Friday, August 9, 2013

Paper Crafts Holiday Cards & More, Vol. 8 Blog Hop


Who's up for some Holiday festivities already? Yes? Fantastic! Because Paper Crafts is putting on a super-fun blog hop to celebrate their newest special issue, Holiday Cards & More, Vol. 8. This issue is packed full of home decor, wraps, tags, cards, and even a whole section on photo cards! There's also a ton of creative ways for food-giving, which is the theme of this hop.

I'm happy to offer a giveaway for this issue, compliments of Paper Crafts. Just leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, August 13th for a chance to win (each stop in the hop will be giving away a copy, so be sure to visit them all)!


 Today I'm sharing my all-time favorite Christmas cookie - white chocolate cherry shortbread. In years past I'd branch out and try different recipes, but now I just go for the gold and make this recipe for everything. Cookie exchanges, family parties, gift-giving, they all look the same!

For this hop, I wanted to make something pretty to put them in.


My go-to idea for packaging is to use glass containers that I save throughout the year (pickles, jelly, sauce, salsa, you name it). They're free, and I feel good about recycling.


Just spray the top with whatever paint you have on hand, and you're half way there!


The band is a piece of wrapping paper, and the tie is from a skein of looped yarn.


Love how the yarn makes a pretty rosette just by tying it in a knot!

 
 
Fill it with cookies and you've got an incredibly affordable (practically FREE, aside from the stamps and dies) and fancy present for anyone on your list.

If you're interested, I've copied the recipe for the cookies at the end of this post. This one is taken from Taste of Home, but it's also one of the Better Homes and Gardens All Time Favorite Christmas Cookies.


 Thanks so much for stopping by! Please continue on the hop to see what these incredibly talented ladies have made for you. Your next stop is Vera Wirianta Yates, who always has something amazing to share. Don't forget to comment at each blog for a chance to win your own copy of  Holiday Cards & More, Vol. 8! Also check out the enormous collection of Christmas products that you can comment-to-win back at Paper Crafts Connection!

Kelly Griglione <-- you are here


White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 1 cup cold butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, patted dry
  • 12 ounces white baking chocolate, finely chopped, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons shortening
  • Coarse sugar and red edible glitter

Directions

  • In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Knead in the cherries, 2/3 cup white chocolate and extract until dough forms a ball.
  • Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in remaining sugar. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
  • In a microwave, melt shortening and remaining white chocolate; stir until smooth.
  • Dip half of each cookie into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with coarse sugar and edible glitter. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 4 dozen.


85 comments:

  1. YUMMO - packed full of deliciousness Kelly :) :) :)

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  2. Yum! Your jar is fabulous and so is that looped yarn.

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  3. Fab packaging and the cookies look yummy. TFS the recipe too x

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  4. So very clever and stunning presentation!

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  5. Love this idea.

    craftymom205 at yahoo dot com

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  6. Love your idea of recycling the jars...this is so pretty! And your cookies look too pretty to eat!

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  7. great idea to recycle I love to do that too and you've made it look so pretty!

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  8. Adorable jar. Thanks for sharing...and the recipe.

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  9. Those look delicious! And I love the packaging! (no worries about putting me in the draw, I already have the issue.)

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  10. yum ... added it to me recipes to try list!
    Thanks - love your reuse/recycling!
    Sandra ltb

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  11. Oh wow!! Great idea!! I love the wrap you used!! Perfect!

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  12. Since I am a shortbread addict I pinned the recipe before even seeing the cute jar!TFS!

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  13. OH MY!!!!!!! I LOOOOOOOOOVE CHERRY ANYTHING!!! These cookies sound SOOOO GOOD & A TASTE OF HOME RECIPE TOO!!!! You KNOW they're GOOOOOOD!!!!!!!! AND I LOOOOOOOOVE how you've packaged them! In the jars, they won't get broken!!!!!!!:)AND your label is VERY FESTIVE & PRETTY!!!!!! (LOVE that loopy yarn too!!! It's FABULOUS to knit with!) :)

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  14. Yummy!! I love recycling and I love your label!! You rock this blog hop, Kelly! Way to go!

