 6: Spoon batter into a large ziplock bag. Seal and snip the corner off one end. Squeeze batter into the cavities of a donut pan sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Fill each cavity 2/3 of the way full {to help donuts keep their pretty shape when baking, use a clean finger to gently even out the batter in each cavity and clean off the center knob of the pan}. Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Brush with ginger syrup while donuts are still hot.

STEP 7: Finish the glaze. Remove fresh ginger slices and cinnamon stick from the cooled ginger syrup. Mix 2/3 cup of syrup into 3 cups of powdered sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and no lumps remain.

STEP 8: Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over donuts to cover the tops. To give donuts a golden shimmer, lightly dust with gold luster dust once glaze is almost set.

presentation tips

Spoon a circle of glaze onto a small plate to help secure bottom donut. Stack donuts onto plate. Insert handle of wooden spoon down through the center. Wrap with cellophane and tie with a bow. Add a gift tag or printed recipe card. page no.

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recipe from angie, bakerella

santa cake pops you’ll need

48 uncoated cake balls (click here for separate recipe) 3 deep, microwave-safe plastic bowls 64 oz (1.8 kg) white candy coating 2 to 3 oz (55 to 85 g) pink candy coating 1 to 2 oz (30 to 55 g) chocolate candy coating 48 lollipop sticks Styrofoam block 16 oz (455 g) red candy coating Toothpicks 48 white Sixlets 48 pink confetti sprinkles 96 white candy-coated sunflower seeds Sanding sugar Black edible-ink pen Peach edible-ink pen

to decorate

1. Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

2. In one of the microwave-safe bowls, melt together 48 oz (1.4 kg) of the white candy coating with the pink and chocolate candy coating, following the instructions on the package. Add more or less of each color to achieve a darker or lighter shade for Santa’s face. The coating should be about 3 in (7.5 cm) deep for easier dipping.

3. When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a page no.

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time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

4. One at a time, dip about 1⁄2 in (12 mm) of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating and insert the dipped end straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating. Gently lift the pop out of the coating and tap off any excess: Hold it over the bowl in your left hand, and tap your left wrist gently with your right hand. If you use the hand holding the cake pop to shake off excess coating, the force of the movement will be too strong and could cause the cake ball to loosen or fly off the lollipop stick. Tapping the wrist holding the cake pop absorbs some of the impact. The excess coating will fall off, but you will need to rotate the lollipop stick so the coating doesn’t build up on one side, making it too heavy on that side. If too much coating starts to build up at the base of the stick, simply use your finger to wipe it off, spinning the lollipop stick at the same time. This can happen if the coating is too thin or too hot. It’s not as hard as it sounds; it just takes a little practice. Stand the pop firmly in a hole in the Styrofoam block. Repeat with the remaining cake balls. Let dry.

5. Meanwhile, melt the red candy coating in a microwavesafe bowl. When dry, dip each pop in the red coating about one-third of the way up the sides, at a slight angle. Return to the Styrofoam block and let dry completely.

6. Melt the remaining white candy coating in another microwave-safe bowl. Using a toothpick, dot some of the melted white coating on one side of each cake pop in position for the ball of Santa’s hat, and attach a white Sixlet to each.

7. Using the toothpick, apply more white coating for each Santa’s beard. Place a pink confetti sprinkle for a mouth on each. Continue layering white coating on the pop for a nice full beard. Once it starts to set, it’s easy to continue adding layers. Let dry completely in the Styrofoam block.

8. Dot on more melted white coating above the confetti sprinkles and attach 2 white sunflower seeds to each in

position for the mustache and let dry.

9. Apply more white coating at the base of the hat and sprinkle sanding sugar on top while the coating is still wet.

(Sprinkle over a bowl so you can catch the sugar and reuse it.) Use some of the remaining tinted white coating to dot on a cute nose using a toothpick. Using the black edible-ink pen, draw eyes on the Santas. Draw cheeks with the peach edibleink pen. Dab the cheeks so they look blended.

Angie Dudley

Bakerella

Angie enjoys baking cute and delicious treats that make people smile.

