Christmas Cupcakes – Decorated Christmas Art That You Can Eat

Snow couple cupcakes

Our family loves traditions! There are many things that we love to do every year, simply because we’ve always enjoyed doing them together. And yet, there are those few things that bring us enjoyment just because we like the surprise of not knowing what to expect… like our Christmas goodies!

Some years we will make sheets & sheets of different kinds of cookies (truth be told… my husband loves to do alot of this!), and some years we will simply make a special dessert.

I thought I would share a “sweet” idea that you may not have thought of for your Christmas gatherings… cupcakes!

This year, at my son’s graduation party, we decided it would be easier to have individual cupcakes – instead of one big cake that had to be cut & served. We were amazed at how well the cupcakes were received! As a matter of fact, by the time everything was said & done, there wasen’t one left!

Then, this fall we went to a friend’s wedding, where the mother of the bride made a beautiful multi-tiered cupcake tower. Not only did the cupcakes taste wonderful, but they were still being talked about weeks after the reception!

I must say… cupcakes are not your everyday – run of the mill little pieces of cake these days 😉 Instead, they are being looked at as very chic little pieces of art… that are also delicious to eat!

I wanted to spark your creative thinking, and thought these beautiful little cupcakes would give you some great ideas to start with.

Please click on each individual cupcake to learn more about it & it’s baker! Now these are my kind of artists 😉

Check out these next 5 beautiful cupcakes from Bakerella
The fist picture is also from her collection.

cupcakes

blue and white christmas cupcakes

santa cupcake

gift cupcake

small cup cake

The simple design and pale colors make these very chic!

angel cupcake

I love these Christmas tree cupcakes. The baker made the tops by baking the mix in waffle cones.

christmas tree cupcakes

You can make beautiful “jackets” for your cupcakes using pretty paper, or paper lace.

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snowman cupcakes

And finally… who says Christmas art should only be shared on gingerbread? 🙂

art cupcake


  • Here are some wonderful cupcake recipes from Martha’s website.
  • If you want to know more about how to actually make cupcakes, here is a great how-to website.

  • Delicious No-Bake Orange Juice Cookies

    My mom & I had these tasty little treats at a recent baby shower that we went to. I had no idea what the little orange colored balls would taste like since I had never even heard of this no-bake cookie, but once I ate one, I knew I had to have the recipe! They are so simple to make, and give a real burst of flavor!

    Once you try this easy recipe, I think you will add it to your list of favorites!

    1 box of vanilla wafers – usually 12oz
    1 6oz can of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
    1 box of powdered sugar – 16oz
    1/2 cup butter
    1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
    1 1/2 cups of coconut

    Crush the vanilla wafers until fine. Mix vanilla wafers, orange juice, powdered sugar, butter, and chopped pecans. Shape the mixture into walnut-size balls, and roll in coconut. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Makes approx. 5 dozen cookies.

    So easy – yet so delicious!

    Make Cinnamon and Applesauce Ornaments to Use All Year For Pennies!

    Applesauce & Cinnamon Decorations

    There’s something about the smell of cinnamon & spices at Christmastime! Perhaps it’s the rush of childhood memories of making cookies in the kitchen with mom, or the little gifts that we would make in school? Or maybe it is the smell of pumpkin pie our family would share every Christmas evening that I remember so well? Whatever the reason, nothing says we’re ready for the holidays better than something sweet & spicy being prepared in the kitchen!

    These little ornaments have been warming hearts & homes for many years, and with proper care, they can last a very long time. In fact, the ornaments pictured above are ones that I made several years ago that I still enjoy! All it takes is a simple mixture of applesauce & cinnamon to create beautiful items for your home!

    To make these ornaments you will need:

    Equal parts of cinnamon & applesauce – I suggest 1 cup each for your first time

    Mix in a bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture in hands for several minutes to form a ball. If mixture is to dry, add a bit more applesauce. If it’s too wet, add a bit more cinnamon.

