Howcast

How to Decorate a Christmas Cake

Howcast — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:35:42 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Use spearmint leaves Make a festive holly border, no piping skills required. Use candied spearmint leaves and red gumdrops, or washed and dried holly leaves and maraschino cherries. If you use holly, remove it before actually serving and keep it away from children and pets — both the leaves and berries are poisonous.
Step 2: Add a cute bundle Tie a few cinnamon sticks together with a piece of red ribbon, tuck in some fresh mint sprigs, and you have a beautiful seasonal topper to decorate your Christmas cake.
Step 3: Crush up candy canes Ice a chocolate cake with white frosting and then cover the entire cake with crushed candy canes for a pretty — and tasty — chocolate mint Christmas cake.
Step 4: Make a candy cake Bake and frost your favorite cake, then press chocolate wafer candy sections all around the side. Depending on the height of your cake, you may need to put a second row on top of the first. Finish by spreading green and red chocolate candies across the top.
TIP: A ribbon tied around the cake looks festive and hides any gap created by a double row of chocolate wafers.
Step 5: Make it sparkle Bake a coconut cake — great for the winter holidays because it looks like snow. Then make it sparkle with edible holographic glitter and silver dragees; both are available at cake decorating shops and many craft stores.
TIP: The traditional Christmas cake in Japan is a sponge cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries.

You Will Need

A cake
Cake decorating supplies

How to Make a Gingerbread Christmas Cake

Howcast — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:29:59 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Prep for baking Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan, lining the bottom with wax paper.
Step 2: Mix the oil, sugar and eggs Whisk together the oil, sugar, and molasses. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork, then whisk them into the molasses mixture until it’s smooth.
Step 3: Mix the flour and spices In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and spices. Then add the wet mixture, whisking until everything is completely combined.
TIP: For a chocolaty touch, add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa.
Step 4: Add baking soda Stir the baking soda into a cup of just-boiled water and whisk it into the batter until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
Step 5: Make the frosting To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy, gradually beating in the powdered sugar. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step 6: Decorate Spread the frosting on the gingerbread and garnish with candied ginger. Enjoy your Christmas cake!
TIP: Queen Elizabeth I honored guests of the court with gingerbread made in their likeness.

You Will Need

1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. dark molasses
2 large
room temperature eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 c. water
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
Candied ginger
Equipment:
Wax paper
Electric mixer
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa (optional)

How to Make a Gingerbread House for Your Mug

Howcast — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:46:17 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the gingerbread dough Prepare the gingerbread dough and roll it into a 1/8-inch-thick sheet.
Step 2: Cut out the template Use the pencil and ruler to draw templates on the card stock. Draw and cut out two side walls measuring 1 1/4-inches-by-1 1/2-inches, and two roof sections at 2 1/4-inches-by-1 1/2-inches.
Step 3: Cut out pitched roof walls Cut out two 2 1/4-inch-wide end pieces and trim them to pitch upwards for the roof. Then cut a center door from the pitched roof sections, measuring at least 3/8 of an inch wide, to fit over the rim of the mug.
Step 4: Cut out sections Cut each template section from your gingerbread sheet to make one house. Use a small sewing pattern roller or pizza cutter to cut around the template pieces. Then chill the dough before baking it on a baking sheet.
TIP: Use a flathead screwdriver to make smaller cuts.
Step 5: Prepare the icing Sift the confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl and stir in the milk to make royal icing glue to hold your house together.
Step 6: Assemble the base Spread the icing over the edges of the wall and roof sections. Then squeeze the pieces together, holding them until the icing begins to set.
Step 7: Finish and decorate Spread icing onto the pitched sections and construct the roof. Then decorate the house with more icing, tiny candies, and sprinkles. Pour cocoa, coffee, or tea into your mug and rest the house on the cup’s rim for a festive holiday treat.
FACT: Ginger has been used to treat an upset stomach and nausea in Asia for nearly 2,000 years.