10. Return each Santa to the Styrofoam block as you finish.

Let the cake pops dry completely. page no.

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recipe from

Kim, The TomKat Studio

easy Oreo Truffles Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided 1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened 2 (8 ounce) packages Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Directions

Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.

Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

tip page no.

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chill the cookie mixture for 30 minutes to make rolling and dipping the balls easier

click here for printable labels and recipe cards

recipe from

leanne, sweet style

shortbread

star cookies Ingredients

1 cup softened butter 3/4 cup superfine sugar 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract 2 cups plain all purpose flour, sifted 1/2 cups of rice flour, sifted

Directions

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Â Add the sifted flours.

Leanne ambrigio sweet style

Leanne is a stylist/ blogger/photographer and owner of Sweet Style an Australian online store.

She is the mum to 3 gorgeous girls.

Divide dough into 2 portions. Shape into 2 discs. Roll 1 portion between 2 sheets of baking paper and cut star shape with a cookie cutter. Carefully transfer to prepared tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden, swapping the trays halfway through cooking. Cool on the trays and then package beautifully for gifts to give family and friends.

The perfect Christmas tag created by Kim is available as a free download and looks great when used with the fancy sign punch

tip page no.

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recipe from marian, sweetopia

gingerbread

cookies Ingredients

250 g unsalted butter 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoons ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 cup molasses 800 g all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder

instructions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy.

2. Mix in spices first, then eggs and molasses.

3. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add to bowl; mix until just combined.

4. Wrap dough in a disc shape in saran wrap. Let it rest by refrigerating until cold, about 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 -inch thick.

6. Cut shapes out with cookie cutters and place them approximately 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

7. Refrigerate until firm; at least 15 minutes to 1 hour.

8. Bake cookies until crisp; 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. page no.

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marian poirier sweetopia

Marian is the creator and baker behind Sweetopia, the place where she likes to share all things related to her sugar art passion, including how-to’s and recipes.

1

2

3

4

5

6

cookie decorating Making Holly Cookies What You’ll Need:

Royal Icing Recipe · Red Gumballs · Holly Cookie Cutter Green Gel Coloring · Piping Bags (2) · Couplers (2) Piping Tips – Two #2’s

Instructions:

Step 1: Using a #2 piping tip, outline the holly cookie with green royal icing.

Step 2: Fill in the center of your cookie with the same piping bag and icing, either right away to help the icing melt into each other, or 10 minutes later if you’d like to see a distinct outline.

Step 3: Shake gently to help smooth icing over. A couple of tips – You need to be gentle with the cookie while you’re shaking it, so that it doesn’t break, and working quickly is important so that the base doesn’t start to dry.

Step 4: Using a #2 piping tip and white icing, pipe a line of white icing from one end of the holly leaf to the other.

Step 5 (Optional): Wait a few minutes to let the green base dry, then, using a #2 tip and green icing, pipe the outline of the holly leaf on top of the base.

Step 6: Pipe a dot of green icing on one end of the holly leaf, and attach a red gumball.

Step 7: Serve, or if you’d like to package your cookies in gift bags, let your icing dry for 12-24 hours. page no.

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recipe from

kim, the tomkat studio

hot chocolate

on a stick Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup unsweetened baking chocolate (I used 6 – 1 oz blocks) wooden sticks or lollipop sticks

Directions

Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper or foil (or you can use a silicone mold like I did). Heat the cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Allow to melt gently. After 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until mixture is thick and shiny. Pour into pan or scoop in silicone molds.

Shake or tap on counter to level. Set aside overnight to set. (I put in the refrigerator) If using a silicone mold, pop each block out of the mold. If using a pan, run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a cutting surface. Slice into 1 1/4 inch cubes. For the smoothest cuts, heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut. Stick a wooden stick in each block. Add marshmallow prior to chocolate block, if desired.

tip page no.

