Friendsgiving Blog Post by Tina Dahl
Hi friends, Tina Dahl here from Kiss Me Kate Studio and I’m so, so happy to share this Friendsgiving celebration I styled. It’s getting to be the time of year when we focus on what is truly important in life…our good health and friends and family. What better way to celebrate these important people than to have a Friendsgiving celebration! If you have friends that don’t live close to their own families, invite them over for good food and good times to kick off the holiday season. The talented Emily Hajec Photography beautifully captured my vision for this party, which was inspired by the Friendsgiving printable collection from Anders Ruff.
Some of my favorite details from this celebration are:
– The Thankful banner with wooden leaves added
– A little bit of gold accents used throughout, for just a hint of rustic glamour
– The mini apple pies with wood spoons
– The framed “happy” print
– Cute square kraft favor boxes filled with the most delicious chocolates
In the spirit of friends and Thanksgiving, host a Friendsgiving celebration. Ask friends to each bring a hors d’oeuvre to share and you provide the desserts and drinks!! For this celebration, I made a Harvest Spice Cake, Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits, Apple Spice Cupcakes, Pumpkin Spice Meringue Cookies, Autumn Apple Pies, Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles and Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. I’m not quite brave enough yet to attempt making Macarons, so I purchased some delicious ones from Trader Joe’s!
To coordinate the table with the gorgeous Anders Ruff Friendsgiving printables, I kept things neutral with lots of wood tones, cream and white plus a bit of gold accents for fun and a little glamour. I love that the printable collection has a rustic wood grain look plus pretty fall leaves.
Front and center is the hanging banner. I added some fun laser cut wood leaves to the paper banner and strung it with jute twine. I just love it! Below that I framed the wonderful “happy” print from the printable collection in a wooden frame I found at Michaels. I made lots of seasonal treats including wonderful Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits that I put in super cute glass candy jars from The TomKat Studio. So fun! I baked yummy mini Autumn Apple Pies, getting the recipe and inspiration from the book “Eat More Dessert” by Jenny Keller of Jenny Cookies. I set a mini wooden spoon on top and tied it with natural burlap string I ordered from The Party Garden on Etsy. I made the easiest Harvest Spice Cake, from boxed cake mix and topped with the yummiest cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Every celebration has to have cupcakes and these Apple Spice Cupcakes are fabulous….moist and so flavorful! On a 2-tier wood serving stand I got from World Market, I put some yummy macarons that I purchased from Trader Joe’s on the top shelf and I made some Pumpkin Spice Meringue Cookies that are on the bottom shelf. They were crunchy and sweet and really simple to make! Another fun treat I made were Pumpkin Whoopie pies…they have a soft cakey texture and a filling made with warm fall flavors. Yum! I do have to say though, that my favorite dessert were the Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles. They are heavenly!!! They are usually a cookie I always include in gifts I give to family and friends over the holidays and everyone always loves them. The Friendsgiving printable collection comes with party labels, so I had each dessert’s name printed out so guests would know what each dish was.
For something festive to drink, I made Spiced Apple Cider. I started with R.W. Knudsen Cider & Spice and added sliced oranges and apples and cinnamon sticks. It was really yummy! It’s always fun to drink with a straw so I served the cider in beverage mason jars with bronze lids I picked up from The Tom Kat Studio…complete with gold striped straws. The glass beverage dispenser and mason jars were placed inside a gorgeous wood and metal tray I found at World Market.
At each place setting, I used the fun placemats from the Friendsgiving printable collection. Each guest can fill in their name, make a drawing of themselves, and write what they are thankful for. A fun activity guaranteed to stir up fun conversation! On top of the placemat, I used some pretty scalloped plates with a hint of gold on the edge, plus a gold and white stripe appetizer plate. I also placed kraft scalloped napkins next to the plate along with lovely wooden utensils accented with gold. As a fun twist on name place cards, I attached personalized name tags with each guest’s name to gorgeous kraft window bags, filled with Hershey’s chocolates wrapped in gold. A sweet treat your guest can take home!
One more take home favor I created were darling Kraft Mini Square Containers from The Tom Kat Studio that I filled with the most decadent Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Salted Caramels. I topped each container with a “Happy Friendsgiving” tag from the Friendsgiving printable collection.
I had such a fun time putting together this celebration and hope you take some inspiration from it to create your own Friendsgiving holiday party! Happy Holidays everyone!
Vendor Credits:
– Event Design and Styling: Kiss Me Kate Studio
– Friendsgiving Printable Designs: Anders Ruff
– Photography: Emily Hajec Photography
– Kraft Mini Square Containers, Kraft Scallop Edge Plates, Kraft Scallop Napkins, Beverage Mason Jars, Bronze Daisy Mason Jar Lids, Jute Twine, Mini Candy Jars: The TomKat Studio
– Gold Stripe Canape Plates, Gold Wooden Cutlery Set, Kraft Window Treat Bags: Meri Meri
– Wooden Photo Frame, Wooden Box, Laser Cut Wooden Leaves: Michaels
– Wood and Metal 2-Tier Serving Stand, Edin Wood and Wire Pedestal Stand, White Porcelain Rectangular Serving Platters, Wood Bark Pedestal Stand, Embossed Wood & Metal Tray: World Market
– 3-tier wooden serving tray: Houzz
– Burlap with Gold Polka Dots Placemats: Pick Your Plum
– Chocolate and Vanilla Macarons: Trader Joe’s
– Mini Wooden Spoons, Natural Burlap String: The Party Garden
– Metallic Gold Striped Straws: Party Surprise
– Glass Candy Jars with Gold Scallop Lids: Target
– Brown BakeBright Cupcake Liners: Sweets & Treats
Recipes:
- • For the cookies
- • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- • 1 and 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- • 2 tablespoons molasses
- • 2 large eggs, room temperature
- • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- • 3 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- • 1 teaspoon baking powder
- • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- • 3/4 teaspoon salt
- • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- • For the filling
- • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- • 2 cups powdered sugar
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- 2. In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, oil, sugar, and molasses. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until combined. Stir in the pumpkin puree.
- 3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stir just until moistened.
- 4. Using a 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop, drop mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the cookies feel firm. Cool cookies on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until blended. Spread the filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie.
- Recipe
- 2 standard size boxes Pillsbury Pie Crust
- Flour, for rolling
- 2 (21 oz. cans [595 g] apple pie filling, cut into small chunks
- Rolling pin
- Standard-size muffin tray
- Large round cookie cutter
- Miniature leaf cookie cutter
- Wooden spoons
- Twine
- 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- 2. Remove the crust from the package and roll out flat on a lightly floured surface. Using a large, round cookie cutter, cut out circles, gathering up pie crust scraps and rerolling to make a total of twenty-four pie crust circles. Press twelve pie crust rounds into ungreased muffin cups.
- 3. Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of the chopped apple pie filling into each pie crust.
- 4. Using the leaf cookie cutter, cut shapes out of the remaining twelve pie crust circles. Place on the apple pies and pinch or crimp tops, sealing the edges.
- 5. Bake the pies for 18-20 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan before removing, about 30 minutes.
- 6. Using a sharp knife, loosen the edges and gently remove the mini pies from the muffin cups.
- 7. Tie wooden spoons onto each pie with the twine.
- Recipe from “Eat More Dessert” by Jenny Keller
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup soft caramel squares, cut in ½ (I used one package of Werther’s Original Soft Caramels)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies
- 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- 2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should have a nutty aroma. Watch the butter carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Remove butter from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended and smooth. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- 4. Form the dough in a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough overnight.
- 5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand and place a piece of caramel in the center of the dough. Wrap the cookie dough around the caramel, making sure the caramel is completely covered with dough.
- 6. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls on a large baking sheet that has been lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the cookie tops with sea salt.
- 7. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. The centers will still be soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
- Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod http://twopeasandtheirpod.com
- Ingredients
- • For the cupcakes
- • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- • 2 large eggs, room temperature
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- • 1/8 teaspoon salt
- • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- • 1/2 cup apple cider
- • For the frosting
- • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- • 3 cups powdered sugar
- • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 3 tablespoons milk
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- • For the topping
- • Store bought caramel sauce
- Make the cupcakes
- 1 Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- 2 In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars, continue to beat for 3 minutes. With the mixer set to low, beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- 3 In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk to combine. Gradually add to the butter mixture alternating with the apple cider. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
- 4 Fill the cups of the prepared muffin pan 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting
- 5 In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Slowly beat in the milk, followed by the vanilla. Continue mixing until the frosting becomes thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Top the cupcakes with frosting.
- 6 Drizzle frosted cupcakes with the caramel sauce.
- Recipe from Jen Sobjack at Baked by an Introvert
- Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Gingersnaps, for garnish
- Directions
- Combine pumpkin, 1 cup heavy cream, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool fully.
- Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks and fold into cooled pumpkin mixture.
- {1} Add crumbled gingersnaps to bottom of mini parfait glasses
- {2} Put the mousse in a large plastic bag. Snip off the corner and pipe a layer into the glasses
- {3} Repeat step 2, but with Cool Whip
- {4} Top with crushed gingersnaps
- {5} Enjoy!
- Recipe adapted from Food Network
- Ingredients
- 6 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- Instructions
- 1 . Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- 2 . In a stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- 3 . Whisk in the pumpkin spice.
- 4 . Using two spoons, dollop the egg white batter onto the baking sheet (approximately 3 tablespoons per meringue). Make sure to leave 2 inches between each. Flatten the tops slightly with the back of a wet spoon.
- 5 . Bake for 1 1/2 hours; then turn off the oven, and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for another 30 minutes to dry out.
- 6 . Transfer the meringues to a rack to cool.
- 7 . Dust with extra pumpkin spice if you'd like.
- Recipe from Joanna Meyer http://www.bakedbyjoanna.com
- • For the cookies
- • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- • 1 and 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- • 2 tablespoons molasses
- • 2 large eggs, room temperature
- • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- • 3 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- • 1 teaspoon baking powder
- • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- • 3/4 teaspoon salt
- • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- • For the filling
- • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- • 2 cups powdered sugar
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 . Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- 2 . In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, oil, sugar, and molasses. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until combined. Stir in the pumpkin puree.
- 3 . In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stir just until moistened.
- 4 . Using a 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop, drop mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the cookies feel firm. Cool cookies on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until blended. Spread the filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie.
- Recipe from Jen Sobjack at Baked by in Introvert
- 2 boxes Spice Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
- 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- Grease three 8” cake pans. Lay a circular piece of parchment paper on each of the bottom of the pans, grease again and flour all pans.
- Mix the two cakes mixes together according to directions on boxes. Divide cake batter between the three prepared cake pans. Bake as directed on box. Cool completely before frosting.
- In the bowl of electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined well. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon, mixing well until it’s all incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate. The frosting will harden in the refrigerator, so plan on bringing it back to room temperature if you must refrigerate it before frosting the cake.
- Level all the tops of the cakes off with a long knife so each layer has a nice flat top. Put one layer bottom size down on a cake plate or pedestal. Frost this layer with about ¾ cup of frosting. Add second cake layer on top, frosting with another ¾ cup of frosting them top with final cake layer and top with remaining frosting. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator. Bring cake to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
