Use this unique and colorful set ofAutumn Woodland cookie cutters to make Fall and Thanksgiving sugar cookies! This 5-piece set can be used as Fondant Cutters / Fall Cake Decoration / Plastic Cookie Cutters / Thanksgiving Baking Tools.
These seasonal cookie cutters can be found in the Etsy Shop called ShapemCom. This shop is run by Nadia of Miami, who makes silicone & plastic molds for your favorite hobbies.
The Fall season also includes the holiday of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Shapem has just the right cookie cutters for Christmas, such as this Santa Cookie Cutter. The shop also has snowball and a mitten cookie cutter perfect for your Christmas themed cookies.
For more fun Autumn/Fall/Seasonal cookie cutters, check out the Top Gift Ideas for Women from Fred & Friends in the article Top Gift Ideas for Women by Louanne Cox. Nothing like Zombie style (Already Been Chewed) gingerbread MAN cookie CUTTERS to generate some interesting party-time conversation!
Use these and other seasonal cookie cutters with a sugar cookie recipe, such as this one for The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies which can be found online at AllRecipes! Your cookie jar (and your family) will be happy you did.
Cookies Throughout the Autumn Season
With the wide variety of cookie cutters available in fun shapes, your cookie jar will be filled with sugar cookies for every occasion throughout the Fall season, including Halloween and Thanksgiving, and even into Christmas.
Happy Baking!
National Cookie Cutter Week is
The First Week in December
Written by (c) Wednesday Elf on 10/29/2016. Updated 10/7/2021.
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'Tis the season for baking cookies, so how appropriate that Bake Cookies Day
is held every December 18th right in the middle of the holiday
season. The word 'cooky' or 'cookie' comes from the Dutch word “koekje”, meaning
“little cake”. Cookies arrived in America along about the 17th century,
although they may date back as far as 7th century Persia! Today they are a
global phenomena, coming in more varieties, flavors and styles than you can
possibly imagine. The writers on Review This Reviews often write on the subject of food and
have reviewed recipes for many varieties of cookies. It seems appropriate for
Bake Cookies Day to share a few here.
Cookie Varieties and Recipes on Review This Reviews
If you want to give a gift of cookies, but don't have time to bake your
own, try out
Byrd's Famous Cookies
reviewed by Wednesday Elf. They are delicious.
Other Cookie Days
Source: Pixabay
There are other dates throughout the year that celebrate
'cookies'.
National Chocolate Cookie Days happens on August 15th.
National Homemade Cookies Day is October 1st.
National Gingerbread Cookie Day is November 11th.
National Cookie Day is December 4th.
Summary
So, enjoy Bake Cookie Day December 18th, or any of the other fun
cookie days all year long. And don't forget to leave a couple cookies out for
Santa on Christmas Eve!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Last month, I was watching an old episode of Chopped on The Food Network
and my mouth started watering when I saw one of the chefs in the competition
use the crazy basket ingredients for one of the courses to make delicious
calzones. Then, my friend Sam Monaco published his
easy homemade calzones recipe
here on Review This Reviews. I guess I had calzones on the brain, because
the next time I reached for my Scotty's Everyday Keto Pizza Crust Mix to
make pizza, I decided to try using the zero carb pizza crust mix to make low
carb calzones instead.
I decided to fill the dough with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmigiano Romano
cheeses, precooked sausage and herbs and serve the calzones with a good
quality jarred pizza sauce as a dipping sauce. They turned out to be a big
hit with both my husband and me. They also reheat well and we discovered
that the leftovers are even good cold, which is great for a quick and easy
hot weather dinner without turning on the oven.
I've provided both the low carb sausage and ricotta calzones recipe and
variations for those of you who either don't follow a low carb or keto diet
or who may be watching your calories and fat intake. And you can easily use regular pizza dough with wheat flour, if you aren't watching your carbs.
Enjoy!
Using Scotty's Everyday Keto Pizza Crust Mix with 0 net carbs makes
this low carb sausage and ricotta calzones recipe quick, easy and keto
diet friendly!
The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Sausage and Ricotta Calzones
Recipe
Using my favorite 0 net carbs keto pizza crust mix makes this recipe quick and easy to prepare so you can get this yummy dinner on the table in less than 40 minutes. It's a real treat for carb lovers who are watching their carbs, and it's also easy to adapt to make it lower in calories and fat.
