Homemade Christmas Crackers

I was so grateful to Heidi for sharing this English Christmas Cracker on The Frugal Girls last week. I thought I'd share it here as well today. Try these as a last minute place setting for your Christmas table tomorrow or make them for a New Year's Eve Party. Have fun!

Christmas Crackers are a tradition dating back to the 1800s in England. These colorful packages which open with a loud “pop!” are shared at Christmastime. The traditional contents consist of a tissue paper hat, a joke or bit of trivia, and a trinket of some sort. Trinkets can be useful—a miniature flash light, small screwdriver or key ring. Other times the trinkets are good for a laugh—a kazoo or yo-yo would create smiles at your holiday get-together . Other countries share this festive tradition and in recent years holiday crackers have been sold in the U.S. This year I’ve already seen them at William-Sonoma, Target, World Market and Target. We’ve used the store-bought crackers a few times and have enjoyed
them but wouldn’t it be more fun to customize your own?

Supplies:
Paper Towel Tubes
Freezer Paper, Parchment Paper, or Wax Paper
Wrapping Paper
Cracker Snaps
Ribbon, cut into 12 inch pieces
Contents: Tissue Paper for Hats, Paper to Print Jokes, Trinkets, and More
Other: golf balls to assist in wrapping your crackers

Let’s get started. To get the “pop!” you’ll need to order the popping strips for a few dollars. Here is the site I used. You could easily skip this step and add bells for some noise but it’s fun to have two people pull on opposite ends of the popper and then the winner is whoever is left with the longer end (similar to a turkey wishbone).

I use paper towel tubes to support the shape of the cracker. You could also buy tubing at the craft store. Cut your tubes in half so that each is about 5 1/2 inches long.

I think it looks nice to use freezer paper to line the tube so that the recipients won’t even notice that their gift began as a paper towel tube. This layer also adds stiffness to the wrapping paper so that it is less likely to rip when you tie the ends.

Cut the freezer paper and your wrapping paper into rectangles about 12 inches by 6 inches.
Roll up the freezer paper and insert it inside the tube. (See photo 1) Next wrap the wrapping paper around the outside of the tube. Secure it with tape, glue or double-sided tape if you wish. (See photo 2)

Lay the popper inside the tube.

Tie the first end of the cracker. Here’s where the golf ball comes in to play. Christmas Crackers always have long tube-like endings. The paper isn’t bunched together and the crackers are uniform in appearance. You can buy wrapping tubes to assist you (and I made some with an extra paper towel tube) but the best tool I found was the golf ball. Stuff the golf ball into the end of the cracker.(See photos 3 and 4) Notice in photo 4 that the top Cracker has squished ends because no golf ball was used.) Carefully take your ribbon and tie it about 1/2 inch off the end of the cardboard tube. You’ll need to leave that space so that you don’t rip the paper. Pull gently but firmly so that you secure the end tightly. Remove the golf ball and you are left with a gorgeous tube of wrapping paper.  Now fill your tube. (See photos 5 and 6)

The hats: Yes! Everyone at the table will wear a funny hat on his/her head and you’ll all have a good laugh. This is part of the fun and no party-poopers allowed! Take the tissue paper and cut it into 5 inch sections. (See photo 7) It may already be folded from its packaging or, if not, fold it into sections and cut the top of your crown with a jagged edge—think of those hats we used to get in Burger King happy meals. That is the look you’d like to achieve. Tape the edge of the hat together, about 12 inch diameter for adults and 8 for children.

My sister found a great site with friendly Christmas jokes for kids here. This has an English twist so a few jokes might not get laughs from an American audience but use whatever makes you chuckle.

Trinkets—customize your crackers so that the golf fan receives tees, ball makers and golf pencils; someone who likes pampering might be thrilled with nail polish, a nail file and toe separators. Be creative and make your friends and family grin from ear to ear when they pop open their crackers!

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Cookies #BloggersforSandyHook

The sadness and grief that hit Newtown, Connecticut last week and violently rippled across the nation is devastating. To lose children, teachers and people who cared deeply about the well being of their students is beyond comprehension. It is difficult to know how to reach out to help. What words are there to comfort broken hearts at this time? Sometimes it helps to know that you are not alone in your grief, that there are others-- complete strangers-- who wish to offer condolences and support. While I know a simple blog post can't provide relief to families who grieve the tremendous loss of loved ones, I do hope that knowing that the community from near and far cares and wants to show support is a small gesture with far-reaching effects. It is in that spirit that I share this recipe for gingerbread cookies today.

Gingerbread cookies are a sign of Christmas celebration. Their shape allows a cookie to come to life in the imagination of children. Make these cookies with your families and remember those in Newtown. Find joy in the simple act of baking and decorating and sharing time with your own children and grandchildren. Let the icing overflow, the sprinkles decorate the table and the rug, and the smiles of sweet children enjoying the season bring a moment of happiness to your home!

Credit:
Recipe from Kraft
I first found this recipe on Nine and Sixteen where Tessa has cute decorating ideas.

Ingredients:

3/4

cup  butter, softened

3/4

cup  packed brown sugar

1

pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Butterscotch Instant Pudding

1

 egg

2

cups  flour

1

tsp.  baking soda

1

Tbsp.  ground ginger

1-1/2

tsp.  ground cinnamon

I found this recipe is most easily made with a standing mixer. I tried an hand-held, electric mixer that wasn't up to the task, a wooden spoon that nearly snapped in two, and finally the standing mixer which saved the day!

