This year, I am seriously contemplating making a Christmas cake, or at least, Christmas cookies. While this is ‘normal’ for probably all of you, for me it’s a new thing.
That’s what happens if your sister in law is a pastry chef at one of the world’s best 5-star hotel chains. There is no use in even trying: her cookies, cakes, whatever she bakes is not only the best tasting, the most appropriate in lightness, etc etc. it is also BY FAR the prettiest and the most original in terms of design. See my point? I never needed to make cookies before.
But now that we are living in Italy, and the sister in law is far away back in Canada, I have a fair change of shining my light in the cookie & cake making department. See?
Cookie Cutters: Get the Best
To get some standards and efficiency going, and as I am a nut for stencils and templates, the first things I bought were these: cookie cutters. And I also have some antique ones and a slew of plastic shapes from the traditional to the highly unusual.
Christmas Cookie Recipe
Over the weekend I was visiting my German friend who is going to share her inherited family recipes with me (her cookies were sooo good), so that now all I need to do is to set a date, get the ingredients and make them. If you don’t have any cookie cutters yet, check out these fancy ones, that’ll look pretty in your kitchen when not in use.
I wrote to my friend to get her recipes. When I get them, I’ll post them for you. In the meanwhile, let’s get on with Christmas cake prep.
Amazing Christmas Cakes !!!!
As for the cakes, I have done some research ground work for us all, and put a Pinterest page together with oh so amazing cakes…. Original, outstanding, and ahum, perhaps actually do-able … by me.
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Some Christmas Cookies and Cakes:
here are some images from my Christmas Cake Ideas pin board.
At first glance, this cake is TOO DIFFICULT. However, beyond the marzipan-sculpted Santa with Snowman, it’s easy: a top of a snowy mountain cake with silver glitter balls (straight from the jar), ‘ho ho ho’-lettering made with a cookie cutter, and lovely pine trees (also made with cookie cutters).
Or this novel idea:
Birdhouse Christmas Cakes
Darling ! Note those owls… it’s a Halloween cook cutter shape transformed into a Christmas cake tool! That brings me to the next topic….
Secret Tools of the Trade
for Fancy Cake Decorating
Unless you have a super steady hand and angelic patience, get these curly alphabet letters, some animal shapes, tree shapes and fancy curly shapes, if you don’t already have ‘m.
All of these cake/cookie cutters / stencils are inexpensive and will transform average-looking cakes into stylish pro.
Chocolate Christmas Cake
No cutters required, just creative fantasy. This double layered Christmas cake has white and pure chocolate ‘snow flakes’ hanging from it, to give it that cascading feel of abundance.
The glamorous golden ribbon with shooting star finishes off ‘the look’.
To see all unique Christmas Cake Designs I’ve collected, click here: FineCraftGuild’s Christmas Cakes at Pinterest
More FineCraftGuild Christmas ideas at Pinterest can be found here.
