JINGLE COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Start by washing and then coring the apple to remove seeds. Cut the apples into slices. There is no need to peel the apples.
• Add the apples to the pot and add enough water to just cover them. Too much water and you’ll have pretty diluted juice. This juice may come out a bit strong, but it’s a lot easier to dilute the juice with extra water rather than trying to make the flavor stronger.
• Slowly boil the apples for about 20-25 minutes or until the apples are quite soft. Place a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth in your fine mesh strainer and place over a bowl.
• Slowly ladle the hot juice/apple mixture into a fine mesh strainer and gently mash the apples. The juice will be filtered through the bottom into your bowl while the apple mush will be left behind. Place the mush in a separate bowl for later. Repeat this process until all of your juice is in the bowl.
• Taste the juice after it’s cooled for a bit. You can add additional sugar or cinnamon depending on your preferences. Again, if the flavor is too strong, you can add water a little bit at a time to weaken the flavor.
• The apple mush you collected can easily be turned into applesauce by pureeing and adding a smidgen of sugar and cinnamon to taste.
• Keep in mind your homemade apple juice doesn’t have any preservatives so be sure to keep it refrigerated and to use it within a week!

Steps:

• IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!