Christmas Cookie Decorating 101

Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that’s a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you generate your own ideas for cooking decorating.

DECORATING COOKIES BEFORE BAKING

Cookie Bake

Cookies can be decorated before baking with materials that withstand the heat of baking. Some things that you can place on your cookies before baking are:

-colored sugars or natural sugars such as pearl sugar

-jimmies, non-pareils, silver and gold dragées, and other sprinkles

-raisins and dried fruits such as cranberries

-nuts

These items can be placed on top of almost any cookie to dress it up a bit and give it a more festive appearance.

Paint a masterpiece

You can also paint your cookies before baking them. Make an edible food paint out of an egg yolk mixed with a few drops of food coloring and paint the cookies with a clean paintbrush. The paint will dry while baking and give the cookie a colorful, glazed appearance. This is a fun activity for kids!

A bit of trompe l’oeil

The folks at Better Homes and Gardens have a creative recipe for Colored Cream Dough ( [http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?page=2&storyid=%2Ftemplatedata%2Fbhg%2Fstory%2Fdata%2F11429.xml&catref=SC1407] ) which is a dough of frosting consistency that can be piped onto cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a writing or star tip, and then baked. The result is a cookie that looks like it has been frosted but the frosting is baked on and hard.

DECORATING COOKIES AFTER BAKING

Decorating cookies after baking them requires that you apply some kind of liquid-based substance that will adhere to the baked cookie, or that will act as a glue to attach other items. Usually, this takes the form of frosting, icing, or melted chocolate.

Frosting vs. Icing

There is a big difference between frosting and icing. Frosting is thick and holds shapes like rosettes and shells like those you see piped around the edges of a birthday cake. It remains soft to the touch and has a creamy texture, and most people think it tastes better because of the creamy buttery flavor. Icing, on the other hand, is a thinner, more liquid substance, and as it dries it thins out, becomes very smooth across the surface of your cookie, and hardens. This is the icing to use for the most beautiful, professional results.

Working with frosting

You can use frosting in two ways. One way is to simply use a knife or rubber spatula to spread the frosting across the whole surface of your cookie. The other way is to place the frosting in a pastry or decorating bag fitted with a small tip and piping out thin lines or rosettes of icing onto the cookie. Either way, once the frosting has been applied to the cookie you can then further embellish it by using colored sugars, non-pareils, or any of the decorating items mentioned in the Decorating Before Baking section above. Christmas-Cookies.com has a delicious recipe for Buttercream Frosting at http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe.php?recid=306. See detailed instructions on piping frosting from Better Homes and Gardens at [http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?page=3&storyid=%2Ftemplatedata%2Fbhg%2Fstory%2Fdata%2F11430.xml&catref=SC1407]

Working with icing

Icing is a little more difficult to work with but its smooth surface produces the most beautiful results! Icing should always be piped onto a cookie because it will run off the edges if spread with a knife. Once iced you can apply silver dragées, or other sprinkles just as mentioned with the frosting above, before it hardens. Christmas-Cookies.com has an excellent recipe for Royal Icing at http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe.php?recid=42. There is also a recipe for Powdered Sugar Icing ( http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe.php?recid=288 ) that dries less hard than Royal Icing and has a shiny surface. Martha Stewart's website features an excellent article on how to pipe icing onto cookies for professional-looking results ( http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel172011&catid=cat258 ).

Melted chocolate

Just about any cookie can be embellished simply by dipping it in chocolate or drizzling chocolate over it. You can even dress up the everyday chocolate chip cookie for gift-giving or serving at parties. Melting chocolate is a simple process, but a few rules must be followed in order to make it a success. For Easter, try using white chocolate tinted in pastel shades with food coloring. Use the gel, paste or powdered kind of food color, because the liquid drops may make the chocolate seize up.

What you need

You can either use chocolate chips or baking chocolate (the kind that comes in 1-ounce squares) and the same process applies whether you use dark chocolate or white chocolate. A small amount of shortening should be added at the ratio of 2 tablespoons shortening for 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped up baking chocolate.

Double boiler

Place chocolate and shortening in the top half of a double boiler or in a metal bowl that has been placed on top of a saucepan filled with hot water. The water must be very hot, but not boiling, because the steam generated by boiling water could get moisture into the melting chocolate which makes it curdle. Allow the chocolate to melt over the hot water and stir it occasionally until it has achieved a liquid consistency.

Microwave

Place your chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving 20 seconds, stir again. Keep doing this until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove it from the microwave and stir it until completely melted.

