Christmas Cookies 2016

Last year there were some grumbles, (no names mentioned, ahem....Tara...!) about the lack of red in the Christmas cookie palette. I'd used a deep coral pink instead, but apparently that wasn't good enough ;o)

So this year there is red!
But no green.

About 4 years ago I did so many Christmas cookie classes that I couldn't bear to look at the combination of red, white and green afterwards.  I'll get over it eventually, I'm sure. (I do want to travel to Italy sometime, after all!).

Reindeer plaque inspired by Dolce Custom Cookies 

But for 2016, the colours are the same as I used for Christmas cupcakes 2 years ago. (That's how I'm measuring time, now ... in terms of class themes!)

 It feels a little odd making all these snowy creations in southern hemisphere's mid-summer, but it's a colour palette I love working with!

Snowman's scarf cookie inspired by SemiSweet Cookies 

Do you want to see a couple of work-in-progress shots? Heres the snow globe taking shape...

Flooding the background, but leaving a gap for the snowman and filling him in later, gives the cookie an interesting dimension, I think.  Just right for a snow globe... 

You'll find a post on reds here ... (and it just happens to be the last Christmas cookies I made with thattraditional trio of colours!) 

Happy Christmas decorating!

xxM

Gingerbread Cookies

Tis the season to be jolly...but it's also the season that brings out all the creepy crawlies....
Trying to make gingerbread biscuits, I found the syrup had been invaded by ants.
What a suicidal mission, that is. You can just picture them, before they leave the nest: "Right, ants! Only half of you will return, but those that do will bring riches beyond imagining!"
And the other half are in my syrup.

Then, when I started again (with new syrup)...I got the next round of kamikaze insects: flying ants,  shedding wings everywhere. Sigh!

Anyway....here's the gingerbread recipe that I'm using (ant bits optional!)

Gingerbread Cookies

180g butter, at room temp.
160g dark brown sugar
1 egg
180ml golden syrup
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spice
600g flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, mix well.
Slowly pour in the syrup with the mixer on low speed.
Add the spices. Sift in the flour and salt. Mix until just combined.
Knead into a ball by hand. Wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Roll out, and cut out as normal. (See here for a few tips).

  Bake at 180'C for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. The longer they're in the oven, the harder they'll become. (In this humidity, I err on the side of hard rather than soft.)

Decorate when cool, or enjoy as is....before the ants do : )

Coming soon...dark chocolate ginger cookies!

xxM