So I had this Bright Idea to make cookies with the kids for Christmas & the Tree.
And that quality time?
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Helpful Hints:
1. I bought squeeze bottles and filled them with icing for the kids. It was easy for them to control, and easy to keep the kids from over icing a cookie (most of the time)
2. Gel coloring is actually way better. It seems to color with less and doesn't thin out what your coloring.
3. Lots of cheap options to decorate with was coloreds sugars, sprinkles, mini M&M's, any little candy you can find, You can also white ice and paint with food coloring, but they do sell food coloring markers now.
4. Buy cookie cutters that are deep and don't have solid tops if possible, but if you can't afford them spray some pam cooking spray on those shallow ones to help keep the dough from sticking to them. Works most of the time and you get that imprint they leave if that's what you want from those kind of cookie cutters.
5. You can cut out shapes free hand or get cute little stencils to cut out shapes with. You could even print some shape from the internet sites and cut them out for stencil and simply cut around them.. basic shaps cut out of you kids favorite coloring books can work too.
6. you don't need to spend a fortune on expensive cookie cutters to get the shapes you want. Use your imagination, get innovative, and have fun with your kids.
Christmas Cookie Recipe
(Rolled Vanilla Cookies)
Sift together into bowl and reserve:
2 2/3 cups flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1/2tsp Salt
Put
3/4 cup soft butter in a large bowl
Add:
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1tsp vanilla (or 1/2tsp Vanilla & 1/2tsp almond extract)
Beat with mixer or spoon until light and fluffy
Beat in flour mixture or spoon until smooth
Chill 1 hour, or until firm
Keep remaining dough in refrigerator until ready to use.
Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters
Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or a pale brown color
Remove to wire racks to cool.
Decorate with confectioners sugar frosting colored as desired.
Makes about 4 dozen 3" cookies.
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Royal Icing
(This will cover 2-3 dozen 3.5 inch cookies in 2 colors; I usually double this recipe.)
4 TBSP meringue powder ( 2 egg whites in exchange for meringue powder but change the water to more like a tablespoon or two)
scant 1/2 c. water
1 lb. powdered sugar (which measure out to about 3.6 cups by the way. I found a conversion on the internet)
1/2 - 1 tsp light corn syrup
few drops clear extract (optional) (This is a clear flavor of your choice. If your vanilla if colored it will affect the white of your icing)
Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy.
Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. (Do NOT skip the sifting!)
Add in the corn syrup and extract if desired. ( I think the corn syrup helps keep the icing shiny.)
Increase speed to med-high/high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form.
(You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) Do not overbeat.
Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.
This "stiff" icing is perfect for outlining and even for building gingerbread houses and monogramming. To fill in your cookies, add water to your icing a teaspoon at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it is the consistency of syrup. This technique of filling a cookie with thinned icing is called "flooding."
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(This will cover 2-3 dozen 3.5 inch cookies in 2 colors; I usually double this recipe.)
4 TBSP meringue powder ( 2 egg whites in exchange for meringue powder but change the water to more like a tablespoon or two)
scant 1/2 c. water
1 lb. powdered sugar (which measure out to about 3.6 cups by the way. I found a conversion on the internet)
1/2 - 1 tsp light corn syrup
few drops clear extract (optional) (This is a clear flavor of your choice. If your vanilla if colored it will affect the white of your icing)
Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy.
Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. (Do NOT skip the sifting!)
Add in the corn syrup and extract if desired. ( I think the corn syrup helps keep the icing shiny.)
Increase speed to med-high/high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form.
(You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) Do not overbeat.
Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.
This "stiff" icing is perfect for outlining and even for building gingerbread houses and monogramming. To fill in your cookies, add water to your icing a teaspoon at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it is the consistency of syrup. This technique of filling a cookie with thinned icing is called "flooding."
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Directions
Mix: Sift 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon each baking soda and salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves and allspice into a bowl. In another bowl, mix 6 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon melted shortening, 2/3 cup light brown sugar and 3/4 cup molasses; beat in 1 egg with a mixer. Beat in the flour mixture in two additions. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and pat to 1/2 inch thick. Chill 2 hours.
Cut: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour, if needed. Cut into 3-to-5-inch gingerbread men and arrange 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Brush off excess flour and chill 15 minutes.
Bake: Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool, then decorate with Royal Icing.
Royal Icing: Sift 2 tablespoons meringue powder (found in the baking aisle or at crafts stores) and 1 pound confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Beat in 6 tablespoons water with a mixer until glossy with soft peaks. Tint with food coloring, if desired.
To Draw: Transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag; snip the tip of one corner. For dots, hold the bag at a 90 degree angle. For outlines, hold it at a 45 degree angle. Pipe onto the cooled cookies.
To Fill: Draw an outline with the icing, then thin the icing with milk or water until it's the consistency of glue and spread inside the outline with a paintbrush.
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You have a week left. It's easy to do. The kids love the time that they spend with you!.....
Oven Flour Clay Recipe
How to Make Your Own Clay
Instructions for making clay using flour, salt, and water.
Materials Needed:- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Salt
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 - 1 Cup Water
Instructions:
Mix together flour and salt. Add the oil and then slowly add the water and stir until you get a nice clay consistency. Once completely mixed, make into the desired shapes. Bake in a 250 degree oven for approximately 1 hour. This will vary depending on how thick you creations are. One hint, do not make shapes too thick or they will crack with baking.
The star shown here was made using this recipe. Before it was put in the oven, I made a hole for the ribbon using the end of a straw. Once the star was out of the oven and cooled, I painted it with yellow paint and then glue. The glitter was then sprinkled on generously! once the ribbon was in place this made a fun necklace!
or
Here is a similar recipe using 4 Cups of Flour, 1 cup of Salt, and 1 1/2 Cups of Water. Your creations can be baked at 300 degrees for about an hour. For a golden appearance, paint your creations with egg yolk before you put it in the oven.
Hint: Instead of paint you can dye your clay with food coloring and make them look like real cookies. For the icing use Elmers glue and food coloring for a permanent icing job.
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