You Will Need

Gingerbread
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Cardstock
Sewing pattern roller or pizza cutter
Baking sheet
1 c. confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp. milk
Candies and sprinkles
Cocoa
coffee
or tea
Mug
Graham crackers (optional)
Screwdriver (optional)

How to Roast Chestnuts in the Oven

Howcast — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:16:14 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the chestnuts, place them on a towel, and pat them dry.
Step 2: Carve an X Use the paring knife to make an X on the flat side of each chestnut. This will allow steam to escape and prevent the chestnuts from exploding in the oven. Plus, it will make peeling them easier.
TIP: Make the incision about 1/8-inch deep — just into the flesh of the nut.
Step 3: Bake the chestnuts Place the chestnuts in a single layer in the shallow baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove chestnuts to a bowl Take the chestnuts out of the oven, put them in a bowl lined with a towel, and cover them for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Peel Peel them while they’re still hot, but cool enough to touch, starting at the slit and pulling the shell and skin away from the nut meat.
Step 6: Serve Serve them plain or sprinkled with cinnamon, or dip them in melted better.
FACT: Chestnuts have a high water content and very little oil, making them virtually fat free.

You Will Need

1 lb. fresh
raw chestnuts
Towel
Paring knife
Shallow baking pan or rimmed baking sheet
Towel-lined bowl with cover
Cinnamon
Melted butter

How to Make Christmas Cookie Cutters

Howcast — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:53:58 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Find pictures Find a Christmas-themed graphic — a picture of a Christmas tree, snowman, wreath, or angel — that is the size of the cookies you want to make.
Step 2: Measure the picture Determine how much cutter material you will need by measuring the length of the picture’s perimeter. Bend pipe cleaners around the picture’s outline and then straighten the pipe cleaners and measure their length with a ruler.
Step 3: Cut cutter material Add 10 percent to the length of your picture’s perimeter and cut that length from the sides of the aluminum steam table pan.
TIP: Cut out and discard the rounded corners of the pan and use the straight sides for your cutter material.
Step 4: Fold the top of the cutter sections Fold the tops of each of your cutter sections over twice to make a handle, being sure to leave enough width along the bottom to cut cookies.
Step 5: Make the template Trim around your graphic, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Cut out the bottom of the foil pan and fold it in half, and then staple your graphic to the aluminum, being sure to staple inside of the border.
Step 6: Trim around your graphic Using the scissors, carefully trim around the outline of your picture, being as accurate as possible. Then fold another section of the bottom of the pan in half and staple your template to it.
TIP: Tape over the picture with packing tape to protect it from cookie dough and to make it washable.
Step 7: Cut the new foil Cut around your picture again, so you have the paper layer and then four layers of foil under it. Use the glue gun and stapler to secure the edges.
Step 8: Bend edges Bend the edges around your template. The folded top will be difficult to bend, but the thinner bottom is what will be cutting the cookies, so be as faithful to the picture as possible. When the last piece is bent, do not attach it to complete the loop.
TIP: When you have to connect two side pieces, overlap them and use the glue gun to secure them.
Step 9: Insert the template Insert the template into the bent cutter piece and, from the inside, attach it using the glue gun, leaving an inch of cutter edge. Then complete the edge’s loop by gluing it into place. Now, make your favorite rolled cookie recipe and cut your holiday shapes into delicious cookies.
FACT: In 2007, White House chefs prepared 20,000 Christmas cookies for receptions attended by the president and first lady.

You Will Need

Christmas-themed picture
Pipe cleaners
Ruler
Scissors
Aluminum steam table pan
Stapler
Glue gun
Packing tape (optional)

How to Make Christmas Wassail

Howcast — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:24:18 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Cut, fill, and bake apples Cut apples in half and core them, filling each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Pour 1/8 inch of water in a baking pan and set them in. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, until they are softened.
Step 2: Heat the other ingredients Fill saucepan with the sherry or Madeira, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar, and water. Cook on low heat, not allowing the mixture to boil.
Step 3: Beat eggs Separate the egg yolks and beat them until light or lemon-colored. Beat the whites until they grow stiff, folding them into the yolks.
Step 4: Strain mixture into eggs Pour the wine mix through the strainer, adding it slowly to the eggs, stirring continually.
Step 5: Blend brandy Blend the brandy with the other ingredients to complete the liquid part of the drink.
Step 6: Pour and serve Pour into a punch bowl, and float apples on the surface. Serve to guests in mugs and toast to good health and good fortune.
FACT: Wassailing was a 14th-century Anglo Saxon custom for celebrating New Year’s Eve and the 12 days of Christmas. The leader held up the bowl and shouted, “Wassail,” or, “To your health.”