    Knead ball on cinnamon sprinkled surface until it holds together well. Then, roll out using a rolling pin sprinkled with cinnamon. You can use your favorite cookie cutters, or templates that you’ve drawn yourself to cut out your shapes. As you can see by the picture, for this batch, I chose to use a template of some little primitive stars for our shapes. I like the ornaments to be a little bit thick. This helps keep them from breaking over the years.

    Place ornaments on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cinnamon. Use a drinking straw to cut out the little circle that you will use to hang your ornament.

    Air dry for 24 to 48 hours – turning several times. You can also place the cookie sheet in a very low oven (around 200 degrees), which will help them dry much faster. Remember to turn several times.

    When you pack the ornaments away, be sure to cushion them to keep them from breaking. And, if they start to loose their scent over the years, add a drop of cinnamon oil to bring back the wonderful aroma!

    Primitive Christmas Tree

    Save money and make this a VERY inexpensive project!

    – Buy your applesauce in the large can in the bulk section of your super-mart

    – Buy your cinnamon in the generic containers from the super-mart or the local discount store. I can usually find larger containers of cinnamon 2 for $1.

    Use different materials to hang your ornaments

    Try using things such as;
    – yarn
    – clear fishing line
    – ribbon
    – raffia
    – twine or hemp
    – strips of homespun fabric – my favorite, as I buy it at super-mart for $1 pr yard!

    Different ways to use your ornaments

    1. Decorate a small Christmas tree using only these ornaments, then as your guests leave, take an ornament off and give it to them as a little gift.

    2. Use as gifts for teachers, the postman, your hairdresser, or any other person that you need to give a little special something to.

    3. Use them as a gift tag or package decoration by using paint to write the person’s name on the ornament.

    4. Do you make baked goods or jar mixes as gifts? If you do, add one of your ornaments to the jar or package by using a strip of homespun fabric to tie it on.

    5. Use your ornaments to make a beautiful garland!

    6. Add to a wooden bowl of things such as; potpourri, rusty bells, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, apple rings, and dried orange slices.

    7. You can add extra touches to your ornaments with acrylic paints, or glitter. You could also dip them in wax, then roll them in cinnamon for a wonderful “grubby” prim look!

    Remember…
    It doesn’t have to be Christmas for you to make these creative little beauties! How about hearts for Valentines Day, flowers for Mother’s day, and stars for the 4th of July! And, I know of many people who like to keep a little primitive style tree up all year long. They have the lights on it, and then they decorate it according to the holiday or season in which they are in.

    You don’t have to make them yourself!

    If you love the thought of using these creative little ornaments, but don’t have the time or energy to make them yourself, I still have the perfect plan for you!

    There is a gal named Jean that makes these little beauties & sells them in her online shop. Of course, hers are a bit different than mine… as she uses her “secret recipe” to make the ornaments purely out of cinnamon 😉 She has a whole store full of beautiful things that she makes, and everything is priced very nicely! Her store is called: BlueJean Primitives
    Check out all of the other wonderful things she has there – including some beautiful fabric covered primitive boxes!

    Here are her beautiful little stars!
    Applesauce ornaments

    How to Carve a Perfect Turkey for Your Holiday Table

    With Thanksgiving almost upon us, I thought I would share some helpful information about the main dish that will be gracing most of our tables… The Turkey!

    Many families have different traditions for their Thanksgiving table. Some families have the whole stuffed turkey on the table for a picture perfect presentation. Then, dad takes the carving knife, and serves the pieces one at a time.

    Some families decide to pre-slice the turkey, and serve it on a platter. Sometimes this choice is made due to ease of serving, less time waiting for each plate to be filled, or maybe your turkey didn’t come out of the oven looking like the Norman Rockwell paintings that we all strive for 😉

    In any case, whether you place the turkey in the middle of the table for presentation, or you pre-slice it and serve it on a platter, I’m sure the following video will help you decide where to begin when you pick up the carving knife 😉


    Adding Style and History to Your Kitchen With Pyrex

    Chocolate & Red Pyrex Bowls

    I love having pretty bowls & platters to use in our kitchen.