You can also substitute conventional store-bought pizza dough if you aren't counting carbs, so it's a great recipe for everyone at your table.
*When making low carb sausage and ricotta calzones, you can't use wheat or
semolina flour (which is high in carbs and can spike insulin levels) to keep
the dough from sticking as you roll it out. I have tried substituting almond
flour or coconut flour, but it doesn't work well. A lightly oiled silicone
pastry mat is the best rolling surface I have found for working with keto
dough.
Ingredients
Filling:
12 links Applegate Naturals Classic Pork Breakfast Sausage (or other
sausage of your choice)
1 cup whole milk (4% fat) ricotta cheese (I recommend Maplebrook Farms
brand)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 ounces finely shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh or dried herbs to taste (I love Penzeys Greek or Italian Herbs for
this recipe)
1 cup Primal Kitchen unsweetened pizza sauce (Rao's and Yo Mama's are also good low carb, keto friendly brands of pizza sauce)
Directions
Place the pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 425 ℉. Line the rimless cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To make the filling, pan fry the sausage links according to directions in
a nonstick pan, then halve each link lengthwise and slice. (Alternatively,
crumble and brown bulk Italian sausage.) Add to a mixing bowl along with
the ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, finely shredded mozzarella, herbs and
chopped olives and mix to combine. Cover and set aside.
To make the dough, add the keto pizza crust mix, water and 1 tablespoon
of the olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment
to mix at low speed until the dough comes together. Scrape the bowl and
the paddle attachment, replace the latter with the dough hook attachment
and let the mixer knead the dough for about 3 minutes until it is
uniform and smooth.
To assemble, use 1 tablespoon of the oil to grease the silicone pastry
mat. Divide the large ball of dough into four pieces and roll each piece
into a smooth ball. Roll out each ball thinly. Place 1/4 of the filling
mixture along the center of one half of the dough, leaving a margin of
dough around the rim. Moisten the rim with water, fold the dough over the
filling and press the moistened edges together firmly. Use the extra-wide turner to help you carefully lift and transfer the
calzone onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the three
remaining balls of dough and the rest of the filling. Use your fingers to
spread the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the tops of the calzones.
Open the hot oven and, using potholders to protect your hands, carefully
slide the parchment paper with the calzones onto the preheated pizza stone.
Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the bottoms are nicely browned and the tops
are baked through.
Put 1/4 cup pizza sauce in each ramekin and serve with baked calzones.
Serving Suggestion
I enjoy serving these low carb sausage and ricotta calzones with either a side
salad of fresh greens or just some micro greens, as shown here. (Check out my
Hamama microgreens seed quilts review. These microgreens are SO easy to grow, no green thumb required—just
soak in water and let them do their thing!)
Nutrition Information
For those of you who are counting calories or carbs or tracking macros on a
low carb or ketogenic diet, these generously-sized low carb sausage and
ricotta calzones each have 691 calories, 54.3g of total carbs, 46.3g of fiber,
8g of net carbs, 35.1g of protein and 51.1g of fat.
Variations for Conventional, Low Calorie or Low Fat Diets
If you're not worried about calories, carbs or fat, you can easily substitute
homemade or ready-to-use pizza dough, your favorite sausages (Italian would be
great) and your favorite pizza sauce. You could also roll out your dough on a
board sprinkled with semolina and bake on a semolina-sprinkled pizza
stone.
To reduce fat and calories, you could try substituting low fat ricotta
(although the filling might be a bit watery) and substitute Applegate Naturals
Chicken & Sage Breakfast Sausage links.
The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Sausage and Ricotta Calzones by Margaret Schindel
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Today, I'm delighted to share my review of my luscious new hot chocolate
recipe, just in time for Christmas and other winter holiday celebrations and
the long, chilly weather during the months that follow them.
Once you taste this decadent cold-weather treat, you'll never want to settle
for ordinary hot cocoa again! It's so rich, thick, intensely chocolaty, and
indulgent, no one who tastes it will ever guess—or even believe—that this
fabulous beverage is also sugar-free and very low in carbohydrates. That means
you can enjoy it with your family and friends, even if some of are following a
low carb or ketogenic diet.
My carb-loving husband and I, both serious hot chocolate snobs, agree that
it's The Ultimate Hot Chocolate Recipe, keto or not!
