Are you a baker or cookie maker? I have created a couple cookie tray tags to give with your kitchen creations. This year I am going to be making cookies for gift-giving this holiday season. If you have a favorite cookie or recipe, please share it in the comments.
My inspiration comes from 2 beautiful people, Mary Jane Ford and Donna Schwarz. I have enjoyed their cookie trays for years and decided to embark (in a small way) on the cookie-giving tradition.
First, let me start by giving you an awesome recipe.
GINGER COOKIE RECIPE
I found this recipe for Ginger Cookies and it has become a staple every year. The recipe came from Silver Dollar City theme park baker, Joe Carson, in Branson, Missouri USA. They are sweet and crunchy on the outside and smooth and gingery on the inside. Super Yummy!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 3/4 cup shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- Additional 1/4 cup sugar set aside to roll cookie dough in for coating. I use Turbinado sugar for that extra molasses goodness.
DIRECTIONS
In mixing bow, sift flour, soda, spices, and salt. In a 2nd mixing bowl, cream shortening and 1 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the molasses and eff. Beat the mixture for one minute. Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until combined. Shape the dough into 1-1/2 inch balls, then roll in sugar – dip them in water – then roll in sugar again. Arrange the balls of dough 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until light brown on the bottom. Transfer to cooling rack. Yield: 30-36 cookies.
Now on to the tags.
TAGS
There are several ‘kitchen’ themed stamp sets and coordinating dies and embellishments to choose from. Here are my 2 tags for today.
Are you ready to make these for your cookie gifting? Let’s get started. Both tags are essentially the same. Only the focal cookie changes.
MEASUREMENTS & SUPPLIES
- PAPER
- Baked Brown Sugar cardstock (retired): 2″ x 4″
- ALTERNATIVE: Crumb Cake cardstock darkened with Soft Suede ink
- Thick Very Vanilla cardstock
- Cherry Cobbler cardstock
- Baked Brown Sugar cardstock (retired): 2″ x 4″
- STAMP SET
- Nothing’s Better Than
- Cookie Cutter Christmas (retired)
- DIES / PUNCHES
- Love You More Than dies
- Cookie Cutter punch (retired)
- Delightful Tag Topper
- INKS & MARKERS
- White Craft ink pad
- Baked Brown Sugar ink pad
- Soft Suede ink pad
- Crumb Cake ink pad
- Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
- OTHER SUPPLIES
- Gingerbread & Peppermint Memories & More Card Pack
- White embossing powder
- Black embossing powder
- Checks & Dots embossing folder
- Cherry Cobbler baker’s twine (retired)
- ALTERNATIVE: Crumb Cake baker’s twine
- ALTERNATIVE: Playful Pets Combo Pack (switch to Real Red instead of Cherry Cobbler cardstock if you choose this one)
- Multipurpose Liquid Glue
- Dimensionals
- TOOLS
- Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine
- Paper Trimmer & Snips
- Blending Brushes or sponges
- Heat Tool
- hole punch
CREATING AND ASSEMBLING
Tag Background
Punch the tops of the tags with the Delightful Tag Topper punch. Then emboss with the Checks embossing folder.
Cookies
Stamps the cookies as shown and die-cut or punch.
Use a Blending Brush to darken the edges of the round cookies. Add a snowflake embellishment from the Gingerbread & Peppermint Memories & More Card Pack.
A white gel pen or Stampin’ Chalk Marker is perfect for ‘icing’ the gingerbread man.
Sentiment
Stamp the sentiment from Nothing’s Better Than stamp set with white ink on Cherry Cobbler cardstock. Add white embossing powder and heat emboss.
Cookie Cooling Rack
Are you wondering about this one? My cookie cooling rack is black and I think it stands out better on the tag. So, how do we make the silver rack black? Easy Peasy. Stamp the entire surface with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and heat emboss with black embossing powder. Repeat until you have a cooling rack that you like.
I got 4 racks from the 1 rack in the Gingerbread & Peppermint Memories & More Card Pack. Do you want more? Check out the Forever Gold Laser-cut Specialty Paper (retired)? One of the panels looks like a cooling rack mesh. Make it black with ink and black embossing powder.
Have I inspired you to bake cookies and create these cookie tray tags? I sure hope so. Have fun. Invite a friend over to make tags. Maybe get together with family or friends to bake or exchange cookies this year. The important part of all is to have fun, share the joy, create memories, and be thankful for life.
Do you want to see my cookie tag from last year? I was in my gnome phase. LOL! Here is the link.
A little known fact about me: My nickname growing up was ‘Cookie’
These tags are too precious! I was thinking nope I do not have time to weave tags! Imagine my joy when I read the list of supplies and saw the embossing folders on it! Thank you for sharing such a cute design
Weave the tags. That is too funny. I like quick tags. You made me chuckle and drop my breakfast cookies. LOL! Enjoy
Absolutely the yummiest and cutest! I was looking at my punch and gingerbread etc stamp set yesterday thinking I need to make use of these. I want to make some scones this year and I think I can use this idea for them, esp the gingerbread ones. This was a fun hop but then again what do we expect from Brian with all his ideas. Thanks for sharing the recipe too, I plan on giving it a whirl. Thanks for sharing your talent with us. Happy holidays!
Thank you and now I want your scone recipe. I have some more tags in the works. It is the season of giving and tags are so much fun to design to coordinate with the gift.
OMG, I can’t stand it! THESE ARE TOO FABULOUS! Thanks for the recipe, too. (A friend and I used to combine costs and efforts (plus she had a spacious kitchen and I have galley closet that makes Paris apt kitchens look big) and make cookie trays for all the people we wanted to remember with more than a gift card. The most varieties we made in a year was 31. Only did that once—it was a challenge to ourselves. I have to confess, none of the tags I made were as on point as yours!!)
Professional food blog-worthy photography, too. Oh, and brilliant tip about the gold foil conversion to black…I have some of those retired pieces just begging to be used up.
An absolutely stellar post!
You absolutely made my day. I love your memory share. I truly believe that memories of shared experiences are what bring the most joy.