Toffee Studded Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups (8-ounce package) HEATH BITS O BRICKLE Toffee Bits

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400º.

Beat butter, shortening and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs; beat thoroughly. Stir together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in toffee bits.

Stir togather remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls; roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

Christmas Village in a Tree

This was my newest tree this year. Instead of "fluffing" it all out to decorate, I actually separated the layers of branches, strung some small lights on the layers, covered with artificail snow and then put Putz houses and bottle brush trees in and around the tree.

Handmade Christmas Ornaments

I'm working on some Christmas ornaments for one of my trees. This is the first of the mittens I'm making.

Christmas 2010

Ginberbread Village in the garden window in my kitchen.

Upside Down Tree

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010