Creative Living: Cookie dough gifts featured on show

Information on making cookie dough gifts, using botanical design stamps, and working with Styrofoam and fabric will be the featured topics on "Creative Living" 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday and noon on Thursday. (All times are Mountain.)

Cookbook authors, Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero will show how to make a basic cookie dough recipe and create a Slice 'n Bake gift log with parchment paper and decorations and small baking related items. Their cookbook is titled "Sugar Sugar." They are from Tarzana, Calif.

If you already do a lot of card making and scrapbooking, you know how many stamps are available. Megan Thome, formerly with EK Success Brands in Kansas City, Mo., will show a new image style of stamp in a range of botanical designs, and she'll highlight different ways to use them.

Debra Quartermain will combine Styrofoam brand foam shapes with fleece plus fabric and felt scraps to create cute colorful birds ideal for decorating children's rooms, playrooms or to add a whimsical accent to other rooms. Her company is Debra Quartermain Design and she's from Fredericton, Nb., Canada.

Information on candles, making food gifts and making covers for metal folding chairs will be the featured topics on "Creative Living" noon on Tuesday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. (All times are Mountain.)

Olga Puzas represents PartyLite Gifts, Inc. in Plymouth, Mass., and she will talk about caring for candles, candle safety

Cookbook author, Connie Moyers has published a cookbook called "Remember When We Cooked?" and she'll prepare some quick and easy recipes that make great food gifts anytime of the year. She's from Clovis.

Pat de Santis, a sewing expert with Wrights, will demonstrate how to make attractive covers for ordinary metal folding chairs using paint, appliqués, trims and ribbons. She's from West Warren, Mass.

Brown sugar slice 'n bakes

• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups (4 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Place the butter and sugars in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to low and add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and blend until smooth. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the nuts. Form the dough into a ball and cut it in half. Cover one half tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Place the remaining dough on a lightly floured work surface. Form it into a log. Dust a piece of parchment paper lightly with flour and place it over the dough log. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic bag. Repeat with other half. Chill the dough logs for at least 4 hours or it can be frozen for up to 1 month. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use nonstick cooking spray. Slice dough logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place the slices on the sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between cookies. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are a medium brown color. Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

"Creative Living" is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations in the United States, Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico and is distributed by Westlink, Albuquerque.