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wood rock candy sticks are available in the Tomkat Studio Shop! click here for details

click here for printable

hot chocolate flags

recipe from

jessica, pen n’ paper flowers

pecan praline dessert drizzle

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. chopped pecans 7 tbsp. butter 1 1/2 c. light brown sugar 3/4 c. light corn syrup 2/3 c. evaporated milk

Directions

Melt butter over low heat in saucepan; add pecans.

Stir until light brown and the the aroma of lightly toasted pecans fills your kitchen.

Add brown sugar and corn syrup. Continue to stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk.

jessica kirkland pen n’ paperflowers

Jessica Kirkland, Founder and Creative Director at Pen N’ Paperflowers, Inc., has a serious passion for the domestic arts

Pour into prepared, sterilized jars.

Package up for gift giving and include gift tag with directions for serving.

To be served warm; drizzled over vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, pound cake, cookies and more.

Keeps up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator after opening.

pecan praline holiday gift tags available click here for free download

tip page no.

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recipe from

glory, glorious treats

chocolate cupcakes with peppermint cream cheese frosting Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

(makes 24-27 standard sized cupcakes) 2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (best quality available) 3/4 cup boiling water, or hot coffee

Directions

Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.

Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).

Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into page no.

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glory albin

Glorious Treats Glory lives with her husband and 2 young daughters in northern California.

She loves to bake, craft and party.

a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)

Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 Tablespoons) butter, at room temperature 6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature (about 3/4 of a regular block of cream cheese) 4 cups powdered confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk- although I do like the richness that cream adds)

Directions

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add powdered sugar (a little at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.

Add vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don’t add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)

Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

Use at once or keep refrigerated.

To achieve the red stripe in the frosting: Before filling a large piping bag with frosting, add some red gel food

coloring to a toothpick, and draw two (vertical) lines with the red dye on the inside of the piping bag. Then carefully fill the piping bag with frosting. Squeeze some frosting into a bowl until you begin to see the red stripe, then frost the cupcakes.

Top cupcakes with some crushed candy canes (they will ”melt” after a bit, so they need to be served right away) or a small piece of peppermint bark (I used a little peppermint Andes candy).

tip

This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture. page no.

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p u d e pp a all wr s t if g y a id l o h r u o y r o f s printable tag

printable gift tags

Kim Stoegbauer

The TomKat Studio

thetomkatstudio.com Kim is a party stylist/ designer who loves all things pretty and frilly.

She loves creating, crafting and decorating.

click on image to download page no.

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printable gift tags

Kori Clark paper and pigtails

paperandpigtailsparty.com

Kori, the owner/ designer of Paper & Pigtails, specializes in both digital and hand Illustrations. Her designs have been seen around the web on places like HGTV.com.

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printable gift tags

Kim Byers the celebration shoppe

TheCelebrationShoppe.com

Kim’s designs have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Parents and All You, as well as several online publications.

click on image to download page no.

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printable gift tags

Maureen & Adria

anders ruff custom designs andersruff.com

Anders Ruff equips the modern hostess with the beautiful details needed to make her events memorable.

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printable gift tags

Catherine Davis design editor

designeditor.typepad.com

Catherine is a designer, wife and mom to 3-yearold twins. Her blog features ideas for memory keeping, graphic design and crafts.

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printable gift tags

Jessica Kirkland

pen n’ paper flowers pnpflowersinc.com

Jessica Kirkland, Founder and Creative Director at Pen N’ Paperflowers, Inc., has a serious passion for the domestic arts.

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printable gift tags

Kelly Lyden the party dress

thepartydress.net

Kelly is the Editor of The Party Dress blog & magazine, designer of WH Hostess Social Stationery.

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printable gift tags

Becca Gorski cake

cakeeventsblog.com Becca is the editor of CAKE an events + design blog dedicated to inspiring details for happy occasions.

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printable gift tags

Lindsey Riel

pretty darn cute design

prettydarncute.com

Lindsey is a Web & Graphic Designer/ Blogger who loves anything design.

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printable gift tags

Paige Kepner Paiges of style

paigesofstyle.com Paige is a military wife, mama to two darling little girls and designer/ founder of Paiges of Style, a party printables shoppe.

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holiday gift guide

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