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 Which holiday cookie gets chosen first from the plate? The beautifully decorated sugar cookie frosted to perfection! The colorful shapes attract the eye and imagination. Many of us have fond recollections of making holiday cookies as a child, and still hang on to that favorite cookie cutter as a special memory.
IN THIS ISSUE, we reveal the secrets that go into making charming cutout cookies, and disclose the key methods for frosting and decorating them into eye-catching favorites. A charming little book, "Cookie Craft Christmas," is featured along with its recipes for sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies.
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Cookie Craft Christmas, Dozens of Decorating Ideas for a Sweet Holiday by Valerie Peterson & Janice Fryer. Published by Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. Copyright 2009. |  |
This charming little book provides large inspiration for the holiday baking season. Its petite size (about 6" x 6.5", hardcover) belies the wealth of information and ideas contained within. The authors share their expertise and passion for well-decorated cookies beginning with several excellent dough recipes that produce a perfect cookie canvas. From there, we are treated to a primer on royal icing and icing techniques. With these basics firmly grasped, dozens of cookie decorations and patterns are presented. Plain circles suddenly turn into a lovely portrait of Mrs. Claus, or glittering ornaments. This book, along with a rolling pin and a few cookie cutters would make a great start to a cookie baking gift kit. We enjoyed baking from this book well enough to invest in their first book, "Cookie Craft," which covers a year's worth of holidays and special occasions.
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Rolled Sugar Cookies as Holiday Cookie Tree View & Print
This dough turns out terrific sugar cookies. The texture is very cooperative during mixing, rolling, and cutting. The dough accepts different flavorings and colors easily. Chill before baking, and the cutouts hold their shape very well. The result is a stack of perfect cookie canvases ready for decorating. Of course, the real test is how the cookie tastes - they taste very good! |  | Two Icings: Glazing Icing and Royal Icing View & Print
Working with icing is a bit of an art form. These recipes offer a successful starting place for beginning the craft of cookie decorating. With either icing, mix two consistencies - a stiff one for piping outlines, and a more fluid one for flooding the shapes. The glazing icing remains shiny when dry, while the royal icing dries quickly with a more satin finish. |  | Rolled Gingerbread Cookies as Gingerbread Snowflakes View & Print
As the authors note, this cookie dough has a mild gingerbread flavor with just the right amount of spice. The dough handles easily through all the handling steps, and well-chilled cutouts hold their shape nicely once baked. Snowflake shapes in gingerbread dough are piped with vanilla-flavored frosting and sprinkled with sanding sugar while still wet. | 
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Recipes from Cookie Craft Christmas, Dozens of Decorating Ideas for a Sweet Holiday by Valerie Peterson & Janice Fryer through permission of Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
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Unleash your inner artist on some edible masterpieces, and share them with someone special this holiday season! |
Lorraine, Katie, and all of the Staff at Beyond Pots and Pans
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