Dipping

Dip one end of your cookie, or half the cookie, or even the whole cookie into the melted chocolate. Set the cookie on a wire rack to let the chocolate harden. If you wish, you can sprinkle chopped nuts, coconut, or non-pareils over the melted chocolate before it hardens.

Drizzling

Scrape melted chocolate into a ziplock baggie. With a sharp scissors, snip off a very small corner of the baggie. Drizzle top of cookies with zig-zags of melted chocolate. Cool until chocolate is set.

Using these simple techniques will help you produce a variety of beautiful-looking cookies at Christmastime and throughout the year.

Copyright 2004 Mimi Cummins. All Rights Reserved.

Christmas Cookie Decorating 101

Mimi Cummins is co-author of the book "Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories, and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts." This book, "enthusiastically recommended" by Midwest Book Review, is full of baking tips and hints, including nearly 50 recipes each with a full-color photo. For more information visit http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/ or order from your favorite online bookstore.

[Note to webmasters: you may include a link to the book using your affiliate program (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other) if you wish.]

My Links : circulon classic 14 piece cookware set

Decorating Xmas Trees With Cookies and Candy

Decorating xmas trees with cookies and candy is a great way to give your tree that personal touch. It is creative and the results can be astounding in terms of their creative impact. Decorating an
artificial tree with baked goods is one way to make it look more homey and real. A slim christmas tree really looks great with decorations made out of slim wrapped candies. The snowy color of
shortbread confections also plays off nicely against any color of tree including the artificial white christmas tree.

Decorating xmas trees with food goes back to the times before Christ was born. Offerings of food were often placed along sills and windows to feed the good spirits and protect from the evil ones. The first
christmas trees were in fact imitations of the pyramid shape of real conifers. The custom of placing pickles and other foods on the steps of cedar pyramids of wood that were hand constructed was very common in Germany before the 16th century. It wasn't until Martin Luther came along and presented the upright tree that was brought indoors and lit with candles that we became familiar with the Christmas tree that we know today.

Using food as adornments on evergreen boughs is a time-honored tradition. Perhaps the strangest one is the German custom of hanging pickles on the tree. Today you can buy German ornaments made of glass that feature pickle cartoon characters wearing tiny Santa hats.

Decorating xmas trees with shortbread and ginger bread men is also a tradition that came out of Germanic and Slavic cultures. Of course today you can buy all kinds of different cookie cutters that
certainly pique one's creativity when it comes to making edible xmas decorations. Popular cookie cutter shapes are Christmas stockings, Santa, reindeer, presents and stars. However you could also decorate your tree with shortbread or gingerbread cut into any shape you like.

There are some really interesting novelty cookie cutters on the market including ones shaped like nativity scenes. One nice idea might be to decorate your tree with heart shaped cookies. You could
also make one very large angel, decorate it with edible gold and glitter and use it as a tree topper.

Decorating xmas trees with candies can be even more fun. You can hang single candies from a tree - such as lollipops and foil wrapped chocolates. Toffees wrapped in foil look especially nice on a tall
slim christmas tree. Candies can also be glued together in sunburst shapes to make interesting decorations or even strung together to make a long, shiny and delicious garland.

It is also very easy to make xmas tree decorations using pins and Styrofoam balls or backing. Simply spray the Styrofoam balls with green gold or silver and pin the candies so that they cover the
surface of the ball. A similar idea comes from Martha Stewart who does the same with gumdrops and miniature marshmallows. You could also use candied fruit. In fact one age old xmas decoration is the
oranges that is stuck with cloves and hung from the tree. In theory you could also use oranges as the base for any type of home made candy ornament.

One idea is to create a tree topper for your xmas tree using peppermint candy canes. This involves gluing them onto a round Styrofoam ball so that they radiate from the center in the circle. The same thing can be done with gumdrops on toothpicks and lollipops.

By the way, the candy cane is one of the most potent of Christmas symbols and it is actually a symbol of Jesus. A candy maker invented them in Indiana in the late 1800's. He came up with the idea of
bending a plain white peppermint stick. The color white symbolizes the purity and sinless nature of Jesus. The three small stripes to symbolize the pain Christ on the cross. The reason there are three is
because they represent the Holy Trinity. The one bold stripe represents the blood of Jesus. Right side up it looks like a shepherd's staff because Jesus is the shepherd of man. Upside down, it becomes the letter J symbolizing the first letter in Jesus' name. So candy canes are more than just pretty confections. They have quite a serious meaning.