Gourmet Hot Chocolate Any Chocolate Connoisseur Will Love (Just Don't Tell
Them It's Keto!)
'Tis the season for hot chocolate! During Christmas and other winter holidays,
and straight through the cold weather months, hot cocoa a welcome indulgence,
warming us from the inside out after we come in from the cold (and especially
after we've been playing outside in the snow...or shoveling it!).
Unfortunately, for those of us who follow a low carb or ketogenic diet, most
keto recipes for low carb hot chocolate just aren't all that tasty or
satisfying.
After trying and being disappointed by five or six different keto recipes for
hot cocoa and a couple of low carb hot chocolate mixes, I finally realized the
only way to find a keto hot chocolate recipe that would live up to my very
high expectations standards would be to develop one myself.
That's why I'm confident that my recipe truly is worthy of the title, The
Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe. In fact, second only to Angelina's iconic
L'Africain, I think this may well be The Ultimate Hot Chocolate Recipe,
period.
As my fellow Review This Reviews contributor Wednesday Elf explained in her
recent review of National Cocoa Day (which is just five days away, on December 13), although both terms for
this beloved beverage are often used interchangeably, the main difference is
whether they are made with real chocolate (often ground) or with cocoa
powder.
As I experimented with different combinations and proportions of ingredients
for my recipe, I found that mixing my favorite Dutched cocoa powder,
sugar-free chocolate chips, and Good Dee's Sipping Chocolate low carb hot
cocoa mix resulted in the perfect, intense, dark chocolate flavor I wanted.
Combining the cocoa and dark chocolate with macadamia milk (instead of the
more commonly used almond milk), heavy cream, and 1/8 teaspoon per serving of
xanthan gum, and then using a handheld immersion blender (aka stick blender)
to emulsify all the ingredients and thicken the mixture, worked
synergistically provided the rich, creamy taste and smooth, luxurious
consistency that other low carb hot chocolate recipes and mixes I had tried
lacked. Salt and pure vanilla extract to complement the dark chocolate flavor
that, together with the smoothness and creaminess rounded out the flavor
profile, smoothing out the intense, dark chocolate flavor with to create The
Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate.
Regular, Mint, and Salted Caramel Keto Hot Chocolate
Once I had perfected the recipe, I decided to take this challenge to the next
level, creating low carb versions of my husband's favorite hot cocoa flavors
that we could both could enjoy: keto mint hot chocolate and keto salted
caramel hot chocolate.
I hadn't thought this recipe could get any better, but I was mistaken. The
mint and salted caramel variations turned out to be even more delicious than
the original version!
Years ago, I developed a fabulous sugar, fat, and calorie-laden hot
chocolate recipe for my husband, and it spoiled us both for any other hot
cocoa. I never wrote down the recipe or measured the ingredients; it was
all in my head, and I just tasted and adjusted the amounts and proportions
as I went along each time I made it.
Unfortunately, after I made the decision for medical reasons to follow
a ketogenic diet, I stopped making my husband's favorite winter treat because I
could no longer taste and adjust the flavor during the process (because of
the sugar). And we both missed it a lot.
So, I challenged myself to come up with a new low carb hot chocolate
recipe that would taste as rich and decadent as my original recipe, and
could meet or exceed my husband's extremely high standards for his
favorite beverage.
I succeeded beyond either of our wildest dreams. Now, I'm sharing the
recipe so you and those you love can enjoy it, too, whether or not they
are watching their sugar or carbohydrate intake.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
Recipe Yield:
Four servings (approximately 6 fluid ounces per serving)
3/8 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used fine Himalayan pink crystal salt, which
contains beneficial amounts of 84 trace elements and iron, and is
less processed than regular table salt)
Measure the dry ingredients (Good Dee's Sipping Chocolate, Ghirardelli
Majestic Premium unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated BochaSweet sugar
replacement, xanthan gum, and salt) into a small bowl. Mix well
(pressing out any lumps of cocoa) and set aside.
Pour the Milkadamia unsweetened vanilla macadamia milk into a 2-cup
Pyrex glass measuring cup and microwave for 60 seconds or until hot.
Remove from microwave.
Place the sugar-free chocolate chips and ghee or butter into a 4-cup
Pyrex glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 45–60 seconds,
depending on how powerful your microwave is. Stir the mixture well to
melt as much of the chocolate as possible, then repeat, stirring until
the chocolate is completely melted.
