LITTLE COOKS
Little Cooks Deck the Halls
Katy Hofstede-Smith shares some brilliant ways to get Santa’s little helpers making edible decorations
GINGERBREAD
The smell of baking gingerbread fills the house with the spirit of Christmas and is not only easy to make but the children can turn the biscuits into several different edible decorations.
Make stained glass tree decorations by cutting the
rolled out dough into shapes, cutting a large circle in the middle and placing the surrounding dough onto a
baking tray lined with baking paper. Place a boiled sweet into the centre and bake. Thread with ribbon and hang on the tree.
DIY ADVENT CALENDARS
An edible advent calendar is a great way to start the festive
countdown. Make a soft biscuit dough which you can flavour with some interesting combinations, such as ground ginger and cocoa powder, orange zest and cinnamon or lemon zest and cardamom. Roll into a £1
thickness and cut in to 24 shapes either all the same or mixed. Make a small hole for some ribbon
before baking. After the biscuits have cooled pipe on numbers 1 – 24 with additional decorations if you wish. Either thread a string through each biscuit or place into a small bag and tie before hanging onto a Christmas tree, branch or fireplace and open each day.
BUNTING & BAUBLES Festive, edible bunting is a lovely
addition to any tree and can be nibbled throughout the holidays. Cut the dough into a series of shapes such as stars, penguins, Christmas trees or bells, make a small hole at the top of each and bake. Once cooled these can be iced or left plain, threaded onto ribbon and strung onto the tree, windows (make sure they don’t get damp), on the mantlepiece or across shelves.
NAPKIN HOLDERS
When it gets closer to the big day, get the children involved with the table setting by making edible napkin holders. An easy take on a peppermint cream, knead some ready made white royal icing with a flavour of your choice such as mint, rose, lemon or orange and either leave white or knead through a few drops of food colouring. Roll out, cut into shapes and make a small hole in the top. Leave to dry out for a few days on a lined baking sheet then store in an airtight box. Thread through the ribbon and tie around the napkins, writing each guest name on with edible pen.
62 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
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