christmas Archives - Simply Happenstance

Snowball Cookies

December 13, 2015

Snowball Cookies //

Cookies… they’re definitely one of my top 5 favorite treats. I love how simple they are to make, that they come in the perfect size for indulging, and that there is usually an abundance of dough… so you have plenty to share!

During the holidays, I tend to try out some new cookie recipes along with a few tried-and-true faves. At bakeries, I’m always tempted by the traditional wedding cookies. They’re called varying names depending on the culture (Italian Wedding Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Polvorones, Russian Tea Cakes, and even Snowball Cookies — to name a few), and are baked for celebrations. Typical recipes call for nuts to be added, but in this particular recipe, I opted to substitute mini (semi-sweet) chocolate chips for the nuts to make it more kid-friendly. The outcome was heavenly… the kids couldn’t have been happier!

Growing up, I always looked forward to the Christmas tin of cookies that my Aunt Jean would make for our family. She would include a mixture of sweet treats that she baked up fresh in her kitchen (sugar cookies, fudge, seven layer bars, chocolate chip cookies, and these wedding cookies). It’s a tradition that I LOVE and try to uphold each year.

These Snowball Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips have a rich buttery taste and melt-in-your-mouth with each bite. They’re delicate and flavorful… a lovely treat to share with family and friends over the holidays, and perfect to include in those cute holiday tins!

These little cookies are great for little hands to help with, too. Preparing the simple dough, adding in the mini chocolate chips, rolling into balls, and covering in powdered sugar are fun tasks in preparing these little bites of joy!

TIPS //

Use only real butter for best cookie results! You won’t be sorry!
Wait for the cookies to cool for a few minutes before rolling in powdered sugar. This will allow them time to cool (so as not to burn your hands) and set properly so that they don’t crumble.
Before serving, you can give an additional roll in powdered sugar to make them look freshly dipped in snow (wink, wink)!
The dough is stiff enough to work with right away, or if you prefer, you can roll them into balls and freeze in an air-tight container. The raw cookies can go straight from the freezer to the oven by adding 2 to 3 minutes to the original cooking time.

I hope that you and your families truly love the “mini” addition in this traditional cookie recipe! Making half the dough with mini chocolate chips and half with nuts (chopped pecans would be my choice!) would be a delicious way to share these treats with those you love! Warmest holiday wishes to you all… and Happy Baking!!!

Print Recipe

Snowball Cookies

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time7 mins

Total Time17 mins

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: Dessert

Servings: 4 dozen

Author: Simply Happenstance

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips I used semi-sweet
Additional powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl: flour & salt. Slowly, add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar until the dough comes together. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
TIP // If the dough is too soft or sticky, chill it until you can work it easily with your hands (30 minutes or so).
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop small amounts of dough (approx. 1-2 tablespoons worth) and roll into balls using the palms of your hands. Place balls of dough on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes until bottoms are just slightly brown. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes, until you can handle them.
Fill a small bowl with sifted powdered sugar and roll each cookie in the sugar until coated. Place on a rack to cool. (Once cookies are cooled, or just before serving, you can re-roll them in more powdered sugar to look like they're freshly covered in "snow"). Enjoy!

Notes

Original Recipe Inspiration From: Crazy for Crust

D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board

December 2, 2015

D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board //

The holidays are upon us! Okay, so we blinked for a second and here we are, and now to the run around! This year I would like to give more meaningful and effective gifts for some of my loved ones. This D.I.Y. Girls Jewelry Board is a great gift for big and little girls alike. Sara and I featured this project a couple years back. To this day, my D.I.Y. Jewelry Board still hangs in my closet, and now my daughter has one to match. This easy project not only makes for a wonderful gift, but it’s a great way to organize all of those baubles and headbands. You can check out this updated version over at Simple As That, where we are guest posting this D.I.Y. in collaboration with the idea of focusing on alternative gifts for the holiday season. We hope you like it! For more additional how to for this project you can also check our step by step here.

Apple Pie Breakfast Bowl

October 21, 2015

Apple Pie Breakfast Bowl //

Hello, friends… we hope you’re all enjoying the fall season! Nicole and I have been staying busy with our little ones. We love having spare time to share our favorite recipes here on Simply! We also are super fortunate to be contributors over at the fabulous, Simple As That Blog! We recently shared an irresistible recipe for an APPLE PIE BREAKFAST BOWL. This dish is a new favorite… and we hope it becomes one of yours, too!