Stir the hot macadamia milk into the melted chocolate mixture in the
4-cup Pyrex measuring cup until well incorporated. Then, microwave for
another 60 seconds.
Stir in the dry ingredients, and then use an immersion blender (without
any attachments) to blend the contents of the measuring cup. (I find it
helpful to glide the immersion blender slowly over the bottom of the cup
and tilt it slightly in different directions.)
Add the heavy cream, then blend with the immersion blender for 20–30
seconds, until the mixture thickens slightly.
Microwave on high for 30–60 seconds, or until very hot, and stir in the
vanilla extract.
Divide evenly among four small mugs or two large mugs. Top with optional
whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately.
Keto Mint Hot Chocolate Recipe Variation
For the best peppermint or mint hot chocolate you’ve ever tasted:
Replace the vanilla extract with 3/8 to 1/2 teaspoon (to taste) of pure
peppermint extract or pure mint extract.
I highly recommend using either Watkins Pure Peppermint Extract or
Watkins Pure Mint Extract (which contains a blend of spearmint and peppermint oils). Either
one will let you enjoy the fresh, minty flavor of a traditional candy can
stirrer in your hot cocoa, but without all the sugar, corn syrup, and
artificial flavoring and food coloring.
Keto Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Recipe Variation
Transform this beverage into a keto salted caramel hot chocolate so
divine, it will make you close your eyes and purr with pleasure when you
take your first sip! Just make these simple tweaks to my original recipe:
This sumptuous hot chocolate is even better topped with a dollop of
lightly sweetened whipped cream. Here's how to make a delicious low carb
version.
At least 30–60 minutes before you plan to make this Ultimate Keto Hot
Chocolate Recipe, put some heavy whipping cream in a mixing bowl, stir
in a few drops of vanilla, mint, or peppermint extract, and sweeten to
taste with your favorite keto-friendly, natural, powdered sweetener
(confectioner's sugar replacement), such as powdered BochaSweet,
powdered monkfruit allulose blend sweetener, or powdered allulose. Place
the mixing bowl with the flavored cream in the refrigerator to chill,
along with a wire balloon whisk or the whisk attachment of your electric
mixer.
After making the hot chocolate recipe through step 6 (before you heat
the hot chocolate mixture for the last time and stir in the extract),
whip the cold, flavored, lightly sweetened cream in the chilled bowl
with the chilled whisk.
Finish preparing the hot chocolate recipe (steps 7 and 8), topping each
mug with a cloud of freshly whipped cream. Finish the whipped cream
topping with a light dusting of unsweetened cocoa, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Good Dee’s Sipping Chocolate is a key ingredient in this recipe! You can
order it, as well as the Good Dee’s Dark Chocolate Chips, either on
Amazon or on the Good Dee’s website. Consider adding some of the
delicious Good Dee’s keto cookie mix flavors I’ve reviewed previously to
your cart while you’re at it. After all, what’s better than cookies and
hot cocoa on a chilly day, especially around the holidays?
Note: If you don't get Amazon Prime free shipping, or the
Good Dee's products you want are out of stock on Amazon, or you'd prefer
to shop the full selection of Good Dee's products, you can save 15% off your total purchase price any time you
use my Good Dee's website affiliate shopping link and enter my unique discount coupon code GOODDEES15MRS during
checkout.
Using Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa makes a big difference in the
taste of this decadent hot chocolate. The more expensive
nib-alkalization process gives it a richer, smoother, better flavor.
Even though the generous 2-pound (32-ounce) canister looks as though it
would be a lifetime supply, I use this extraordinary cocoa powder so
often in this and other recipes, such as my luscious low carb keto
chocolate yogurt chip pudding parfait recipe (my favorite quick and easy
breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or snack when I’m in the mood for
something sweet), that I have to replenish my supply a few times a year.
If you are unable to get the Ghirardelli Majestic Premium
and need to substitute a different brand or formula, please make sure to
choose a high-quality,
unsweetened, alkalized or Dutch-processed cocoa
powder. Although your hot chocolate won't taste the same as my original
recipe, if you use a different brand of alkalized or Dutch-processed
(aka Dutched or "Dutch"), it should still be delicious!
