This time I'm giving away a Christmas-themed handkerchief sachet made from a poinsettia hanky layered over another with red and green crochet edging. The button stack features a pretty white vintage snowflake button layered over a red one with a swirled edge. The sachet, which measures about 5 x 7 inches, is stuffed with a mixture of lavender buds and buckwheat hulls. Just give it a squeeze to refresh the scent.
Here's a closeup of the buttons (not really a snowflake but it looks like one from a distance)—
I was going to ask for your favorite cookie recipe in exchange but I won't require it. Participation was down a bit last week from previous giveaways and I'm not sure if I scared people off or not. I suspect most people have other things to do this time of year than read blogs. So, post a recipe in your comment if you want, or just say something nice. You have until midnight tomorrow. On Wednesday morning I'll choose a winner and post the name here. And I'll post a cookie recipe of my grandmothers. The winner can then email me their shipping address and I'll have the sachet in the mail on my next trip to the post office.
Shop update: Listed as of yesterday are more cute vintage baby things, vintage rick rack, and some very cool vintage jingle bells that I found last summer at a flea market. And buttons—of course! Most are from my last hunting trip and I think I added something to every category.
Don't forget to use the discount code HOLIDAY for 20% off your order total!
32 comments:
What a gorgeous sachet! My favorite Christmas cookies to make are sugar cookies. We use the recipe in the Betty Crocker Cooky Book. Then we decorate them using egg yolk paint. I can't wait to make some this year.
from JZ in VA:
Okay. This is one of my favorite handkerchief sachets. Wish I could find a source for that multi-colored crochet thread. Do you or any of your readers know of one?
Thanks, Janet!
Here's my recipe submission.
LEMON SQUARES
--------------------
CRUST
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
FILLING
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
FROSTING
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CRUST:
Mix first (3) ingredients and pat into 8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
FILLING:
Mix next (5) ingredients well and pour into baked crust. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; allow to cool.
FROSTING:
Mix last (4) ingredients well and frost over cooled mixture; cut into bars.
I've been reading your blog for a while now. I found it when Googling blanket stich instructions (they were clear and the pictures were great, by the way!).
In the last giveaway you asked that people post their favorite Christmas memory. For the life of me I couldn't think of any at the time. But I have a new one now. A brand new puppy
to be exact! He's an early Christmas present between me and my husband. A house just isn't a home without a furry friend sharing it with you! So for my Christmas memory: This is the year I got a puppy and a real Home.
Merry Christmas!
This is so pretty and Christmasy. I am at work or I would type in a Greek cookie recipe of my grandmother's that my mother wrote out. It's good. When I'm at home, I'll send it to you.
Anna
Although I usually make a lot of cookies at Christmas, this year I'm not making many. However, this one will definitely be made again this year as it is every Christmas.
Jewel Cookies
2 Cups flour
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 Cup white sugar
2 Large egg yolks
Filling: Cherry or Apricot preserves (can also use nuts, Hershey's kiss, etc.)
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks just until blended. Add flour, again just until blended. Break off walnut size piece and roll into a ball. Flatten each ball with thumb in middle, making an indentation. Fill with preserves.
Bake on greased cookie sheet 20 to 25 minutes.
My favorite Christmas cookies to make are Snickerdoodles! I know that they aren't a "traditional" Christmas cookie, but the only time I make them is at Christmas...so they are MY Christmas cookie of choice!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions
Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, and stir in remaining flour by hand. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Combine 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place balls of dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press cookies down lightly with the flat bottom of a drinking glass. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
YUM!
I love your sachet! It is so beautiful! The white button really does look like a snowflake from a distance!
That sachet is lovely!
I am a new cookie baker. I had a couple of disasters this year until I tried the No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe from FancyFlours.com (scroll down at this link):
http://www.fancyflours.com/site/catalogrecipes.html
But I add 1 tsp. of Fiori Di Sicilia, which gives them a Dreamsicle orange-vanilla flavor:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/detail.jsp?select=C78&byCategory=C1004&id=1546
They are amazing! They worked with my new cookie cutters from BakeItPretty.com and foosecookiecutters.com! The only problem is that DH keeps sneaking them before I can frost them...
Happy Holidays!
