Happy New Year!

I hope that 2011 was a great year for everyone and that you are full of excitement and high hopes for 2012!

I'm back from my Christmas vacation in Hawaii and I am pooped!
(To see some of my pictures from my vacation, click here.)

Why is it that you need a vacation after the vacation?? Coming back home to laundry, putting away all of your goodies and getting over jet-lag is bad enough, but I also added Christmas to the mix. We did Christmas presents on the 25th, the 26th and 27th! Way too much excitement!

So, with that in mind, I really, really did not have time to make cookies from scratch or come up with an original idea. I've seen Midnight Clock cookies all over the internet. But, I have been running on empty... so I cheated... Sue me!

I picked up a snack size bag of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookies and followed the instructions. (I only had 1 egg in the house, so it's a good thing this only required butter and water.)
I cut them out with  my cookie/biscuit cutters and placed them on my NEW Silplat cookie sheet liner.
I also stuck a few sicks on some for Cookie Pops at my daughter's request.
I baked and cooled them according to directions and then it came time to decorate!

I whipped up a modified version Royal Icing because I didn't need TONS of icing...
1 cup powered sugar
1 teaspoon Meringue Power
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
3 -5 teaspoons of water (you want it thick, yet still gooey)

I am NOT a decorated cookie expert. I've read the blogs and tried their advice, but I just don't have a great steady hand... I have to keep my decorations basic!
So, I did the outline and then came back to flood the face of the cookie. I added my decorations while the icing was still wet and then left them overnight to dry.
Seems like my Royal Icing is just a jester in the court because it did not harden completely.
I drew on the clock hands with my edible markers, but I did punch through a few times. Oops!

 They tasted GREAT and my family loved them and that is all that matters :)

Anyway...

While I was gone, I hit 2,000 Facebook Fans!! Hooray for me! Thanks so much to my fans - I promised you giveaway!

Every morning I got to have a hot mug of 100% Kona Coffee! Yummy! 

I know you are jealous.

http://mrbeankonacoffee.com/

Sorry! 

To make up for it, I am giving away one dozen Milk Chocolate Cake Truffles topped off with a Chocolate Covered Kona Coffee Bean to two lucky fans!

Isn't that pretty? A huge cookie cutter flower!

All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know how you like your coffee. (Don't forget to leave a name so I can contact you.)

Do you drink it dark and bitter, like my husband does?

Or full of Splenda and milk, like I do?

Do you like to add a flavored creamer, like my mother?

You can even tell me your favorite evening coffee, like a Keoke Coffee.

You can enter NOW through Jan 7, 2012. Winner will be announced on Jan 8th.
The giveaway is CLOSED

Thanks again! 

I shared this with the following blogs - check them out, too!

Crazy for Crust, Mrs. Fox's Sweets, Lady Behind the Curtain, Gluesticks, Food Corner, It's a Blog Party

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