There’s something about a party that just gives you free reign to serve and eat way too many sweets. These two goodies don’t only taste fantastic, but the look pretty great as well.

I love to make Oreo Truffles for parties and gifts, but this Christmas my friend Heidi gave me a fun new toy.  So, I made chocolate cake pops.  I dipped them in red chocolate and topped each with a little sparkly gold sugar.  These a perfect bight sized treat.

I also made Linzer cookies.  My mom gave me a Linzer cookie cutter set, and I’ve had a lot of fun with it. I adapted the recipe that came with the cutters.  I made these buttery cookies with almond extract and homemade raspberry jam (thanks to Lonnie’s mom).  They are cute but dangerous, because you really want to eat more then one.

Linzer Cookies
1 cup butter
2 cups cake flour sifted
1 tsp. Almond extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Raspberry Jam

With electric mixer cream the butter, almond extract and sugar.  Mix is 1 cup of flour at a time.  When the dough is fully combined, place in an airtight container and chill dough for at least 2 hours.  Cut out cookies with Linzer cutter or other cutters.  Make sure to cut out a bottom and top for each cookie.  The bottom is whole and the top has the center cut out (I cut hearts out of mine).  Bake in a 350 F oven for about 10-12 min.  Watch them carefully, when they are just brown on the very edges, take them out.  Cool on a wire rack.  Place a tsp. of jam on the bottom cookies and top with a cut out cookie.

You can’t have a party without candy.  I filled jelly jars with red hot’s and cinnamon hearts.  What says vintage more then Grandma’s jelly jars?   I tied a simple piece of twine around each.