By: Nicole Jackson

Happy National Cookie Day!  

To celebrate, Krusteaz gave us the opportunity to showcase some cool gift ideas for the Holidays using their delicious and vast variety of cookies.

Everyone is on a budget, so why go to that discount store looking for a random reasonably priced gift, that will probably never be used.  These days you can really appreciate someone who took the time out to make you something, and what’s better than making you something you can eat!  Who doesn’t like cookies??? Exactly!

We chose from a variety of flavors and decided to highlight two of my favorites, the gingerbread and the shortbread cookie.

Making the cookies were simple, fun and can easily become a great family activity for the kids.

Here are some simple steps on making a great gift!

The Cookies

Gingerbread Snowflakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Things you need:

–Krusteaz gingerbread cookie mix

-1 egg

-1-1 1/2 sticks of butter (amount depends on whether you plan on doing cut outs)

*follow the easy instructions on the back of your Krusteaz cookie box

-Cookie cutter shape

-Rolling pin (or wine bottle works just as good if you don’t have one)

1. Mix, knead and roll out.  Use your cookie cutters to make your desired shapes and bake.

2. 7-9 minutes later you have perfect cookies.  Let them cool.

Frosting

-3 cups Confectioners’ sugar

-1 cup of butter

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix till smooth. We used our E-Z Deco Icing Pen compliments of Krusteaz.  

2.Fill your icing bag with your frosting and be creative designing your cookies.

Shortbread Raspberry filled Sugared Cookies

Krusteaz shortbread cookie mix

-1 ½ stick of butter

-Measuring spoons (tablespoon and teaspoon)

-Confectioners’ sugar (to sprinkle)

-For the filling we used raspberry jam

1.Mix, knead and measure.  You want to make the cookies all exactly a tablespoon so that you have consistency in size and bake. 11-13 minutes later you have beautiful golden perfectly round cookies.

2.Let them cool for only 4 minutes. Measure out a teaspoon of jelly on the flat side of your cookie and then make your cookie sandwich.  After you’re done sprinkle some confectioners’ sugar on top.

The Packaging

To package the cookies we turned to Zazzle and ordered some cute snowman boxes and holiday gift tags, also compliments of Krusteaz.

We had some tulle left over from a previous event, tissue paper and ribbon.

For the Gingerbread Snowflakes we made several sizes so we took the small ones along with some tissue paper and put them in the snowman boxes.

The Shortbread Raspberry were placed in a Mason jar provided by Krusteaz and wrapped in tulle and tagged with our holiday gift tag.

The bigger frosted snowflakes were placed on a platter for those holiday gatherings.

Hope we inspired you to get creative and  #SpreadCookieJoy with some #MyKrusteaz cookie gift ideas for the Holidays too! For more cookie recipe and gift ideas follow Krusteaz on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Giveaway Time

Of course, we want to include you in on the fun. We’re giving away a fun holiday cookie prize package from Krusteaz to one lucky winner. The prize package includes:

• two boxes of the following mixes: Shortbread, Gingerbread, Snickerdoodle, Butter Vanilla Sugar and Oatmeal Scotchie;
• an apron
• tote bag
• cookie cutters
• frosting pen!

To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below. A random winner will be selected on Friday December 11, 2015. Open to U.S residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Krusteaz is also hosting a #SpreadCookieJoy Twitter Party on Dec 14th from 4:30p-5:30p ET.  Don’t miss out on your opportunity to win your #MyKrusteaz Cookie Package!

Thanks to Krusteaz for sending us product for this fun post. All opinions are our own.