You Will Need

10 apples
10 tsp. brown sugar
2 bottles dry sherry or Madeira
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 cloves
3 allspice berries
Cinnamon stick
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
6 eggs
separated
1 c. brandy
Strainer

How to Make Christmas Food Baskets

Howcast — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:03:16 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Give a healthy basket Give a healthy basket filled with juicy oranges, red delicious apples, yogurt-covered almonds, organic crackers, and herbal tea. This is a great basket for a whole family.
Step 2: Make homemade foods Make a basket filled with homemade foods from your kitchen. Homemade chocolates, breads, and brownies are great choices. Package them in red boxes or in a basket lined with a festive napkin.
Step 3: Give wine Give the wine lover in the family a basket with an array of red and white wines. Add a corkscrew, cashews, crackers, and delicious cheeses.
TIP: Place all the items in a picnic basket and add a blanket.
Step 4: Please everyone with chocolate Please everyone on your list with a basket filled with chocolate. Add a chocolate Santa, double chocolate chip cookies, chocolate-covered cherries, chocolate-covered almonds, and two mugs with cocoa mix.
Step 5: Decorate Decorate any of these baskets with a simple red bow, or wrap in a clear or festive cellophane bag. Add the finishing touch by attaching a candy cane and a Christmas card. Merry Christmas.
FACT: Over 1.8 billion candy canes are made during the holiday season.

You Will Need

Basket
Fruits
Candy
Crackers
Herbal tea
Homemade foods
Red gift boxes
Festive napkins
Wine
Corkscrew
Cashews
Cheeses
2 mugs
Cocoa mix
Bows
Cellophane bags
Christmas cards
Picnic basket (optional)
Blanket (optional)

How to Make Christmas Punch

Howcast — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:02:34 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Combine ingredients Combine the juices, red-hots, and one cinnamon stick in a large pot.
Step 2: Cook Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for another 10 minutes before serving.
TIP: You can also cook the ingredients in a 3-quart slow cooker for 2 hours.
Step 3: Pour into mugs Distribute the punch evenly into mugs, discarding the cinnamon stick.
TIP: Make sure you leave enough room in the mugs for a shot of rum.
Step 4: Add stirrers and rum Pour 1 1/2 ounces of rum into each mug, add a cinnamon stick as a stirrer, and enjoy your holiday cheer.
FACT: Saint Nicholas was born in the third century, in a Roman province that is now part of Turkey.

You Will Need

32 oz. cranberry juice
32 oz. pineapple juice
1/3 c. red-hot candies
9 cinnamon sticks
White rum
3-qt. slow cooker (optional)

How to Make Christmas Wreath Cookies

Howcast — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:46:55 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Melt butter Melt 1/2 cup of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2: Add marshmallows Add the marshmallows to the melted butter and stir constantly with a spatula until they’re melted. Then remove from heat.
TIP: Be careful not to overheat the marshmallow mixture as it will burn.
Step 3: Add food coloring Add the food coloring to the marshmallow mixture and stir until the color is thoroughly mixed in.
Step 4: Stir in cornflakes Stir the cornflakes into the marshmallow mixture until they’re completely coated.
Step 5: Melt butter and shape wreaths Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small bowl. Coat your fingers with the butter and form wreaths with the cornflake mixture. Place your wreaths on a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper.
Step 6: Decorate Place three or four dots of vanilla frosting on each wreath and affix a red cinnamon candy on top of each dot.
Step 7: Cool and store Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature and then place them in an airtight container for storage. Pass around the cookies at your next holiday party and enjoy as guests sing your praises.
FACT: It is an Italian Christmas Eve tradition to enjoy the Feast of the Seven Fishes, in which a veritable feast of seafood is served to celebrate the Christian holiday.

You Will Need

1/2 c. butter
plus 1 tbsp.
10 oz. miniature marshmallows
1 tsp. green food coloring
6 c. frosted or unfrosted corn flakes
Vanilla frosting
Red cinnamon candies
Equipment:
Wax-paper covered cookie sheet

How to Roast Chestnuts on an Open Fire

Howcast — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:45:56 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Put chestnuts in popper or roasting pan Arrange a single layer of chestnuts in the fireplace popcorn popper or chestnut roasting pan.
TIP: For easier peeling later, cut an X into the flat side of the nut with the paring knife.
Step 2: Put pan over fire Place the pan over a low fire for 20 to 25 minutes. Shake the pan back and forth frequently while cooking.
Step 3: Listen for popping Listen for the loud popping sounds as the chestnuts burst open. If you cut an X into them first, the steam will escape and you won’t hear it.
Step 4: Check for doneness Check for doneness. You’ll know they’re done if the shells are broken open or are curled.
Step 5: Peel Peel when the chestnuts are still hot but cool enough to touch.
FACT: “The Christmas Song” often subtitled “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” was written during an unusually hot summer by Mel Torme and Bob Wells.

