Cookie Gift Packaging Using an Origami Cup

This morning I shared with you our family shortbread recipe that we make every year.  We love this recipe so much that it just doesn't feel like Christmas without these cookies.  


I thought it would be fun to have a way to give special cookies as gifts to family and friends so I came up with these origami cups that can be hung on the tree ready to be handed out.

They aren't hard to make at all and I've included a step-by-step set of instructions to make them below.

Directions:
Cut out two squares - one from waxed paper and one from brown wrapping paper.  I used 12 inch squares, but you can vary this depending on the size you want the final cup to be.  I used a dab of glue at the corners to keep the two squares together while I was working with them.  


Step #1:  fold the square in half (as shown below):

Step #2:  Fold the right corner up to meet the upper left edge about half way along (the top of our folded piece should be parallel with the bottom of the triangle, as shown below):

Step #3: Repeat and fold the left corner up to meet the upper right edge (as shown below):

Step #4:  Fold the flaps to the front and back (as shown below):

Step #5:  Punch holes near the ends to put some string or wool or ribbon through so you can hang it (see below):

I found these stickers at Michael's that say "Baked Especially for you..." so I put one on the flap to hold it down and make the front look pretty.  I have seen a lots of free on-line labels and tags that you can print yourself so you could use those as well. 

There you go - all set to be given away to someone.  (And if you think we have our tree set-up so I could take these pictures then you'd be wrong.  I was the crazy lady out in our front yard taking photos of a cookie hanging on our tree).

Don't forget to pop on over to Angie's blog at Echoes of Laughter and see what she has been cooking up.   And please stop by tomorrow for another batch of cookies here on Day 3 of Christmas Cookie Week.

Linked to Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Homemade Projects at Tip Junkie
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories at A 2 Z,
Handmade Holiday at Just a Girl

Christmas Cookie Week: Shortbread

Today is Day 2 of Christmas Cookie Week and I baked our favourite family shortbread recipe.  This is a recipe that my Grandmother used as far back as my Father can remember so it may have even been passed down to my Grandmother from her Mother.  I like to think so as I love things that have a connection to history like that.

The recipe is simple - only 4 ingredients - and seems like something the pioneers would have made.  It takes far longer to knead all the ingredients into a ball than it does to add everything into the bowl.

Ingredients:

1 lb butter (2 cups) at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

5 cups flour

pinch salt

Method:
1.  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
2.  Knead until they form a ball
3.  Roll out on a lightly-floured surface to a thickness of between 1/4 and 1/2 inch
4.  Cut or stamp cookies with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased cookie sheet
5.  Bake at 350F for about 8-10 minutes or until they are lightly brown (do not overbake)

Traditionally we use our cookie cutters and then we decorate the cookies with sprinkles.  Kate  loves to do this (you can see the fun she and a friend had last year in this post) and will hopefully make us another batch when she gets back from university in December.

I tried something different this year.  After I rolled out the dough I used a side plate as my template and I cut around the circle.  Then I used a fork to crimp the edges and I then cut the circle into eight pieces.  I put a few sprinkles on each section before baking them.  It was a fun simple variation on our usual way of decorating the shortbread cookies, but between you and me I'll always prefer Kate's masterpieces.

Thanks for stopping by for Day 2 of Christmas Cookie Week.  For more baking inspiration pop on over to Angie's blog and see what she has cooking.  Also come on back this afternoon to check out how I packaged the shortbread cookies to give them away as Christmas treats.

Linked to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,
Tasty Tuesday at Nap Time Creations,
Handmade Holiday at Just a Girl,
Recipe Link Party at Remodelaholic,
Cookiepalooza Party at Centsational Girl

Cookie Gift Packaging Using a Chinese Takeout Container

Since this is Christmas Cookie Week we are talking about all things cookie related.  Not only are there yummy recipes, but also interesting ways to package the cookies so you can give them as gifts.


This morning I shared with you a delicious recipe for Double Ginger Chocolate Cookies and now I'm going to show you a fun way to package these cookies using a Chinese takeout container.  

You can buy these containers for a few dollars at lots of different stores like Michaels or Solutions.   I envisioned using a white container and covering it with red and green dots, but when I got to Michaels the white containers were all banged up so I bought a red one instead.  You really have to be flexible in the world of crafting I'm discovering.

In the photo below you can see the empty container surrounded by the little circles of scrapbooking paper that I cut out.  It would have been easier if I had had a circle punch the right size, but mine was too small so I just went with what I had and cut circles using scissors.

I used Google translate to find out how to write "Merry Christmas" in different languages which I wrote on the circles.  I picked languages that had some meaning to me - like "Vrolijk Kerstfeest" which is Dutch and I lived in the Netherlands for a year as an exchange student, and "Joyeux Noel" which is French and we visited France this past summer.

Of course I had to write Merry Christmas in Bangla (Bengali) since going to Bangladesh this past summer was such a huge milestone for me (you can see it written phonetically in the photo below - Shuvo Naba Barsha - and written in Bengali script on another circle on the box). 

"Joy to the World" was the natural thing to write on a circle that I will use on the top of the box (I haven't stuck it down yet, by the way, as it is a bit early to load these boxes to actually give them away).

Mmmm ... loaded with goodness!

Thanks for stopping by.  I would encourage you to hop on over to Angie's blog at Echoes of Laughter to have a look at how she used a Chinese takeout box to package her cookies and come on back tomorrow to see my next recipe.

Linked to Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming,
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff,
DIY Project Parade at The DIY Show-off,
Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter,
Handmade Holiday at Just a Girl

Christmas Cookie Week: Double Ginger Chocolate Cookies

Well my friends, it is time for Christmas Cookie Week around these parts.  

I got the recipe for these cookies - Double Ginger Chocolate Cookies - from a colleague who brought them in to work to share with everyone (don't you love colleagues like that).  I couldn't believe how gingery they tasted -  they are actually so gingery they take you by surprise.  It's kind of a nice change from the usual cookies.  


I modified the recipe to accommodate my tastes and I added chocolate chips - because everything tastes better with chocolate.  I really think they should be called Double Delicious Double Ginger Chocolate Cookies.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3-4 tablespoons white sugar (I used coloured sugar since I wanted the cookies to look festive)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice, grated ginger, and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture and add the chocolate chips.
4. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the coloured 3-4 tablespoons of sugar.
6. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Thanks for joining me for Day 1 of Christmas Cookie Week.  Later this afternoon I'll be posting suggestions  for how to package the cookies so you can give them as a gift.  Also you should check out Angie's blog at Echoes of Laughter to see what yummy cookies she has made.  Don't forget to come back tomorrow for my next cookie recipe.

Linked to Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff,
Tasty Tuesday at Nap Time Creations,
Recipe Link Party at Remodelaholic,
Cookiepalooza Party at Centsational Girl

Announcing Christmas Cookie Week

This year my Christmas holidays don't start until December 24th, so that means if I'm going to have any baking done it has to be finished well before I finish work.  Angie (from Echoes of Laughter) and I decided to team up this year and have a Christmas Cookie Marathon Week.  We thought this would have the double incentive of getting our baking done and sending some yummy tried-and-true recipes your way.  So every day next week you will find a different cookie recipe here and over at Angie's blog.  Why not join in the fun and get your baking done too.

Oh and we're also showing you some fun and festive ways to package the cookies.  See you on Monday for the first recipe!