What a beautiful sachet! I don't have a cookie recipe with me right now as I am at work. My kids and I love to make M&M cookies during the holidays.
Have a Blessed Day,
Diane
I would just love to be in your give away. I don't have a cookie recipe with me right now but you can visit my cooking blog-www.cookingwithval.blogspot.com and see all my recipes. Thanks for this opportunity. The sachet is just gorgeous.
Love it! Here's my grandmother's recipe for her Anisette cookies (this is her recipe, in her words so be gentle):
MARIANNA’S ANSETTI COOKIES****
OVEN 390o FOR 6 – 7 MINUTES
½ cup milk ( at room temperature)
½ cup of oil (vegetable) 3 eggs
½ ounce of Ansetti flavor and 2 tablespoon of Ansetti liqueur
2 drops of vanilla flavor
---------------
Measure these in a 2 cup (measuring cup)
Sift 3 times : (In a large bowl)
4 cups of flour
2 ½ tablespoon of baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 ½ cup of sugar
---------------
take out about 1 cup of flour mixture above to clean hands while mixing the dough
make a well, on a board
with your hand, slightly mix the wet ingredients
add to the dry ingredients Mix with both hands
to clean your hands use the flour that you put aside
If the dough is too soft add more flour. The dough will be sticky
With a knife cut off a small piece and flour your hand, roll in
small ball and place on a grease cookie sheet on inch apart
bake in oven at 390 degrees for 6 to 7 minutes until you see cookies are slightly brown.
Cool –frost.
Old fashioned vanilla frosting
Add 2 tablespoon of Ansetti liqueur (or more) mix well.
And frost. Sprinkle with small shots or whatever.
Oh my goodness you are so talented!
I wish I had the time you do to create and collect. I am making cookie mix jar gifts this year here is a great easy way to use up your old canning jars from summer
Butterscotch Chip Cookies in a Jar
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup high protein crisp rice and wheat cereal
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Layer the ingredients in the order given in a one quart wide mouth canning jar. Firmly pack each ingredient in place. It will be a tight fit, but all ingredients will fit in the jar. Use pinking shears to cut an 8 or 9 inch circle from gingham, calico, or a seasonal fabric. Place the fabric over the wide mouth lid and rim and secure with a rubber band. Tie on a raffia or ribbon bow to cover the rubber band.
Attach a card to the ribbon or raffia with the following mixing and baking
Directions: Empty jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Use hands to mix the wet and dry ingredients together. When completely blended, roll into large walnut sized balls. Place on unprepared cookie sheets and use the palm of your hand to flatten each cookie ball. Bake at 350 in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen.
You guys are making me so hungry :)
Lizzil, the directions are too funny! I'm working on a recipe book with my SIL of her Italian mother's family recipes and I'm having a similar experience. The notebooks are hand-written, grease-spattered, and with sometimes very vague directions. I look at some and go "huh?".
:) You have no idea how long it took for her to actually measure her ingredients. She forgets that not everyone has the same c.1967 mug that she deems "a cup".
That sachet is gorgeous! I love how the button looks like a snowflake and the crocheted trim is so pretty!
My favorite Christmas cookies are Peanut Butter Blossoms. You know, the ones with a Hershey's kiss pressed into the center? I'm not sure what makes them say Christmas to me--I think it is memories of unwrapping the red, green and silver foil of the Christmas kisses to make the cookies.
Another treat I love at Christmas are Buckeyes. Yum!
Your sachet is beautiful. I wish I could crochet, the work on this is so dainty and looks like lace. My favorite cookie recipe is really just the tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe found on the bag. I have tried others but always come back to it for results that are always good.
I don't know which I love more, the button or the crochet edging! I love the multi-color of the thread too. What a great idea! Thanks! :-) Happy Holidays!
Our favorite cookies are spritz cookies - real easy if you have a cookie press that is. Ingredients are: Mix 2 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. baking powder. Cut in 1 cup butter. Add l egg. Fill cookie press and press out on ungreased pan. Bake 375 degrees for 12 minutes or so. Sprinkle with colored sugar before baking. Enjoy.
We make these, too, annemarie. But we add a little almond extract. And sometimes use the tree shape and green sprinkles!