You Will Need

Fresh chestnuts
Fire
Covered popcorn popper or chestnut roaster
Sharp paring knife (optional)

How to Make Gingerbread Men

Howcast — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:31:08 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Beat wet ingredients Use the mixer to beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until they’re light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs and molasses.
Step 2: Mix dry Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, pepper, and salt.
Step 3: Add dry to wet Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then divide the dough into three balls, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 4: Roll and cut Roll the dough to ¼-inch thick between two pieces of waxed paper. Then cut out gingerbread men with the cookie cutter and place them on the cookie sheet. Decorate with raisins and hot cinnamon candies.
Step 5: Refrigerate and bake Refrigerate the cookies for 15 minutes, and then bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until they’re crisp. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
TIP: Make a hole with a toothpick right after they come out of the oven so you can attach a cord or hook and use them as holiday decorations.
Step 6: Decorate Decorate your gingerbread men with fun-colored holiday icing.
FACT: In the 16th century, guilds were formed to cook gingerbread. The guild in Nuremberg, Germany, made such high-quality gingerbread that it was used as currency for paying city taxes and considered a gift worthy of royalty.

You Will Need

1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
packed
2 large eggs
1 c. unsulfured molasses
6 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
u00bd tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground dried ginger
u00bd tsp. black pepper
1u00bd tsp. salt
Raisins
Hot cinnamon candies
Icing
Hand mixer
Sifter
Wax paper
Gingerbread man cookie cutter
Cookie sheet
Wire cooling rack

How to Make a Festive Figgy Pudding

Howcast — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:47:19 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Soak raisins in brandy Put one-third of a cup of raisins in some brandy and let them soak.
Step 2: Boil the figs Place a 12-ounce package of figs in a saucepan, cover them with water, and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, and let it sit for about three hours.
Step 3: Preheat oven Preheat the oven to 350º.
Step 4: Add sugar to fig water Remove the figs from the water with a straining spoon. Add a cup of sugar to the fig water, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer until it reduces a bit. Remove it from the heat and put it aside to cool.
Step 5: Chop the figs Chop the figs into fine pieces by hand.
TIP: Wiping your blade with vegetable oil will make the chopping go more smoothly.
Step 6: Bake your cake Put the ingredients that the carrot cake mix calls for into your food processor, substituting the fig water for the water called for in the instructions. Refrigerate the remaining fig water for later use.
Step 7: Spice it up Spice up the batter with half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter of a teaspoon of nutmeg.
Step 8: Whip it up Mix the batter in the food processor, tossing in the fig pieces once the batter is almost fully mixed.
Step 9: Add nuts and raisins Transfer the batter to a bowl and add a cup of chopped nuts. Walnuts are traditional, but you can use pecans or sliced almonds if you prefer. Stir in the brandy-soaked raisins, the grated peel of one orange and one lemon, and a tablespoon of orange marmalade.
TIP: You can also add chopped dried apricots, dates, and/or glacé cherries if you like.
Step 10: Line a bowl with foil Line a two-quart ovenproof bowl or mold with enough foil so the ends can be folded over to cover the cake. Spritz the foil with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in the batter.
Step 11: Pre-bake for 30 minutes Bake the cake for 30 minutes, then tent it with the protruding foil and bake for another 90 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
Step 12: Cool overnight Let the cake cool overnight. The next day, carefully overturn it onto a platter and remove the foil.
Step 13: Liquor it up Heat the leftover fig water with half a cup of brandy and pour it over the cake just before you serve it. Add a dollop of whipped cream.
FACT: Christmas puddings were outlawed in England in 1664, because Puritans believed the fruits, spices, and spirits inspired wicked passions.