When it comes to decorating xmas trees, one cannot say enough about popcorn. Popcorn is one of the most versatile of xmas tree decorations. Most traditional is the xmas tree garland that is strung
with the popped kernels. Popcorn balls that are dyed with food coloring also make very attractive christmas tree decorations. Left white, however, these popcorn balls look like snowballs hanging on
your tree.

Christmas tree garlands can also be made out of any kind of berries. Cranberries and holly berries (not edible!) make especially nice garlands because of their festive red color.

Some years, cereal companies also put out cereal in Christmas colors such as red and green. These types of cereals can also be made into shapes using a Rice Krispy Square recipe and hung by a thread.

Another unique idea is to decorate your christmas tree with homemade candy apples. These bright glossy red treats look absolutely fantastic, especially on a white or green tree. A nice compliment to
the color of the candy apples would be gold chocolate coins or foil covered chocolates in the shape of Santa also strung on the tree. A starburst of candy apples would make a stunning tree topper for a
slim christmas tree.

When decorating xmas trees with candy and baked goods remember that your success is only as limited as your imagination. If you are stuck for ideas, Martha Stewart's cookbooks are an excellent source of inspiration. You can also get great ideas on the Internet and by searching traditional xmas tree sites to get ideas about how these decorations are supposed to look.

For more information on Christmas trees, visit http://www.o-christmas-tree.com - a year-round resource for all your christmas tree and decoration needs.

Tags : cuisinart chefs classic 10 piece cookware set

Secrets of a cake decorating incredible "Christmas Cake"

www.yummyarts.net find hundreds of videos online step by step how to articles, ideas, tips and tricks, the engine of the world cake and cookie decorating and more research. Watch some free samples of our resources. http # 1 Product Information Page on the Internet! www.cbmall.com

Friends Link : anolon advanced cookware set presto 6 quart stainless steel pressure cooker cuisinart chef's classic 14-piece cookware set

Easy, last-minute decorating ideas for Halloween

Creepy Cookies

Cookies as Halloween decorations? Well most shops selling these tubes of pasta shapes in the midst of Halloween theme parties. These are times and super easy to cook, as I have the same host (which does not allow that accidents in the kitchen, as the previous fire) would be difficult to tighten. Many of these bake cookies. Place the finished cookies on plates around your house, in baskets or round bases as yummy pumpkinHalloween decor accent! The next day, the Secretary-eaten cookies in plastic wrap and give them work or suppliers to see that day (the guy at Starbucks that you get exactly the right thing Chai Latte every time!). While making cookies ...

Place a few pumpkins

Pumpkins are a great way to decorate, and are easily available in this time of year. Pick pumpkins in the size of his party or the porch of the house. Mini-pumpkins, simple coneChandelier. Well a big pumpkin and a bowl of punch holder in a festive atmosphere. Draw a face on your pumpkin to great comic effect is still mysterious.

Got a minute? Dig a big pumpkin, but not Chuck bowels. Carve a dark face with a big mouth wide open. Take courage and adhesiveness of the mouth. Your pumpkin looks bad eating sushi, and is a fun topic of conversation. Duration: Ten minutes.

Spike your fist - withFood coloring

dyed black with food coloring to your pile of blood-red, green, mud or any other combination is possible! shaped ice cubes floating in the drink of Halloween punch your fist! Voila! A multi-functional decoration for your guests drink!

Stages of a bloody incident

This week, there are unwell not to visit the recycling center! Take a pair of pants (jeans work best) and plastic bags (or, if you are a recycling business friendly, the clothes areLeave your dirty clothes). Put the belt area under a sturdy piece of furniture (sofa, a tribe or a unit of entertainment). Put your shoes at the end and cover a bit 'of the shoe with the pant leg. You now have a terrible accident, your guests will be chuckling. Ketchup blood is optional. You can use plastic bags to the recycling center tomorrow.

This Light Up

The colored lights are sold for a strange atmosphere. Cut bats, ghosts and / or witches in blackConstruction paper and glue to the inside of lampshades for Spooky decorations, the ominous shadow!

Ghosts, just drag

Take a kitchen trash bag and cut into squares that differ in size. At the center of each square with a package of paper towels or a plastic bag (a little 'twisted). Pull the corners together and tie a rubber band, ribbon or string. Use a marker to add facial expressions. Instant ghost! Wait doorknobs, ceiling (with strings andThumb TACs), ramps, stairs, etc.

These cards provide a quick and easy decorating solution. And the best remedy: minimal now, later! Happy Halloween!

To Links : all-clad lasagna pan t-fal ultimate