    Recently, I decided to keep my eyes open for some nice Pyrex bowls. I remember my mom & grandmothers using Pyrex bowls in their kitchens, but the kitchen decor of my grandmother’s day, came in shades of olive & burnt orange (I know it won’t be long before these shades return to our homes, but right now, the colors are a bit different ;). But, when I realized how many pretty colors & patterns there were to choose from, I knew that I could probably find some that would fit into my current kitchen decor.

    I went to a local antique store, where you can find all sorts of things for every room in the house. There, I found lots of different Pyrex pieces to choose from. The prices ranged from $2.50 – $8.00 for the larger bowls. These prices were much cheaper than the new bowls that you can buy in the store, and I love filling my cupboards with history & style!

    Yellow Pyrex Bowl


    Here’s a snippet of history from the Pyrex website:

    ” Back in the early 1900’s, Corning Glass Works was working on a request from the railroads to produce lantern glass that would not break when the hot glass was struck by rain or snow. In response to this request, Corning developed globes made from low-expansion glass that could withstand the abuses of weathering and handling which readily broke the flint glass globes. Ironically, the shatterproof lantern globes generated were so good that Corning’s managers witnessed a decline in sales of replacement globes.

    This super-tough “fire glass”, as it was called, was resistant to temperature fluctuations, chemical corrosion and even breakage. In July 1913, a series of events involving Bessie Littleton, the wife of the company’s newest scientist, forced Corning managers to focus their attention on the consumer venture. Apparently, Mrs. Littleton had used a Guernsey brand casserole only twice when it fractured in the oven. Knowing the strength of the glass her husband worked with on a daily basis, she implored him to bring home a substitute from the Corning Glass Works plant. He returned the next evening with the bottoms of two sawed-off battery jars made from low-expansion glasses. Mrs. Littleton cooked a sponge cake in one of the surrogate baking dishes. She noted several remarkable findings:

    – The cooking time was shorter
    – The cake did not stick to the glass; it was easy to remove with little adhesion
    – The cake was unusually uniform
    – The flavor of the cake did not remain in the dish after washing
    – Watch the cake bake & know it was done by looking at the underside

    Mr. Littleton brought his wife’s creation to work the following day. Laboratory researchers inspected the cake, which was a “remarkable uniform shade of brown all over.” The men deemed it delicious and very well baked. Thus began a two-year process to perfect this new invention. The notion of baking in glass was a whole new concept to the public. In 1915, a wondrous new line of “glass dishes for baking” appeared in the nation’s hardware, department and china stores. On May 18, 1915, Boston department store Jordan Marsh placed the first PYREX bake ware order. “

    This is a set of blue & white bowls that belonged to my grandmother. My parents just gave to me this week, but I told them that they should have saved them for my Christmas gift! I already had the small rec. shaped dish, and it matches so perfectly!

    Blue Pyrex Bowls

    Blue Pyrex & White Pitcher

    Pretty Blue & White Bowls

    This is why I’m falling in love with Pyrex 😉

    – Easy to clean
    – Said to be unbreakable, a necessity during the Great Depression & World War ll
    – Economical
    – Absorbs heat waves which speeds up the cooking process & saves energy
    – Bake & serve from the same dish
    – Can use in the refrigerator, freezer, and microwave
    – Bread supposedly bakes an inch higher in Pyrex!
    – Comes in many shapes & colors
    – Does not stain – or retain food odors
    – Even antique pieces are still readily available – due to it’s durability
    – An estimated 75% of all U.S. households own Pyrex

    I encourage you to keep your eyes open! For a few dollars, you might find some beautiful dishes, lots of style, and wonderful history for your kitchen!

