Happy December!!  How’s your countdown going:)  I LIVE for this month!!  My Christmas shopping is done, my decorating is finished, and most of my gifts are created!!  Time to relax and party!!  (do those two even go together??)

This week I’ll be preparing for my first ever Cookie Exchange Party!!  I saw this fabulous post from Funky Polkadot Giraffe, and was sold!!

I knew I wanted to host my own party this year!!

If you have any holiday parties planned this month, you gotta check out some of these darling ideas!!  I’m feeling sooo inspired!!!  Love you Pinterest:)

I’m totally loving this modern Christmas display!  This would be darling for any holiday party…

And then for a more traditional look, here’s another gorgeous display for ya!!

-K- two more pins for you:)  I can’t decide which cookies to make, maybe you can help me out??

These delicious white chocolate cherry shortbread cookies…

or…

these Cinnamon Sugar Roll cookies…

I’m drooling right now.  Anyway, hope these pins gave you some holiday inspiration!!  Hope your week is fabulous!!

I consider myself a connoisseur of cookies, namely chocolate chip cookies:)  So when I tried this “best” chocolate chip cookie recipe I was a little dubious…

But Guess What!!  They ARE the BEST chocolate chip cookies I’ve tasted!  I came across this recipe on Pinterest via The baking addiction…

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think…

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content  (see note below)
*Sea salt (sometimes I add this, sometimes, I don’t)

Directions
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

I’m telling you, the sea salt is a MUST, it really enhances all the flavors, soo yummy!!  Grab a glass of milk, and enjoy!!

So before I get going, I have to tell you that these cookies are sooo goood. Like surprisingly delicious.  Like, you have no idea until you try them.

I got the recipe from the back of a bag of ground flax.

Yep, it’s one of THOSE kind of recipes:)  (Just wait til you see what’s in ‘em)

Grandma Miller’s Flax Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter

• 1 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup milled flaxseed

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup flaked coconut

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 2 cups raisins (boiled in 2 cups of water)

• 1 cup slivered almonds

• dash sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  In a large bowl cream together butter, sugars, and vanilla til light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well between each addition.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually stir into creamed mixture.  Fold in flaxseed, oats, raisins, almonds, and coconut.  (If mixture appears too dry, add milk or water.)

Drop rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in preheated oven.  Remove to a wire cookie rack and cool completely.

This recipe makes A TON of cookies!!

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk, YUM!!

These cookies are melt in your mouth DELICIOUS!!!

I was browsing pinterest for a bit (if you’re not hooked yet, go check it out:) and I came across these yummy looking sandwich cookies.  The recipe came from Jun-Blog…

I knew I had to “pin” them for later!!!

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Dulce de Leche

1 can condensed milk

Making the Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk the flour and baking soda together.

In a large bowl, mix the unsalted butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Shape into 1-inch balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Press flat with a fork in one direction and then press again in the perpendicular direction to give a crisscross effect.

Bake one sheet at a time, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a rack to cool.

Making the Dulce de Leche

In a double boiler (a homemade double boiler can be used), (I just propped a big glass bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water, and added the sweetened condensed milk to the glass bowl)…Heat the condensed milk for about an hour while stirring it every so often. As the milk cooks it will get thicker and take on a darker caramel color. The dulce de leche will further thicken as it cools. If you prefer a very thick and more caramel-like dulce de leche, heat the condensed milk up to 90 minutes.

Store the dulce de leche in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Spoon a heaping amount of dulce de leche between two peanut butter cookies, forming a sandwich.

Let cool on parchment paper.

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk, YUM!!!

I LOVE a chocolate mint combo… and I always think of “mint” in March, maybe the whole St. Patricks Day thing…

Anyway, I took a basic homemade oreo cookie recipe and minted it up for the holiday:)

Mint Oreo Cookies

Cookie Part:
1 package chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 – cup oil
2 tsp mint extract

Cream Cheese Filling Recipe:

1/2 cup butter 
1 block of cream cheese (8 oz)
3-4 cups – powdered sugar (depending on desired consistency)
1 – tsp vanilla extract                                                                                                                                                                        1-2 tsp of green food coloring

Cream butter and add cream cheese and mix well.  Add vanilla.  Add powdered sugar slowly until you reach your desired consistency.  Last, add the food coloring to your desired shade of green.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add oil, mint extract, and eggs to cake mix and blend together. Roll dough into balls (about an inch in diameter) and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.  Remove cookies from sheet and place on cooling rack.  To assemble the cookies, add a heaping spoonful of filling into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie similar in size on top of the filling.  Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.  Continue until all cookies are filled and sandwiched.

Beware, these bad boys are SUPER messy, but sooo delish!!!

Linking up HERE this week!

How in the world are ya!!  I’ve missed you all!   I miss blogging!!  After taking a week off to play with my family, I’m feeling slightly behind… Although, I have been busting my tail (you will be so proud) organizing and cleaning my much neglected house!!! 

So I have a tiny little confession…

I’m kinda baked out for a bit (after the holiday bake -a- thon at my mom’s), so I pulled out a tried and true favorite of mine!!

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty much a peppermint junkie when the holidays come!  I LOVE anything and everything peppermint!  So I found this delicious recipe over at A Feathered Nest, and changed it up using what I had on hand… 

Oh my word,

These cookies are sooooo delish, especially eaten with some peppermint hot cocoa!!

Enjoy!!

Mint Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. sweetened, shaved coconut
1 1/4 c. coarsly chopped pecans (or whatever nut you like)
1 1/2 c. Andes Mint Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (I used 325). Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla. On low speed, add baking soda, salt and then flour. Mix completely. Stir in oats, coconut, pecans, and peppermint chips.

These cookies spread WAY out, so drop small spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet (about 1 Tbsp). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and middle is still gooey. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool.

Don’t forget to break out the hot cocoa:)

Hi There! I am so excited to be here on Just Sew Sassy today! I love Staci and Marina’s Anthro knock-off shirt and Reversible ruffle scarf!

Nope not drunk (what a relief you will not be taking your tour with a drunk driver), I may or may not be a bit clumsy though.

A little about me, I am a SAHM with one crazy 3 year old boy, a 6 week old baby boy, and a big geek for a husband (don’t worry, he calls himself a geek). I love keeping busy and sharing all my projects and adventures whether they be Home decor, holiday projects, or discovering how to get permanent marker off granite counter tops.

So, enough about me…here are a few of my favorite projects.