First cream the butter, brown sugar, butterscotch pudding mix and egg together.

Separately combine the flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon (dry ingredients). One Tablespoon of ginger might look like a lot but the flavor is not overwhelming. These are delicious cookies.

Now add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in a few stages, allowing the ingredients to blend well each time.

Refrigerate the dough wrapped in plastic wrap for at least an hour. This step makes all the difference between sticky, unmanageable dough, and the supple, friendly dough that results after the refrigeration time. Don't skip this step!

Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters and re-roll the dough as needed. Line cookie sheets with parchment or baking spray.

Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 3-4 minutes then move to a wire cooling rack. Decorate if you wish with royal icing or frosting.

Enjoy!!

If you'd like to give the joy of baking as a gift this Christmas season, click through to this recent post for the Gingerbread Cookie Mix Gift in a Jar.

Gifts in a Jar: Gingerbread Cookie Mix

Gingerbread cookies are a delight to make around this time of year! Mixing and rolling out the dough is a fun family tradition to start with your children. Cookie cutters bring the dough to life and eating the ginger treats makes it feel like Christmas! This gift allows you to prepare the ingredients for a friend and it makes the gingerbread baking process simple and fun.  The list of ideal recipients is not limited to friends who like to bake—this makes a sweet gift for teachers, neighbors, hostess gifts, co-workers, and it is especially nice to have a few on hand as a last minute gift.

Dried Cranberry and White Chocolate Ginger Cookies #BakeTogether

December’s #BakeTogether from Abby Dodge arrived in my inbox at just the right time: I was STILL trying to pick the perfect cookie to take to our neighborhood cookie exchange. Abby’s recipe for spicy ginger slice ‘n bakes was just the starting point I needed. I loved the idea of “slice ‘n bake”; it is easy to make a lot of cookies quickly and any leftover dough can be refrigerated or frozen for another day. Fantastic! Now all I had to do was make these cookie my own. Abby’s monthly baking challenge encourages anyone who is game to start with her recipe then take some twists and turns to create something new. For someone like me who loves to bake but isn’t making my own recipes from scratch all of the time, this is just the inspiration I crave. Come bake along with us!

Spritz Cookies

Your holiday baking (or eating!) might not be complete without these traditional Spritz cookies. This is my first year making the buttery cookies and I am hooked! A kind friend brought me a beautiful plate of Spritz cookies last Christmas. I was so touched by her thoughtfulness that I wanted to pass on that same holiday cheer this year. While you could use a pastry bag and star icing tip to get a similar effect, the cookie press gadget is the key to these precisely shaped cookies. From flowers to hearts to pumpkins to butterflies, these shapes are going to be used year-round. Buy the cookie press for about $12 (mine is from Homegoods) and you’ll have years of baking Spritz cookies ahead of you.

Coffee Chocolate Crinkles

I’ve tested a few cookies out as candidates to take to a neighborhood cookie exchange. These coffee chocolate crinkles are strong contenders. I think holiday cookies not only have to be tasty, but they have to be something you wouldn’t make on some random day in July. No run of the mill cookies in sight. Make it special and something that you look forward to each December. Keep in mind you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to bake up these holiday memories. Exactly the opposite is true. You will more likely make recipes an annual tradition if they are easy enough to make. Count on these coffee chocolate crinkles to fit the bill.

Creative Gift Packaging for Cookies

Cookies make a wonderful gift for friends, neighbors, relatives, teachers, and anyone else who you want to show appreciation and gratitude. Now that you’ve decided to bake up a storm, how are you going to present your goodies? Take the extra step to package your cookies with care. We all eat with our eyes first and receiving a beautifully wrapped gift of food only makes the recipient that much more excited to dig right in. Here’s the secret—your packaging does not have to be flashy or expensive. Try this easy method to make your own tower of treats using an empty can of Pringles.

Pear Butter in the Crock Pot

Turning fruits into a smooth, concentrated sauce or condiment of sorts is SO easy with the help of the crock pot. All that is required is good-quality fruit, a small bit of sugar, and spices of your choice. I’ve made apple butter and pumpkin butter in recent weeks. Today I’d like to share this pear butter. Spread it on top of toast or along side a pork tenderloin. This pear butter complements a variety of foods. How will you use it? Let me know!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Sometimes you need something simple, nothing fancy and just plain old good. Presenting the Peanut Butter Cookie: basic in the best way, crunchy on the outside with a chewy middle. Have you forgotten how good these could be?? It’s been years since I made peanut butter cookies. Years. I think it was nearly ten years ago when my brother-in-law visited us; I was told ahead of time that he liked peanut butter cookies so that’s what I made. I probably ate the cookies faster than he did!

Chocolate Bourbon Mini Bundt #BundtaMonth

Welcome back to #BundtaMonth, a monthly celebration of all things Bundt hosted by Cake Duchess and Baker Street.  I am happy to join this group with my contribution for the December theme of boozy cakes: the chocolate bourbon mini Bundt.

I started with this recipe from Family Circle for their Chocolate Bourbon Cake and intended to change the shape slightly by using a mini Bundt pan.  Little did I know that I’d make the recipe my own through a mistake: I cut the recipe ingredients in half to fill my three small Bundt pans…but I neglected to cut the liquid measurement in half. The Family Circle recipe states that the batter will be thin, but the batter I made was so thin that it resembled something closer to chocolate water rather than chocolate cake batter. I added some flour and kept going, putting the Bundts in the oven and hoping for the best.