Picture tutorial: Quickly iced green Christmas trees

 

 

Since my family is still sleeping, I decided to quickly upload the Christmas tree cookie tutorial. This is what the cookie will look like

I used the same recipe as in the Linzer cookies, just added some Americolour leaf green to the dough. Add enough though, that the dough is really bright green, as you will lose some colour in the baking process

Get out your tree cutter, I used the smallest one from my Tree cutter set, rolling pin and silpat mat, roll out the dough and start cutting out your trees

When moving the trees to the baking tree, lift them off the mat, by slipping your hand inder the mat to avoid distortion

Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes, while your oven is heating up to 140 degrees Celsius. Bake cookies for around 10-14 minutes, when the edges start to brown, the cookies are ready. Take out of the oven and let them cool down.

 In the meantime, make a small batch of royal icing and colour them green, yellow and red. I fitted my piping bags with Wilton tips # 2,aced them into tall water glasses (makes them easier to fill with icing) and used the Wilton rubber bands to tie the open end shut.

Now start with the green icing and just pipe swags across the tree with the green icing.

Repeat with all trees, as the green icing needs to slightly crust over, before adding the next colours.

Using the yellow icing, pipe small dots along the swags, these are the lights.

Next step is to pipe the red dots, make them a bit larger (use more pressure) than the lights, these are the red Christmas ornaments.

The finished tree, icing is still wet, it will not be as shiny when it dries completely. Leave to dry overnight, before packaging in tins.



Picture tutorial: Linzer cookies

 

Another favourite in our household.

 

Ingredients:

 

350 gr flour

200 gr unsalted butter, room temperature

100 gr icing sugar

30 gr home made vanilla sugar

2 egg yolks

100 gr ground almonds

zest of one lemon

 

Jams for filling, up to you really which ones you use.

 

Knead all ingredients together, or let the machine do the work

 

Roll out the cookies thinly and cut out

 

I roll out my cookies on my silpat mat. That way, I do not have to roll out on flour and the dough keeps it's consistency

When moving the cookies to the baking tray, I just slip one hand under the mat and gently lift off the cookie one by one. Less distortion that way.

Place all cookies onto baking tray

use a small heart cutter to cut a window into every second cookie, then chill the cookies for about 15 minutes. Bake at 140 degrees Celsius (fan forced) for around 10-15 minutes

Spread a bit of home made mixed berry jam (or any other kind you want) onto the uncut cookies, while still hot

Place a cookie with a window on top and move all cookies closer together

Sieve some icing sugar/vanilla sugar mixture on top.

 

These cookies have to dry overnight, before putting in a tin for storage

 

I also have a small star cutter

 

I spread home made Kiwi jam on them, after all, I have never seen a red star.

See the little one on the bottom right? That was the dough I had left over and that one is already in my belly, yummy!

See how pretty?

 

 

 

 

 



Picture tutorial: Engelsaugen, Angel Eyes

 

 

My daughter's favourite cookies, I have to make them at least twice every year before Christmas. My hubby took the last ones from the first batch to work yesterday, the look in my daughter's eyes, when she saw that the tin was empty, was one of sheer dismay. I had to promise to make more today

 

 

Ingredients:

 

70 gr icing sugar

150 gr unsalted butter (room temperature)

240 gr flour

2 egg yolks

20 gr vanilla sugar (I make my own)

zest of one lemon

pinch of salt

cranberry jam or another jam (I make my own jams with half amount of sugar, which means they really taste of fruit

 

Knead all ingredients together until well combined and smooth. I just dump everything into my kitchen machine and let that do the work.

 

Pinch off small bits of dough and roll into evenly sized balls and place onto baking tray

 Take a wooden spoon and press a hole into the middle of the balls, this will also immerdiately flatten them a bit. Fill these holes with cranberry jam with the help of two teaspoons. This part is a bit fiddly.

Bake the cookies at 150 degrees Celsius for around 13-15minutes, watch them closely, they should not get brown.

After you take them out of the oven, move all cookies towards the centre of the baking tray.


Sieve a mixture of icing sugar and vanilla sugar over the tops of the cookies and let them cool down. Let them sit out for at least 6-8 hrs, before placing them into a tin for storage.

I hope you enjoy the cookies