The base of this bowl is a rich, creamy vanilla chia seed pudding. Greek yogurt, almond milk, pure maple syrup, a touch of vanilla, and loads of healthy chia seeds create the thick, slightly-sweet mixture. Sliced crisp apples, crunchy granola, dried cranberries, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkling of brown sugar top the pudding, making it the tastiest fall breakfast that your whole family will love! Take a peek over at Simple As That to get the recipe details! Enjoy, friends! {xo}

Find our berry version of this breakfast dish ==> HERE!

Orange Marshmallow Mimosas

December 16, 2014

:: Orange Marshmallow Mimosas ::

Cheers friends to the holidays! This month has been very busy, but we are planning to slow down, take a breather and enjoy a little downtime with this recipe for Orange Marshmallow Mimosas. I love this time of the year, but with any holiday, you can get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle. Sara and I have enjoyed you all stopping by, commenting, and liking our little Simply Happenstance. We are very thankful this year for the support, but we will be taking a little break starting next week to enjoy this holiday season with our family. I am looking forward to enjoying the good food, the good cheer, the smiling faces, and a couple of these Orange Marshmallow Mimosas on Christmas Day. We hope you try them too!

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UncommonGoods Holiday Gift Guide + Giveaway!

December 15, 2014

UncommonGoods Holiday Gift Guide // GIVEAWAY

Hi, friends! You are sure in for a treat today! We have a holiday gift guide + GIVEAWAY, to share with you, from the wonderful folks at UncommonGoods!

It’s not everyday {or every month for that matter!} that we decide to promote a company and host a giveaway on Simply Happenstance. We are pretty particular about the brands we endorse and the businesses we suggest to our lovely readers. We want to make sure that if we’re giving our ‘thumbs up’ to a company or product… that it’s really worth your while to check it out!

Well… UncommonGoods definitely has our support! We encourage you to take a look at their “unique gift ideas and unusual gifts!” The items are perfect for the person on your list that is hard to buy for… or for the individual that already has everything!

This terrific company uses “business as a force for good!” Are you wondering how they do that? Well… you can fully read their mission statement {here}… but in a nutshell, UncommonGoods hopes to change the way that business is conducted by making sustainability a part of every decision they make. For example… the products on their site are carefully selected from artists and small manufacturers that are made in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. They feature products with recycled components and do not offer products that harm or hurt humans or animals. In fact, approximately one-third of their entire collection incorporates recycled or upcycled materials! Futhermore, most of the products they carry are created right here in the United States! One of our favorite parts of the company, is that UncommonGoods has created the “Better to Give” program. This allows you to select a non-profit organization to receive a $1 donation {from them}, when you checkout. How great is that?!

As a part of this UncommonGoods gift guide and giveaway, Nicole and I were given a few fabulous items to review! Nicole chose two of their Moscow Mule Mugs, while I chose the Define Bottle and their Animal and Monster Hand Tattoos! All items came packed securely and were high in quality! I wouldn’t hesitate to send a gift to someone you love, directly from their site! You won’t be disappointed! {Check out our Instagram feed to see photos of the goods we received and love!}

While preparing for this post, I delved deeply into their site, paying special attention to their Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, and gifts priced under $50. What an amazing, unique selection! There are truly so many fabulous gift ideas offered by UncommonGoods! {There’s still time to order for Christmas!}

We thought it would be fun to highlight our gift giving choices for the foodie in your life {since we are mainly a food blog}, as well as, for the kids you adore {since we are parents, too}! Without further ado… here they are!

FOR THE FOODIE //

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DIY // Natural Christmas Garland

December 11, 2014

DIY // Natural Christmas Garland

I love all things gold and sparkly {just take a look at my pinecone garland from last year!}… but I also love natural things, as well! I guess it depends on what I’m in the mood for… and the purpose of the piece. In this case, it was my sweet mama who planned this outdoorsy garland to make with her grandchildren over Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we ran out of time, but she did leave the supplies with me to complete the simple DIY with my kids. {Thanks, Mom!} I’m crazy about how it turned out… and the kids and I had so much fun putting it together for the birds in our backyard to enjoy!

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