Melinda Gregorie - Christmas Cookies & Decorations: Xmas Cookie Recipes, Ideas, Techniques, Tips & Tricks

Christmas Cookies & Decorations

By

Melinda Gregorie

You'll discover original holiday cookies in Christmas Cookies, as well as our favorite recipes, shortcuts, suggestions, tips, and comprehensive directions for achieving the results shown. Utilize the ideas as springboards for your own creativity, and have fun infusing the cookies with your personality. We offer methods to "Keep It Simple" with many of the designs, i.e., how to get a comparable effect with fewer steps or less drying time. In response to reader feedback, we've added easier cookie designs for novices or for anybody seeking immediate creative pleasure.

Though the Christmas season is usually hectic, it has never been more critical to make time for tomorrow's memories. We hope this book contributes to the joy of Christmas cookie making and the brightness of your baking season!

The First Section: Recipes and Techniques

How to Make Cookies

A ll of our Christmas Cookie Craft masterpieces begin with delectable sugar cookies, delectable gingerbread, or decadent chocolate cookies. We created the formulas and rolling-chilling cutting method described in this section to guarantee a smooth surface for your successful festive creations. Check out the Prebaking Decorating Techniques for simple ways to decorate your cookies prior to baking. Many of the most intricate patterns on this page are created using royal icing; if you've never worked with it before, we provide recipes and helpful tips to guarantee your decorating enjoyment.

Equipment

W hile you may decorate cookies with nothing more than basic baking ingredients, a plastic bag, and a quantity of royal icing, the following cheap equipment can increase the efficiency and enjoyment of your cookie decorating.

• Waxed paper for easy rolling, chilling, and cutting.
• Slats for cookies for precisely even cookies.
• You almost certainly have a rolling pin on hand.
• Cookie cutters a round biscuit cutter is very flexible; we use it to create a variety of different patterns.
• Parchment paper for quick, nonstick cookie baking
• 2 cup airtight plastic containers for royal icing storage.
• Piping bags for royal frosting. In a pinch, a quart-size zip lock freezer bag will suffice.
• Coupler and tip should be placed in one corner of the bag. Without a coupler and a tip? Cut the smallest hole possible in the bag's corner, which will have the same effect as using a #2 tip.
• Metal decoration tips a number two tip is very helpful.
• Couplers for decorative tips made of plastic make changing tips simple.
• Twist ties excellent for securing pastry bags.
• Squeeze bottles made of polypropylene for flood icing.
• Small paintbrushes for dusting with luster dust.

COOKIES WITH ROLLED SUGAR

Y ield

• 2-inch cookies: about 30
• 3-inch cookies: about 16
• 4-inch cookies: about 12

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons
• Vanilla* or 1 teaspoon vanilla plus zest of 1 lemon food coloring

* You may use other extracts for the vanilla, such as almond or peppermint, which we like for the candy-cane forms. If you're going to use royal icing to decorate, ensure that the cookie and icing flavors complement one another.

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest (if using) until thoroughly combined.

3. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in a slow, steady stream until the two are completely combined. If your pattern requires the addition of food coloring, do it now and mix well.

4. Divide the dough into two or three equal pieces and turn it out onto a work surface. Each one should be formed into a rough disk. Now it's time to lay out the dough, refrigerate it, and cut out cookie shapes. Youll find full rolling and cutting directions.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. After rolling and cutting the dough and placing the cookie shapes on parchment-lined cookie sheets, bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn somewhat brown.

7. Cool fully before frosting or decorating the cookies.

COOKIES ROLLED IN CHOCOLATE

C onsider these cookies if you're in the mood for a chocolate-flavored cookie or a darker backdrop for your decorating creativity.

Yield

• 2-inch cookies: about 30
• 3-inch cookies: about 16
• 4-inch cookies: about 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• cup cocoa powder, either alkalized (Dutch-process) or natural (nonalkalized)
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional but recommended)
• teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt.