Deliciously Decorative
Looks like a cookie. Smells like a cookie. Tastes like a cookie But wait, it’s not a cookie! Well, actually it is, but these tasty treats are for decorating, not devouring.
Ever heard the expression “looks almost too good to eat?” Well, that’s something to aspire to this season. Turn your homemade baking into beautiful decorations—it’s the perfect plan. You can enjoy them throughout the season, without gaining a pound. And, they make excellent hostess gifts. Won’t you be the popular one?
|
Story continues below ↓
ADVERTISEMENT
Cinnamon Cookie Tree Ornaments
Adds a homemade touch to any Christmas tree and the wonderful aroma of cinnamon to an entire room.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1 cup cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground cloves (optional)
Instructions
- Mix applesauce with cinnamon to form stiff, but rollable dough. Adjust these amounts depending on the consistency of the applesauce. Roll to about ¼-inch thickness. Use extra cinnamon for rolling the dough, as you would normally use flour.
Cut with holiday-shaped cookie cutters. Use a drinking straw to make a hole at the top of each one for hanging.
To dry, place ornaments on a wire rack for three to four days, turning a few times each day for even drying. Decorate with cinnamon hearts, cloves, raisins or acrylic craft paint. String a piece of thin red or green ribbon through the hole for hanging.
“Edible” Gift Tags
Use the Cinnamon Cookie Tree Ornament recipe to make gift tags, too. What a delightful way to personalise your presents this year. Use smaller, holiday-shaped cookie cutters. You’ll also need a food-colouring pen to address them. Aren’t you fancy?
Popcorn Garland
A traditional tree decoration that is loads of fun to make and to give!
Ingredients
- 3-6 bags of microwaveable popcorn
- 15 oz. box of golden raisins
- 12 oz. bag of cranberries
- Food colouring
- Glitter
Instructions
- Using a needle, thread a fishing line through each piece of popcorn, raisin and cranberry. Continue until you have a garland long enough to decorate a tree or room and then tie a knot to secure.
Consider using coloured popcorn for a festive look. To add colour you have a few options:
- • For non-microwavable popcorn, add food colouring to the oil prior to popping, this gives a very faint colour finish.
• Add powdered food colouring to popped corn for a more intense colour.
• Add a little water to some food colouring and pour into a bag. Add the popped corn and toss till it is well coated.
• Use a powdered poster paint. Toss the powder over popped corn. This gives a very vibrant colour. (Only use this option if you can be certain that it will not be eaten!)
Pretzel Garland
A “twist” on the traditional popcorn string.
Ingredients
- Pretzels dipped in white chocolate
- 3-foot length of ribbon
Instructions
- Thread one pretzel onto the ribbon and tie the end to the pretzel. Continue weaving on pretzels until the ribbon is full. Secure the ribbon to the last pretzel and hang.
Candy Glass
Melted hard candies make these “glass” ornaments beautifully colourful.
Ingredients
- Holiday cookie cutters
- Hard candies* and sprinkles (optional)
- 10-inch length of ribbon
Instructions
- For a mould, wrap the bottom and sides of a cookie cutter with foil. Set on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Fill each cookie cutter with a single layer of candies. Bake in a 350°F-degree oven for 10 minutes, or until melted. Add sprinkles, cool for two minutes, and then use a chopstick to poke a hole near the top for hanging. Once cool, remove from the mold and hang with a ribbon.
*Jolly Rancher candies work best, since they produce the brightest colour.
But treats taste good…
If you can’t bear to think that all the hard work that you and your oven did didn’t result in a satisfied sweet tooth, then go ahead and bake some edible treats, and then give them away. There isn’t a single person on your list who wouldn’t be grateful. If they don’t want to treat themselves, they’ll be happy for the opportunity to serve up your baking to their guests. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with re-gifting a basket of holiday goodies either.
If you really want to spread the love (and the tastiness), consider delivering your treats to your children’s school, or organise a bake sale at work and donate the proceeds to charity. You really can’t disappoint!
Eating really isn’t the best part
So enjoy the tradition of holiday baking—spend some time in the kitchen whipping up treats for family and friends—just skip the part where you eat them. Your January self will thank you, and therein lies the real treat!
|