Christmas In July

Frosty Polar Bears

Frosty Polar Bears

  • Makes: 2 ½ dozen
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 60 round butter-flavored crackers
  • 24 oz. White candy coating, melted
  • 60 miniature marshmallows
  • 30 mini butter-flavored crackers
  • Blue chocolate M&M’s
  • Black sugar pearls
  • Black decorating icing, optional

Spread peanut butter on half of the crackers; top with remaining crackers to make sandwiches refrigerate until firm. Dip sandwiches in melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Dip marshmallows in coating; allow excess to drip off. Place two marshmallows on top each cookie for ears. Dip mini crackers in melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on top of sandwiches for snouts. Top each snout with an M&M. Add black sugar pearls for eyes and, if desired; use black decorating icing for mouths. Let stand until set. Refrigerate cookies in an airtight container.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

 

Count Down To Easter

Eclectic Egg Cookies

Eclectic Egg Cookies

 Cookies:

  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 ½ sticks (1/2 pound plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups all- purpose flour

 Frosting:

  • 4 large pasteurized egg whites
  • ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 to 6 teaspoons milk, if needed
  • Food coloring gel – spring colors
  • Desired decorations

 For the cookies: In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat the powdered sugar, butter egg yolks, salt almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour and beat on low speed until large clumps of dough form. The dough will look too dry at first, so be patient. Pour the dough clumps onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Gather into a ball & flatten into a disk. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. It will be a very large piece of dough. Slide onto a rimmed baking sheet to keep the dough flat and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Discard the plastic wrap. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Stamp out cookies with cutters of your choice. Simple shapes with clean edges work best. Arrange the cookies on the lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown on the edges, 12-15 minutes, depending on size. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet.

For the frosting: In a large glass or metal bowl, with electric mixer at low speed, beat the egg whites until frothy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. With the mixer running, add the powder sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat on low speed until smooth Increase the speed to high and beat until still, shiny peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Decorate the cookies as desired.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies depending on size & shape

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

 

Christmas Cookies

Gingerbear Cookies

Gingerbear Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup margarine or butter
  • 1/3 cup packed soft brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar to decorate

Sieve the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, cream the margarine or butter, sugar and syrup until soft and light in texture. Work in the dry ingredients and knead the mixture thoroughly. Roll out the dough to a ¼ in thickness. Make a template for the bear’s head using thin cardboard. Dust the surface of the rolled out dough with a little flour, lay the template in position and carefully cut around the outside with a sharp knife. Repeat until all the dough is used. Bake the cookies on greased baking sheets in the center of a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. When the cookies are cool, pipe eyes, nose and mouth using the powdered sugar blended with a little warm water to give a flowing consistency. Makes 8-10 cookies.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Tree Platter

Christmas Tree Platter

  • 1 package peanut butter cookie dough
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk or lemon juice
  • Assorted food colors, colored sugars and assorted small decors

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide dough one half. Reserve 1 half; refrigerate remaining dough. Roll reserved half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out tree shapes with cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Reroll scraps; cut into small circles for ornaments, squares and rectangles for gift boxes and tree trunks. Bake 8 to 12 minutes depending on size of cookies. Mix sugar and milk for icing. Tint most of icing green and a smaller amount red or other colors for ornaments and boxes. Spread green icing on trees. Sprinkle ornaments and boxes with colored sugars and decorate as desired. Arrange cookies on flat platter to resemble tree. Makes about 1 dozen cookies.

Tip: Use this beautiful Christmas Tree Platter cookie as your centerpiece for this holiday’s family dinner.  It is sure to receive lots of “oohs” and ahs”!

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Count Down To Halloween

Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  • green and orange food coloring

For Decorating:

  • 5 licorice all sorts, thinly sliced
  • 20 jelly beans, halved
  • 5 gummy candies, cut into 4 pieces
  • mini chocolate chips
  • mixed candies for decorating

To make the cookies, beat the butter, sugar, and egg with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add the flour. Using your hands, press the mixture together to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a large baking sheet with melted butter or oil. Roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper to ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes, using any desired cutters. Put the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.  Leave to cool. Divide and sift the confectioners’ sugar into bowls. Add the water and food coloring and stir well.  Dip the front of each cookie into the frosting. While the frosting is still soft, decorate the cookies with candies.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Count Down To Halloween

Thumbprints

Thumbprints

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 2 tablespoons peach or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. Using electric beaters, beat the butter and sugar in a small bowl until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the milk and vanilla, and beat until combined. Sift the flour and pudding mix into the butter mixture and mix to form a soft dough. Roll 2 teaspoons of the dough at a time into balls and place on the baking sheets. Press a hollow in each ball with your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon and fill each hole with ¼ teaspoon of jam. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 32.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Count Down To Halloween

Bleeding Fingers

Bleeding Fingers

  • 2 egg whites
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup shredded dried coconut
  • ½ cup raspberry or strawberry jam
  • 10 colored jelly beans

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Fold in the coconut. Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain ¾ inch nozzle with the meringue mixture. Pipe 3 ¼ inch lengths onto the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 235 degrees F and bake for a further 45 to 50 minutes, or until the meringues are light and crisp. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool. Heat the jam in a saucepan over low heat until thin and runny. Pour into a bowl. Cut one end from each jelly bean and discard the end. Cut the remaining jelly beans in half lengthwise. Press the jelly bean on the end of each meringue. Drizzle with warm jam to resemble the blood. Makes 20.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

After School Treats

Alien CookiesPirate And Alien Cookies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  • 4 drops green food coloring
  • 5 licorice allsorts, thinly sliced
  • 20 jelly beans, halved
  • 5 gummy candies, cut into 4 pieces

To make the cookies, beat the butter, sugar and egg with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the flour. Using your hands, press the mixture together to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a large baking sheet with melted butter or oil.  Roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper to ¼ inch thick.  Cut into shapes, using cutters. Put the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.  Leave to cook. Stir the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl.  Add the water and food coloring, and stir well.  Dip the front of each cookie into the frosting. While the frosting is still soft, decorate the cookies with the candies. Makes   10

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

After School Treats

Fairy Wand CookiesFairy Wand Cookies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 7 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 10 popsicle sticks
  • small dragees, to decorate

Beat the butter, sugar and egg with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the flour. Using your hands, press the mixture together to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a large baking sheet with melted butter or oil. Roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper to ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into twenty stars, using a star shaped cutter. Arrange on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on the trays. Place ½ teaspoon of melted chocolate on the flat side of half the cookies. Spread out to cover. Attach the stick and sandwich the remaining cookies over the chocolate and press together. Allow the chocolate to set. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the stars. Decorate with dragees and allow to set. Makes 10

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

Decorated Sugar CookiesDecorated Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all- purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • Royal icing

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well. Combine flour, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture, blending well. (Dough will be very stiff.) Divide dough into thirds; roll each portion to 1/8- inch thickness on lightly floured waxed paper. Cut with desired cutters, and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 deg. For 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Spoon red Royal icing into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 3 round tip, and pipe outlines on cookies. Fill in between outlines by piping green connecting stars, using a No. 16 or No. 18 metal tip. Let icing dry. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Royal Icing:

  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
  • Red and green paste food coloring

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar, mixing well. Beat 5 to 7 minutes. Tint one- fourth of icing red; tint remaining icing green. Yield icing for about 5 dozen cookies. Note: Icing dries very quickly; keep covered at all times with plastic wrap. Food coloring may be substituted or omitted if icing is used for other cookie recipes.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com