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  15. This is super cute! I love the silver! Your cookies are so pretty, too! :)

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  16. Looks YUMMY
    LOVE your packaging for them!

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  17. Love your gift and the pretty packaging.

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  18. Love the tag, and the twist with the yarn. The recipe looks fabulous!

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  19. Love your packaging idea using the glass containers. The cookies sound delicious and the gift tag makes everything perfect!

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  20. Great gift container idea! I never thought of spray painting the lid. TFS
    And thanks for the cookie recipe. They look so good. ;-)

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  21. I love a recycler! Great packaging and your treats look delish too.

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  22. Love the recycled jars Kelly & fabulous festive label!

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  23. Very cute--I like how you recycled the jar and the cute label and yarn.
    slrdowney at hotmail dot com

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  24. Those sound and look yummy Kelly! Cute packaging too ~ TFS!!

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  25. What a fun way to recycle those jars.....thanks for a great project and recipe.

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  26. Oh Kelly, I am so copying this idea for Christmas cookie gifts this year! I may even copy your recipe for those yum yum yummy cookies :)

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  27. I love that you recycle ... and what a great way to reuse those different sized jars! Your holiday cookie recipe looks super yummy! Thanks so much for sharing with us!

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  28. I will be trying this recipe...the cookies look delicious. I love the idea of recycled gift jar. What a very unique idea. I am thinking neighbor gifts this year. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  29. Love this idea! Beautiful tag and yummy recipe! Thanks so much!

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  30. Those cookies look so yummy I had to copy the recipe and will try them out soon! Fabulous presentation as well, you rock girl!

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  31. Fabulous presentation and to die for cookies...WOW!

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  32. wonderful idea with the jar and nice band .

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  33. I love your use of jars! I've been collecting for future projects with my daughter, and this one looks tasty! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  34. This is great..Love your packaging idea..The cookies sound fabulous.

    Be blessed
    Pam

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  35. Great idea with re-purposing your jars. The packaging idea is lovely and the cookies sound yummy!

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  36. Beautiful jars and very yummy looking cookies

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  37. I love this idea

    sapphiregyrl@hotmail.com

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  38. Tasty cookie. I now have a use for all those leftover baby food jars. lol

    Thanks
    Beneta
    slayer2b@hotmail.com

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  39. Fantastic idea to use the little glass jars Kelly! I save them all too but never use, now Ii have a reason!

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  40. Love your idea of recycling the jars for your awesome cookies! Love how that yarn looks on the tag!

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  41. The cookies are so festive and so is the packaging!!

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  42. What a great idea for the recycling jars!

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  43. Great way to use up those
    misc jars we all have. Your
    decorated jar is so pretty
    and the cookies look so
    tasty!
    Carla from Utah

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  44. Wow! What a clever idea and cute label - thanks for sharing.

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  45. Definitely want to try baking those shortbread cookies! Thanks for the recipe and the very practical and useful way of packing them! There are always jars around ths house that can be put to good use. Thanks for the great ideas.

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  46. Gorgeous packaging for these yummy-looking cookies! Terrific way to reuse jars and make them look special.

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  47. Oh. My. Goodness. I am in love with this packaging! I save all kinds of cute glass jars - and drive my husband crazy in the process trying to find places to store them - so I LOVE this idea! Thanks so much for sharing!!! I love the looped yarn you used too! Fabulous!

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  48. I've seen Cherry Shortbread Cookies before, but I've never tried them. I'm going to have to make them this year. A nice way to recycle.

    Noreen
    Crafty Journal

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  49. White chocolate cherry shortbread in a jar! Drooling here! Mahalo for sharing.

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  50. Kool idea. Shortbread AND Cherry! Awesome. TFS.

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  51. Yummm, these cookies look as good as they sound.

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  52. Love the label too, very classy.

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  53. Kelly, I lean toward glass bottles too, and this was a great match and label.
    ~Shari

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  54. Those cookies look fabulous. I love the simplicity of this gift, and the way you upcycled a simple jar to look so sweet. Anybody would be grateful for this gift.

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  55. Love the packing idea.....how easy .....plus we love shortbread

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  56. Great money saving packaging and yummy looking cookies! Bet they taste good too! TFS!