Making this hot beverage in a large, flat-bottomed Pyrex glass 4-cup
measuring cup lets you can see what's at the bottom of the hot mixture,
so you know whether the chocolate chips have melted completely and, if
so, whether all the melted chocolate has been incorporated into the hot
macadamia milk and melted butter mixture.
Using an immersion blender on medium speed creates the perfect
consistency. If you don't own one, you can use a regular blender, and
use a slim silicone scraper to make sure you get all of your delicious
hot beverage out of the container. My decades-old stick blender was a
gift from someone who knew how much I enjoy cooking and baking, and that
model was discontinued long ago. However, if you're looking for a good
one, the powerful
Müeller Austria Ultra-Stick 500 Watt 9-Speed Stainless Steel
Immersion Blender
has more than 20,000 5-star ratings on Amazon.
Nutrition Facts
I entered this recipe and its variations into Carb Manager to help me
calculate and track the calories, macros, and other nutrition data, based
on the specific ingredients and brands I used. I usually drink one-quarter
of the recipe, while my husband prefers to indulge in a larger portion.
So, here are the nutrition facts for both the smaller, typical serving
size (6 fluid ounces) and a double-size serving (12 fluid ounces).
The Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe (Original, Mint, or Peppermint)
Nutrition Facts
One quarter of this recipe (6 fluid ounce serving) contains 1 net carb,
136 calories, 4.7 grams of dietary fiber, 2.8 grams of protein, and 13
grams of fat.
Half the recipe (12 fluid ounce serving)contains 2 net carbs, 272
calories, 9.4 grams of dietary fiber, 5.7 grams of protein, and 26.1 grams
of fat.
The Ultimate Keto Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Recipe Nutrition
Facts
One quarter of this recipe (6 fluid ounce serving) contains 1 net carb,
136 calories, 4.7 grams of dietary fiber, 2.8 grams of protein, and 13
grams of fat.
Half the recipe (12 fluid ounce serving) contains 2 net carbs, 272
calories, 9.4 grams of dietary fiber, 5.7 grams of protein, and 26.1 grams
of fat.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
If you have wanted to make gingerbread men but are too intimidated or short on time I have a great kitchen cheat for you! Even I was able to successfully bake these cookies with Wilton Gingerbread Man Cookie pans and Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix. However, please note that the Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie mix is "limited edition". Perhaps it is only seasonal. So stock up now for your future gingerbread cookie-baking adventures.
Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix
I depend on cookie mixes. And have had really good luck with the Snickerdoodle and the Peanut Butter flavors. So it was an easy thing for me to buy the Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix.
I followed the directions on the bag to make the cookie dough. The ingredients list is super short:
bag of cookie mix
stick of butter
one egg
tablespoon of water.
I split the dough in half - using one half for each pan - and dropped by small spoonfuls into the pans.
When I saw these adorable cookie pans at a local big box store, I could not resist. I'm not at all skilled with baking, but I really wanted to try these shaped cookie pans. I have had a great time making these cookies and I think these would be fun pans to use when baking with a child. The pans are nearly 12" tall! They are non-stick (I still used a very light coating of spray cooking oil). And the pans have raised details that create slight indentations in the finished cookies. The indentations can be guides for icing placement. I left mine plain (I tell myself that because I left the frosting off the cookies were a "healthier" version of cookie!)
The best things about these super easy gingerbread cookies are that they are quick, easy, and tasty. Minimal time is spend in the kitchen and the cookies are oh so good.
When the pans are filled using the "dropped by small spoonfuls" technique the cookies are big and soft (similar to a brownie). I prefer that type of cookie.
My picky-eater friend said that the flavor was very good. I agree. The possible "cons" of these cookies are that these are not the gingerbread cookies your grandmother made. If you are looking for original gingerbread men, this may not be what you are looking for. These cookies were not the "crispy"/"crunchy" original style of gingerbread men. I have made these cookies using these pans three times. I have learned that the gingerbread dough does not "spread" during baking as much as some other cookie dough. So my first attempts resulted in the hands and feet not being fully formed. On my most recent attempt, I dropped small spoonfuls of dough in the cookie pans feet and hands. That created fully formed hands and feet. My next attempt will include pressing the dough down into the pan to see if the result with be the thinner and more crunchy cookies.
Do you love Snickerdoodles? Do you prefer super thick, cake-like cookies? Me too! Check out my Easy Snickerdoodle Cookie Pierecipe.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