You Will Need

1/3 c. raisins
Brandy
1 12-ounce package of dried figs
1 c. sugar
1 carrot cake mix
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
A food processor
1 ovenproof two-quart bowl or mold
1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts
pecans or almonds)
1 orange peel
grated
1 lemon peel
grated
1 tbsp. orange marmalade
Aluminum foil
Nonstick spray
Whipped cream
Dried apricots
chopped
Dates
chopped
Glacu00e9 cherries
chopped

How to Use Leftover Candy Canes

Howcast — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:04:01 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Melt some hearts Melt some hearts on Valentine’s Day: On a baking sheet, arrange candy canes in pairs, side by side, so that they form hearts. Bake at 350 degrees for a few minutes, until they melt just enough to stick together. Let them cool before removing them with a spatula.
Step 2: Pour some candy-cane martinis Rim a martini glass with crushed candy canes; then shake together, with ice, one and a half ounces of vanilla vodka, one half of an ounce of peppermint schnapps, and one ounce of club soda; strain into the martini glass, and hang a little candy cane on the rim.
Step 3: Prepare candy cane cocoa Heat a cup of milk in a saucepan. When it’s hot, but not yet boiling, whisk in a square or two (about half an ounce) of semisweet chocolate and a tablespoon of crushed candy cane until both are melted. Pour into a cup, add a dollop of whipped cream or some mini marshmallows, and add a candy cane for a stirrer.
Step 4: Suck a lemon Break the hook off a candy cane so you just have a peppermint stick. Next, cut a hole in the oval side of a lemon and push the candy cane into it. Now suck on the stick; the acid in the lemon will hollow out the peppermint stick, creating a straw that delivers a sweet and sour treat.
TIP: You can also slice a lemon in half and stick the candy cane in the middle.
Step 5: Prepare peppermint bark Smash candy canes into quarter-inch chunks, stir them into two pounds of melted white chocolate, pour onto a wax-paper-covered baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Step 6: Make candy cane sugar Put candy canes in a sturdy plastic bag and smash them with a kitchen mallet or a regular hammer until they are the consistency of sugar. Use them to give beverages a minty flavor or sprinkle on ice cream and cupcakes.
FACT: Basketball players who sniffed peppermint oil before a game were more motivated, energetic, and confident, plus they had quicker reaction times and more strength.

You Will Need

Candy canes
A baking sheet
Vanilla vodka
Peppermint schnapps
Club soda
Milk
Chocolate (semisweet and white)
Whipped cream or mini marshmallows
A lemon
Wax paper
A kitchen mallet or regular hammer

How to Decorate Christmas Sugar Cookies

Howcast — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:01:16 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Get supplies Go to a baking-supply or craft store, or shop online for specialty cookie-decorating items.
Step 2: Jazz them up There are tons of ways to decorate your cookies before baking. After you’ve rolled out the dough and cut the cookies into shapes, press currants, nuts, or candy into them. Or brush them lightly with egg white and dust with colored sanding sugar or sprinkles.
TIP: Dragees, those tiny gold and silver balls that adorn fancy cookies and cakes, are edible. But because they contain real metal, eating them is not advisable.
Step 3: Glaze them To add colorful shine, glaze cookies before baking by whisking a few drops of liquid food coloring into an egg yolk and spreading it on with a pastry brush or small artist’s brush.
TIP: If you want to hang cookies on your Christmas tree, use a straw to make holes in the tops before baking.
Step 4: Create stained glass For a stained-glass effect, put hard candies into a plastic bag, crush them with a rolling pin, and then sprinkle them onto unbaked cookies. The candies will melt to look like beautiful stained-glass windows.
TIP: Do a test cookie to make sure the candy doesn’t start to burn before the cookie is fully baked. If that happens, add the candy after the cookies are half-baked.
Step 5: Ice them For already-baked cookies, try frosting them. Whip up some royal icing, divide it into separate batches, and tint with food-coloring gel or paste. Put the icing in plastic squeeze bottles, pipe it around the outline of each cookie, squeeze some in the center, and spread it evenly over the top with a butter knife or a brush.
TIP: For a marbled effect, spread a light coating of white icing on the cookies. Then pipe on stripes of colored icing and swirl them with a toothpick.
Step 6: Make them glitter Frosted cookies can be decorated even more by sprinkling them with edible glitter or luster dust.
Step 7: Make rolled fondant Make or buy rolled fondant. Add food-coloring gel or paste to different batches, roll them out, and use your cookie cutters to make pieces that are identical to your cookies. Brush the bottoms with a tiny bit of water and press them onto the cookies.
Step 8: Store properly Store your cookies in airtight containers, in single layers separated by waxed paper.
FACT: More than 55 million American households bake holiday cookies.