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  57. the cookies look very pretty in the jar. the gift tag is great. thanks for sharing.

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  58. Love this idea--did you have to use a jar lid to make sure you didn't make the cookies too big to fit? I'd have trouble remembering to do that! I have been saving jelly jars--we used them for my DD's wedding--this would be a great way to hand out Christmas gifts to friends and neighbors.

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    1. Oh I'm so glad you asked this question! I meant to include it in my post. YES, you do need to make sure your cookies are small enough to fit the opening, which I thought would be a bigger problem than it was. The shortbread cookies are meant to be small to begin with (with all that butter, it's probably a good thing!) I always double the batch, this time I got 10 dozen. I'm not going to explain why I counted only 9 dozen this morning : )

      My other idea was to fill the jars with something small and colorful, like gumdrop fudge squares, oreo balls, or caramel-covered marshmallows. But the opening was big enough to fit about 90% of the cookies I tried. For some that weren't perfectly round I could rotate to fit.

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  59. What a great package...love the look of dressing up the jar.

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  60. Love that label on that jar. Thanks for sharing.

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  61. Really like your recycled packaging and definitely trying your shortbread cookie recipe.

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  62. Looks so yummy and delicious and your packaging is so way beyond clever!! WAY TO GO!!

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  63. Ooooh your cookies are so pretty and look fabulous in your gorgeous glass jars :)

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  64. Those cookies look wonderful, and I just love your packaging idea. Will pin this one and see how I can swipe it for my traditional holiday candies.

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  65. Love your packaging! It looks so nice and practically free is always good. :) Super excited to try out your yummy cookie recipe, too. Thanks for sharing!

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  66. Oh those cookies just look so amazing! Thanks for including the recipe, I'm going to have to make them! Love the packaging that you created for it.

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  67. sweet packaging! that recipe sounds do-able for this non cooker ;) i love it!

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  68. Wow Kelly, what wonderful packaging! Love the way you recycled one of your jars and the label is absolutely gorgeous! Your cookies look so yummy and pretty - thanks for the recipe!

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  69. Yummy recipe which I'll try soon as my husband loves any kind of cookies. Love the idea of giving them in jars, that label is gorgeous

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  70. Your recipe makes me hungry :) I love how you packaged them using saved bottles at your home. I love the red and silver combo in the label, just perfect for the holidays.

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  71. Thanks for the creative ideas! Love them & am saving my glass jars as fast as I can!

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  72. Great presentation for your cookies! They look so pretty! I'll have to try out your recipe!

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  73. Love the packaging of the cookies and the color is my favorite. TFS

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  74. Great idea! Your cookies look so good, yum! Love the jar idea and your silver embossing and red looks awesome. Thanks for sharing.

    Katie B.

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  75. Oh, what a wonderful idea. I save jars too. I made these cookies last year for Christmas, everyone loved them.

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  76. What a cute way to recycle those glass jars!!! Not only does the packaging look great, but the cookies inside look delicious! I am going to have to try your recipe!

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  77. Thanks for the tip ~ I'm going to start saving jars now. Your pink & white cookies look beautiful in the jar and sound scrumptious. Love the way you decorated the jar (divine red & silver label) & spray painted the lid, Kelly.

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  78. Wonderful idea for reusing jars and mouth-wateringly beautiful cookies!! YUM!
    <3 J

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  79. These would make great TEACHER appreciation gifts or a SECRET SANTA gift....one can use just so many mugs or pencil holders....lol. Great idea to reuse the jars....very colorful.....cookies look festive also....thank you for sharing.

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  80. OMG. THESE ARE MY VERY FAVORITE COOKIE OF ALL TIME. I make them every year and hide them for myself:) I never knew others out there liked them too. LOL Your packaging ideas are no less than darling.

    I've actually adapted the recipe through the years and now use confectioners sugar and the all natural non-food dye, no HFCS, non-GMO cherries from Tillen Farms, but they look and taste the same. We shoudl get together Kelly and spend days just making these babies! (after dipping in melted white chocolate I like to roll the wet edge in white nonpareils)

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I absolutely love reading comments. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave one! - Kelly