Christmas Gifts

A co-worker asked me to make some Christmas gifts for his family to give out this weekend and I had a blast putting a few things together for him.  


The first thing I made was a yummy orange chocolate chip loaf, a variation on an orange chocolate chip cake recipe I have.  I made a few medium-sized loaves (about 6" X 3") that I baked in paper pans and wrapped in printed cellophane bags.  I also made some itty bitty loaves that I packaged in printed paper bags with a ribbon and Suzy Sweet Tooth sticker.  I also made up some rimmed sugar cookies that I stacked in cellophane bags to show off their colorful edges.  And last but not least I gave him some of my brownie bites, a favorite of mine.  They are a rich and fudgy chocolate chip brownie topped with cream cheese icing and, in this case, either sugar elves or tiny gingerbread man sprinkles.


I think these all look very cute and very ready to be gobbled up.  I hope the recipients enjoy eating them as much as I enjoyed making them.  And I hope that they all have a very merry Christmas on Saturday!

Buddy the Elf, What's Your Favorite Cupcake?

Tonight I made some Elf cupcakes for Chad and Bethany's Elf viewing party.  Although they contained no candy canes, candy corns, or syrup, they did have little candy elves on top.  So I think I got one of Buddy's four food groups covered.


The cupcakes were a new recipe I tried.  It's my cinnamon cake batter but with just a dash of Ghiradelli cocoa powder added in.  I thought it would give the cakes some more depth of flavor.  And on top?  A cinnamon cream cheese icing.  And some festive snowflake sprinkles and little Buddy look-a-likes.  Voila, Buddy the Elf cupcakes!

If you would like information about having custom cupcakes catered, please contact me at susangietl@hotmail.com.  Pricing information will be coming soon to the blog.

Holiday Sampler

My manager's parents came to Utah this weekend from Ohio and he ordered a sampler of my goodies for them as a welcome present.  It's an adorable Santa keepsake box filled with peppermint bark, salted peanut & caramel bark, chocolate covered pretzels, and white chocolate cranberry cookie bars.  


I think this sampler is a really great way to kick off a holiday vacation.  I hope they have a great time in Utah with their grandchildren.

Pink Peppermint Polar Bears

Today I made a few dozen cupcakes for a branch of Zions Bank's 12 Days of Christmas sweets run, where for twelve days they have some type of treat for the employees.  They are mint chocolate chip cakes with swirled pink and white peppermint buttercream.  And on top of each one is either a dainty sugar polar bear with a bow or some more mini semisweet chocolate chips.  Yum!

Sweet & Salty

I love the combination of sweet and salty together.  I love kettle corn, salted caramels, chocolate covered pretzels... yum.  Today I created a gem for any lover of sweet and salt together.  It's called Salted Peanut & Caramel Bark, and it's delicious.  It's a layer of milk chocolate, with coarsely chopped peanuts on top, a drizzle of caramel, a cover of more milk chocolate, and finally a sprinkling of sea salt.  It's crunchy from the peanuts and gooey from the caramel, and it's the perfect blend of the sweet and the savory.


Like my peppermint bark, I will be selling this loose by the pound or in small or large tins.  It makes a great gift for Christmas, and it's also very pretty in a dish for parties or house guests.  I'm sure it will be enjoyed by anyone who munches on it this Christmas.  


Remember you can click on any of my images to enlarge them for a closer look.  And a great big thank you to my fiancé for his photography!

Salted Peanut & Caramel Bark, sold by the pound or in small or large (pictured) tins

Brownie Bites

These cuties may look like cupcakes but they're not.  If you are a chocolate fan you'll love these.  In the fudgy versus cakey brownie battle, I will fight tooth and nail for fudgy.  So these are little fudgy chocolate chip brownie bites.  They are the size of a mini muffin or cupcake, dressed up for the holidays in shiny green and red wrappers.  On top of each is a dollop of cream cheese frosting, perfect for cutting a bit the sweetness of the brownie underneath.  And no, I did not make the adorable polar bear girls on top.  Those are from Peppermint Place in Alpine.  The Brownie Bites can also be topped with sprinkles or a candy of your choice, or just icing if you'd prefer.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bites, $10/two dozen

Peppermint Bark

'Tis the season to be munchy.  


Tonight I made a favorite of mine that just screams Christmas: Peppermint Bark.  It's the perfect thing to nibble on throughout the day or after a meal.  You can pick a small piece when someone's looking or a big ol' chunk when someone's not.


I make my Peppermint Bark with a layer first of milk chocolate, and then I marble on top of it Callebaut white chocolate flavored with a little bit of mint.  And the cherry on top isn't really a cherry, but crushed candy canes.


I would say to leave a plate of this for Santa in lieu of cookies, but if left out too long it will not last...  So unless you need a lot of coal this year, just come to grips with the fact that you're going to eat it all for yourself.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark, sold by the pound or in small or large tins

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Since I was a little girl my family has made chocolate covered pretzels every year and I still do it every Christmas, and usually throughout the year as well.  They are a staple at our annual Christmas cookie party (in two weeks we'll have our fifth), and people always seem to love them.  

I have always thought they've made great gifts for my friends and family and now I'm offering them for a very good price.  If you're in the Utah Valley area and want a pretty and easy gift for Christmas, I'm doing 3 sets of 5 assorted Christmas pretzels for only $10.  You can choose from rods or loops, and either come wrapped in a cellophane bag with your choice of a metallic twist tie or ribbon.  I can also do any sprinkles or colored candy drizzle you'd like for birthdays or celebrations throughout the year.  Please contact me at susangietl@hotmail.com with any orders or questions.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels, $10/15 pretzels (3 sets of 5)

Cookie Trees

An early Christmas present arrived today in Provo from the North Pole.  Santa Claus generously FedExed me a set of star shaped cookie cutters in graduated sizes that stack up to make these cute Christmas trees.  I would expect nothing less from a man who knows his cookies.

The stars were baked with my favorite sugar cookie dough, which is made from brown sugar and spiced with cinnamon.  Then I piped on them mint green royal icing and dusted on some snowflake sprinkles before I finally stacked them to look like trees.  They are very pretty as decorations, and just as yummy to break apart as dessert.