Citrus Sugar Cookie Mini Fruit Pizza Bar and a Tastefully Simple GIVEAWAY!

Today I have a super quick and easy holiday-inspired treat for you.  

 It starts with this delicious Citrus Sugar Cookie Mix from Tastefully Simple.

 All you need to do is pour the mix into a large bowl

 Add in one egg and one stick of butter

 And give it a quick mix. Easy as that.

 Scoop it

 Out onto a large cookie sheet lined with a Silpat Mat or sprayed with cookie spray

 Smash them down a bit

 Take out the sugar packet that comes with the cookie mix

 And give each cookie a good sprinkle.

 Bake for about 8 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown.  Remove from the cookie sheet and place on a cooling rack for the time being.

 While the cookies cool, work on the frosting. Add a block of cream cheese

 Powdered sugar

 And a bit of milk to a large bowl.

Give it a good whisk and set aside.

 Cut up some pretty fruit.  I used strawberries

 Grapes

And kiwi to be festive.  I also used raspberries as well but, they didn't need to be cut.  

 Then assemble your Citrus Sugar Cookie Bar.  Here is the base layer…the Citrus Sugar Cookies 

The cream cheese frosting

And the festive fruit. 

 Then when guests arrive (or your super helpful husband) they can assemble their own little sugar cookie to their taste.

 I mean come on…how festive is this!?

 Perfect for your next holiday party.

Yay for everything Christmas! : )

And I have to say these cookies are pretty fantastic, full of citrus flavor.  My dad tried them and called them "dunkers" since they are nice and crisp.  Perfect for the base of these Mini Fruit Pizzas.  Not to mention, the Citrus Sugar Cookie  is the Tastefully Simple product that raises $1 per box sold for Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry campaign!  Cookies for a good cause?! Sign me up!

Now that I have convinced you, would you like to win a box of this Citrus Sugar Cookie Mix® from Tastefully Simple to have your own Mini Fruit Pizza Bar?  Well, here is your chance!  Enter the giveaway using the widget below.  The giveaway starts now and goes until midnight on Sunday, December 22nd.  I will email the winner and if I don't hear from them within 24 hours, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck and Merry (early) Christmas!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Citrus Sugar Cookie Mini Fruit Pizza Bar

1 Box Citrus Sugar Cookie Mix
1 egg
1 stick of room temperature butter
1 block cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 cup green grapes, sliced in half
2 kiwis, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup raspberries
1 cup strawberries, cut into bite sized pieces

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the  Citrus Sugar Cookie Mix® butter and egg into a large bowl.  Mix just until the dough comes together.  Scoop the cookie dough onto a Silpat Mat lined or sprayed with cooking spray cookie sheet.  Press down on each cookie slightly and sprinkle with the sugar that comes with the mix.

Bake for about 8 minutes or until the cookies start to turn golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the baking sheet and place on a wire cooing rack.

While the cookies cool, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the milk in a medium bowl.  If the frosting is too thick, add a little more milk at a time until you reach a nice spreadable consistency.  Pour the frosting into a little jar and assemble your Citrus Sugar Cookie Mini Fruit Pizza Bar.

When guests arrive, allow them to frost their cookies and add the fruit to their taste.

Enjoy!

Frosting recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz


**DISCLAIMER: I did receive a box of Citrus Sugar Cookie Mix and monetary compensation by being part of Project Simplicity aka working with Tastefully Simple.  They will be sending the Citrus Sugar Cookie Mix directly to the winner.  But as always, the opinions are 100% my own, you can't buy my love, baby.**

Sugar Cookies

Growing up, these cookies were the first sign that Christmas was right around the corner.  My mom would prop me up on the counter and we would mix these sugar cookies up while the Christmas tunes blared in the kitchen.  It was (and still is) the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit.  

I love these cookies not only because of the memories associated with them but also because they are absolutely delicious.  Buttery and soft they are the perfect sugar cookie.  Step aside Lofthouse Sugar Cookies, the real deal is in town...minus the canned frosting.  My mom always used canned cream cheese frosting and to be honest, that is the way I like these.  I have tried making them "fancier" with homemade frosting but they just don't taste right.  