    … Oh the stories those dishes could tell 🙂


    PYREX is a registered trademark of Corning Incorporated.
    * You can find lots of history at their website: http://www.Pyrex.com

    Trip to the Apple Orchard – Picking the Right Apple for the Job

    Apple Orchard

    “You & I can count the seeds in an apple, but only God knows how many apples are in each seed”

    There’s something so heart warming about the aroma of apples cooking in the kitchen! Maybe it’s because of the memories of childhood when, as a little girl, I would “help” my mom & grandmother peel the buckets of apples on my great-grandma Pearl’s farm. I remember watching great-grandma Pearl put an apple in her hand sitting out on the front porch of her little farmhouse. Then, she would peel it as she spun the apple around and around in her hand. When she finished the entire apple, there would only be one very long piece of apple peel that would drop into the big pile of peels, as the apples made their way to the canning kitchen. Although I tried and tried to “get the big long peel” as a youngster, I’m only just now attaining that great skill 😉 Perhaps it’s the knowledge that Autumn, which is my favorite season of the year, is finally here that makes the onset of apple season so special? Or, could it just be the anticipation of getting a little taste of the delicious dish of apple goodness that is baking in the oven? Knowing me and my nostalgic outlook on life, I’m sure it’s a mixture of all of the above 😉

    Even though great-grandma Pearl has long since passed, and I don’t currently have my own orchard, each year our family travels a few miles up North to pick apples at our favorite orchard. We usually wait until the end of October, but this year we decided to go up with some friends to see what we could find earlier in the season. I was amazed to find so many different types of apples available! I guess our trip will be an earlier one from now on, because when we wait until the end of October, most of the variety is already gone. But, that’s not to say that we can’t go up more than once and make the season last as long as possible 😉

    I just love going to the apple farm, because besides apples, they have so many other things to see, smell, and taste! There’s the rows of corn stalks lined up like a marching band along the children’s corn maze, keeping the little ones continually guessing how they’re going to find their way out. There’s crate after crate of colorful pumpkins, guards, and squash, and I think the bunches of Indian corn must have every color imaginable, because they aren’t just brown & red anymore! And I mustn’t forget the luscious aromas that escape out of the big red barn, and somehow find their way right to our little noses! The scents of popcorn, cotton candy, apple cider, chocolate fudge, fresh baked donuts, and caramel apples all seem to mingle together and scream come & find me… and of course we must!

    Even though I know what “type” of apple that I like the best, when we get to the farm, we still have to ask the same question every year – which is the best kind of apple for eating, and which is the best for baking?

    Since I ask this question every year, I thought you might face the same questions when you get to the store, apple orchard, or farm stand in your area. So… I wanted to put together a little list of the different kinds of apples, their descriptions, and what they might be best suited for.

    * My little secret… I love a crisp, tart, apple that is great for both eating & baking – so Jonagold wins the “Apple of my Eye” award 😉

    Jonagold: An apple that is both tart and sweet. It’s firm texture makes it one of the world’s most preferred eating apples
    Jonagold Apple

    Golden Delicious: Mild sweet flavor – eating, salads and apple sauce
    Golden Delicious Apples

    Cortland: Tangy Taste – snacking, salads, and baking
    Cortland Apple

    Empire: Unique sweet/tart flavor, crisp and juicy – eating and salads
    Empire Apples

    Ginger Gold: Sweet but mildly tart – eating and salads
    Ginger Gold Apples

    Golden Delicious: Mild sweet flavor – eating, salads and sauce
    Golden Delicious

    Honey Crisp: Big juicy and sweet – great eating apple
    Honey Crisp Apples

    Ida Red: Highly flavored and crisp – eating and baking
    ida red

    Jonamac: Sweet/tart flavor – eating and sauces
    jonamac

    McIntosh: Juicy tangy and aromatic – Most popular eating apple
    Macintosh Apples

    Macoun: Mild tart taste firm apple – snacking and fresh desserts
    Macoun Apples

    Northern Spy: Tart apple – eating, sauces, baking
    Northern Spy Apple

    Red Delicious: Juicy and sweet taste – eating and salads
    Red Delicious Apples

    Rome: Firm mildly tart flavor – Perfect for baking and sauce, keeps very well
    Rome Apples