You Will Need

Specialty decorating items
Sugar cookie dough
Cookie cutters
Cookie sheets
Currants
chopped nuts
or assorted candy
Eggs
Food-coloring liquid and food-coloring gel or paste
A pastry brush or small artistu2019s brush
Hard candies
A plastic bag
A rolling pin
Plastic squeeze bottles
Royal icing
A butter knife
Rolled fondant
Waxed paper
Cookie tins
A straw
A toothpick

How to Make an Easy Gingerbread House

Howcast — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:05:46 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the dough Make a double batch of gingerbread dough, seal it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 2: Make a model house Design a house by cutting out pieces of poster board or cardboard for the walls, roof, and chimney. Don’t forget to cut windows and a door in some pieces.
Step 3: Preheat oven Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Shape the dough On a large piece of wax paper, roll out the dough to a quarter-inch thickness. Lightly dust the dough with flour to keep it from sticking to your rolling pin.
Step 5: Cut the dough Use your cardboard cutouts as guides to cut the dough into parts.
TIP: Bake extra pieces in case a few break during assembly.
Step 6: Bake the shapes Grease cookie sheets and carefully transfer the shapes to them, spaced one inch apart. Bake them for 6 to 15 minutes, depending on the size. The cookies are done when the edges begin to darken.
Step 7: Trim the pieces Trim the pieces as necessary while the cookies are still warm, and then let them cool overnight.
Step 8: Make royal icing Spread royal icing on a foamcore base, which you can find at craft stores. Cover the remaining icing with a damp cloth to keep it from hardening.
Step 9: Assemble the walls Fill a pastry bag with icing and begin assembling the walls by piping icing liberally along the sides of two pieces and then holding them together until the icing is completely dry. Let the walls stand for at least an hour before you put on the roof.
TIP: To help hold the gingerbread pieces in place, use clean canned goods to prop them up.
Step 10: Put on the roof Angle the cookies that make the roof so that about an inch hangs over the walls, then put on your chimney. When the house is fully assembled, let it sit at least eight hours before decorating it.
Step 11: Decorate your house Time for the fun part – decorating! Use a variety of your favorite candies – and your imagination – to turn your basic house into a sweet dream home.
FACT: The world’s largest gingerbread house, built in Minnesota’s Mall of America in 2006, was made of nearly 15,000 pounds of gingerbread.

You Will Need

At least three days to prepare
Gingerbread cookie dough
Plastic wrap
Poster board or cardboard
Wax paper
Rolling pin
Flour
2 cookie sheets
Shortening or nonstick cooking spray
A foam core base
Royal icing
A cloth
Pastry bag
Candies for decorating
Canned goods

How to Make Sugar Cookies

Howcast — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:01:37 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Whisk flour and salt In a small bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups of flour and salt together and set it aside.
Step 2: Mix butter and sugar separately In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar with a fork until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
TIP: Step 2 is also called ‘creaming.’ To make this easier, bring your butter to room temperature before attempting to cream.
Step 3: Add egg and vanilla Once the butter and sugar mixture is light and smooth, add the egg and vanilla and mix well to combine.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture being sure to combine fully, but do not over-mix.
Step 5: Refrigerate dough When just mixed, split the dough into two and form two 5-6′ disks, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to cool before cutting.
TIP: Give the dough at least an hour to chill, as this will make rolling out and cutting much easier.
Step 6: Preheat oven Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees and line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone cooking mat to prevent the cookies from sticking.
Step 7: Roll out dough Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of flour on a work surface, and using the rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
Step 8: Cut into shapes Using your choice of cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes.
Step 9: Transfer to baking sheet Transfer the cookies to your prepared baking sheet — leave about 1′ of space between each cookie.
TIP: Any scraps of leftover dough can be rolled out one more time before becoming tough.
Step 10: Bake Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until lightly golden, then remove them from the oven—using oven mits, of course!
Step 11: Cool Move the cookies to a plate or cooling rack after a minute or two, and let them cool completely before eating or decorating.
FACT: Some sugar is good for your brain. Sugar and carbs are converted to blood glucose, the brain’s fundamental fuel.

You Will Need

A large and a small bowl
A whisk
2.75 c all-purpose flour
0.5 tsp salt
1.5 sticks of unsalted butter
0.75 c sugar
1.0 egg
1.5 tsp vanilla
Plastic wrap
A cookie sheet
Parchment paper or silicone cooking mat
A clean
flat working surface that can be covered in flour
A rolling pin
Cookie cutters