Make these your new holiday tradition.  

My mom wrote me out a new card--hers is green, has oil, sugar, and flour caked all over it and you can hardly read it.  I adore that recipe card.

Start by adding sugar

Powdered sugar

Butter

Oil

Eggs (clearly my Mom's hands and not my sausage fingers)

And vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix until light and fluffy

Then add flour

Baking soda

Cream of tartar (this is what keeps these soft...I think)

And salt

Mix just until combined again.

Roll out the cookies and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Soft buttery perfection.

Frost with store bought, canned cream cheese frosting

Use fancy frosting (aka from a tube) to create holly leaves

And a red hot for a holly berry.

Tada!

Amazing I tell you.  

My Mom and I had a good laugh about these cookies last weekend.  We were decorating them and I asked "Did you come up with this whole holly berry giddy-up yourself?"  While laughing my mom said "yes, yes I did."  As long as I can remember my mom decorated these cookies just like this...white frosting, green leaves and a red hot.  I love them.  And her.  I will continue to decorate these cookies like this until the day I die.  Mark.my.words.  

Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter

3/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting and Red Hots for decorating 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the sugar, powdered sugar, butter, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Beat for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  

Add the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Stir again just until combined.  

Roll into small balls (I used my cookie scoop then rolled the dough between my hands.  If you don't do this you will get the ridges from the cookie scoop) and place onto a baking sheet.  You do not need to grease the cookie sheet.  

Bake for about 8-10 minutes just until the very edges start to brown, don't over cook these.  

Frost with white frosting and decorate as you please.  I encourage you to use fancy frosting in a tube and create holly leaves and use a red hot for a holly berry.  Just sayin'.  

Enjoy!

Recipe by: Sue Curtis.  

Halloween Funfetti Cookies

Ever since I saw these cookies on Tasty Kitchen.com I knew had to make them.  They always kept getting put on the back burner for some reason but this past weekend it was time.  These cookies were totally worth the wait.  Soft, slightly chewy with some crispiness around the outside.  The perfect cookie and so adaptable for different seasons.  I'm thinking green for St. Patty's day, rainbow for spring and summer, red and blue for the fourth of July!  The possibilities are endless!  

Mr. Schwartz and I took these cookies to work and they received rave reviews.  My coworker, Roberta, said that they were the best thing that I have brought in to date.  Mind you, she has sampled the Champagne Cupcakes, Shamrock Shake Cupcakes, Pumpkin Cupcakes and probably a few others I can't remember.  When I told her that I was going to say she gave them two thumbs up, she wanted me to add that she "is a total food snob and will throw something away if it's not good."  So, I think I will leave it at that.  

 Start with butter (yeah, this looks like a lot but I was making a double batch).

 And sugar.

 Mix for about two minutes or until fluffy.

 Scrape the sides and add vanilla

 Almond extract (yum)

 And eggs.

 Mix until fully combined.

 Like so

 In a different bowl, combine flour

 Cornstarch.  I hear this is the secret to soft cookies.  It totally worked.

 Baking soda

 And salt

 Stir this just a bit with a fork.

 Slowly add it to the mixer and mix until everything comes together.

 Add in the sprinkles!

 Scoop dough out onto the baking sheet--I like to use my silpat mat.

 Bake for about 10 minutes or until just golden around the edges.

 The perfect sugar cookie with a hint of almond.

Happy Halloween! 

Halloween Funfetti Cookies

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup halloween colored jimmy sprinkles

1/2 cup nonpareil sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Mix for about 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond and egg.  Mix to combine again.  Scrape the sides down.  

In a different bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.  Stir with a fork.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour.  Mix until fully combined.  Add in the sprinkles and stir with a spoon just until incorporated.  If you over mix, they will bleed into the dough.  

Scoop onto a baking sheet or baking sheet lined with a silpat mat.  Be sure to keep space between the cookies as they do spread a bit.  Bake for 10-13 minutes or just until the edges start to turn very light golden brown.  That ensures that the cookies will be soft and not crispy.  

Enjoy!  

Recipe by: Fat Girl Trapped in A Skinny Body