I am so glad you said almond extract - actually I use vanilla - and I see I completely omitted it from the recipe - rest is correct though. Sorry - I just made these today so the recipe is right in front of me - do not know how I forgot the vanilla - I use about a teaspoon of vanilla or a little less.
My favorite holiday cookies are ginger cookies. Mm, molasses and 3 kinds of ginger, yum!
3/4 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, molasses and fresh grated ginger. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl, slowly mix into butter mixture. Mix in crystallized ginger. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Roll 1 inch balls in granulated sugar and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
I love hankies. I have way more than any person needs and often people ask me if I make things with them. In the past, I have always hated using hankies in projects, but your things have made me change my mind. The sachets that you make are as timeless as the hankies. I have even started to think that perhaps I might be able to use some of them for projects and not just keep them in boxes, where noone will see them anyway!
Thanks!
Jan
What a great sachet! :)
There are far too many favorite cookies to choose from, butter cookies, kifli, kalacs, gingerbread, of course! .... So I'm going to deviate a little bit! If you need a little something to warm you up {I live in the north east, it's chilly here!} Try some hot mulled apple cider with a shot of peach schnapps. Or, for variety, a cup of chai and Baileys. Yum yum.
I would love to win that gorgeous sachet! I am not able to submit a cookie recipe right now, so thanks for the pass on it. Love your blog!
I love it!! It would be a perfect companion to the many vintage hankies I've picked up antiquing over the years (we don't do paper "facial tissues"). We had some tasty cookies in honor of St. Nicholas day this year that were a hit with the whole family.
Love your site! I have been following your blog for several months now and your designs are so wonderful. and to be perfectly honest, we don't do Christmas cookies at my house :-)
I love to eat them, just not much of a cook. I will however make a mean pan of brownies from time to time :-)
Have a wonderful day!
Love this sachet! I don't have a cookie recipe as I left my cookbooks back home when I moved to England....but I CAN tell you that I absolutely LOVE the peanut butter thumbprint ones from the Pillsbury Cookoff Cookebook...the ones made with Hershey Kisses...mmm....
I love it. Fingers and toes crossed.
I am terrible at remembering recipes, but i'm tempted by some of the ones on offer here!
hat a lovely hanky sachet, you know I make hankies from recuperated cotton fabrics. Funny, love reading up on your blog as usual, be sure to have some nice Holiday Season with your loved ones if we don't speak before . Thans for the giveaway.
I love this sachet. My favorite Christmas cookie is one I grew up ( I don't have it with me at the moment though) called Apease. It is an old german butter cookie recipe from my mother's family.
Well, I love to cook at Christmas. And I love to have people over to celebrate. So here are two things I love to have at Christmas.
My favorite cookies are called Lizzies. They are a fruitcake cookie - mostly candied fruit and pecans with just barely enough dough to hold them together. My mom used to make them as her one concession to Christmas baking (She hated making cookies - too fussy - but she would make quilts. Go figure.) We loved them and my Dad nicknamed them Fat Pills. It didn't hurt anything that the dough had bourbon in it. I have the recipe around in one of my books, but I can't put my finger on it right now (On the other hand, when I find it I will be happy to send it to anyone who asks).
On only a slight tangent, my favorite thing to make for Christmas dinner is from an unlikely source. The TV show "Dinner and a Movie" published a cookbook a few years ago that has the most Marvelous standing rib roast recipe. It is foolproof, the beef comes out tender and tasty, and it takes almost no work, so you can concentrate on the festivities and enjoy. They rub the roast with 1 T kosher salt, 1 T pepper, and 2 T olive oil before popping it in the oven. YUMMY! And if you leave off the sour cream horshradish sauce,it is also kosher for those multi-holiday holiday parties.
Happy holidays, everyone!
BL from Clarion , PA:
This is so pretty and definitely one of my favorites! Here is one of my favorite cookie recipes:
Raisin Puffs:
1 c dark raisins
1/2 c. golden raisins
1 c. water
1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Cook raisins in water until water is absorbed. Cool. Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift flour with soda & salt. Add to creamed mixture and add raisins and vanilla. Mix well. Shape into small balls and roll in sugar. Bake 350* on greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Let cool and Enjoy!
This is one of the 4 different cookie types I make at CHristmas!
Merry Christmas!
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