The Farm Chicks

Woodsycake

I love the fun treats that can be found during the holidays and am always inspired to use them to make something special.

I started my Woodsycake by baking three chocolate cake layers. I frosted each layer, as well as the outside.

The fun part is the candy that makes it woodsy:

Duplo Wafers and Meiji Chocorooms...

Sugar cones and sprinkles.

I lightly frosted the cones by holding them with my fingers inside the cone and spreading the frosting on the cone with my other hand.

Then I sprinkled.

For a smaller tree, I broke off the bottom of a cone to make it smaller.  Then, I frosted and sprinkled as I had done on the larger cone.

And then I placed the logs and trees all about the top of the cake

and scattered a few chocorooms around the base.

And here comes the fun part: Cake Sparkles Edible Glitter!

Sprinkle Sprinkle sprinkle *shake* *shake* *shake*

So pretty.  So Christmasey.

So *yummy*.

xo

Egg on a Plate Cookies

I love making things that make my family smile.  Today I made these cookies and then asked the boys if they wanted some eggs.  Of course they did, and came flying upstairs, expecting fried eggs.  Instead, this is what they found.  And they loved it.

Butter Cut-Out Cookies:  

1 cup unsalted butter*, softened

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the dough:  Add the butter to a large-size mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in sugar and vanilla on medium speed, until well combined.  Sift together flour and salt.  Gradually beat into butter mixture on low speed.

*If you don't have unsalted butter, don't worry.  Substitute salted butter and skip adding the 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Shape the dough:  Transfer dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat into an 8” disc.  Wrap with the plastic and chill for one hour.  (If you're in a hurry, just pop it into the freezer until firm).  On a lightly floured surface or parchment paper, roll out dough to 1/4" thick and cut into 2.5" - 3" rounds, using a circular cookie cutter.  Use a small glass, dipped in flour, to press the center of the "plate", as shown above.  Reroll until all dough is used.  Place the cookies about 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets (I like to line my pans with parchment paper), and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake the cookies:  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 12-15 minutes until firm, but not brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

Decorate the cookies:  Flood with frosting as shown with the cookies in my Christmas Wreath project, using the same icing recipe.  Outline and flood the rim of the cookie plate with icing and then flood the center.  Allow to set and top with a gummy fried egg and cracked candy egg.  (See sources below).

Makes about 18 cookies plates, depending on size.

Sources:

I found these darling little gummy fried egg candies at Cost Plus World Market, but did a search to make sure they're widely available, and they are. I found many stores online where they're sold like here, here, and here.

The eggshells are candy malt eggs that are widely available at most markets during the Easter season, and online throughout the year.  To crack the eggs, I held each egg firmly with one hand and carefully jabbed a sharp knife into the center of the egg with my other hand, and tapped the egg against the counter, while applying pressure with the knife.  It takes a little practice to not completely shatter the egg.  But after a few times, you'll get the hang of it and you can eat all of the crumbs from your practice eggs!

The Butter Cut-Outs recipe is from my next book, The Farm Chicks Christmas.  It's such a wonderful recipe because it can be adapted for so many different holidays or eaten just as the perfectly soft, buttery cookie I sometimes crave.  I adapted it from a recipe given to me by my friend, HaneLore and I share a few different ways to prepare it in the book.

Idea:

While Bongo was munching away on his plate, he suggested making little cast iron fry pans, iced and flooded with black icing, complete with a handle. I think that would be soooo cute!  A little fried egg, right in the pan.  I'll have to try it, for sure!

Now get crackin'!  hee hee

 

Christmas Star Cookie Wreath/Centerpiece

I love any decorations that involve cookies or give me an excuse to bake.  I've been dreaming of making a cookie wreath and was so happy to create such a fun project.

I decided to make the wreath and cookies out of gingerbread cookie dough so that it would smell especially Christmasey.  I used this recipe (minus the black pepper) for the dough.  And this recipe for the icing.  Here's how I made my wreath:

I cut out the shape of a wreath using a mixing bowl for the outer circle and a cereal bowl for the inner circle, using the rims as an easy guide for my knife.  I baked the wreath (as indicated in the recipe) until it was really hard, but not burned.  After it was completely cooled, I covered the wreath in green icing, and sprinkled it with Wilton light green sugar sprinkles.  At this point, the wreath needs to sit for several hours until the icing is completely hardened.

In the meantime, I baked my cookies (I chose two different sizes of stars) and prepared the icing.  I added a few Tablespoons of cold water to the icing to make it almost drizzley (just not runny to where it can't keep it's shape.  See images of icing below).  I divided the icing and colored each batch the colors I'd be using for this project.  I spooned the different icing colors into Wilton squeeze bottles, and a tiny squeeze bottle I found at Daiso.  (The tiny squeeze bottle wasn't necessary, but I love teeny things, so why not?)

To ice the cookies, I used a technique called "flooding" where you outline the area and then "flood" it with the icing.  It's such a fun technique that makes cookies look really impressive.

Step 1)  Outline cookie:

Step 2)  Flood the cookie, using the same icing.  You can use the tip of the squeeze bottle to help spread it around if necessary:

 

Step 3) Add dots by squeezing contrasting dots of icing onto the icing already on the cookie.  (The icing dots will sink in together and all be flush after a few minutes):

Step 4)  Allow cookies to dry completely (This will take several hours, but time really depends on how much icing is used).

Step 5)  Attach cookies to wreath using the icing as glue.  Let sit for 24 hours or until really hard.

I hung my wreath directly onto a nail, however, this will only work if the wreath is really hard.  The wreath can also be hung by attaching a colorful ribbon and hanging it from the ribbon, or simply display it on a shelf, ledge, or window sill. Better yet, if you're looking for a cheery holiday centerpiece, this is just the ticket!