Crafts from the Kitchen

    Last year I got the greatest idea from a girlfriend of mine (If you're reading this you know who you are). She made a batch of Gingerbread Cookies and turned them into Christmas Tree decorations. I thought it was the cutest thing.
    So this year I decided to do the same and share the idea with all of you...

Gingerbread Christmas Tree Ornaments:

Materials:
1 batch of Gingerbread Cookies
1 batch of Confectioners Frosting
Approximately 6 feet of twine
medium sized Ziploc Bags
Assorted icing tips and couplers
Assorted food colors
1 - straw
scissors

Directions:
1) Bake a batch of Gingerbread Cookies. While making the Gingerbread Cookies, be sure to add a hole for the twine using a straw.

2) Slice a corner off the bottom of a ziploc bag. Fit with icing tip and coupler.

You will need as many Ziploc Bags,
as you want colors of icing.

3) Fill the ziploc bag with colored icing.

4) Begin decorating.
5) Let the frosting dry for a few hours and then add the twine.

* I made these cute Gingerbread men for the pine Garland in my Kitchen...

...and these Christmas Tree's, for my Christmas Tree.

*Alternately you could use these for Gift Tags. Just pipe names on the cookies, and add them to the gift.

A Christmas Tradition

    Mmmmm....Gingerbread Cookies are my favourite. Not a year goes by where we don't make a big batch. I've grown fond of the time I get to spend with my little guy baking and decorating these, and he's grown fond of the time he gets to eat the icing and the cookies.
    By the time the cookies are finished my kitchen is usually a disaster zone, and it's takes me an hour to clean every thing up. But we're left with delicious cookies in our tummies and wonderful memories to look back on.

Gingerbread Cookies:

Cookie Dough:
3 cups of flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (margarine will also work well)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup molasses

Confectioner's Frosting:
2 cups confectioner sugar (icing or powdered sugar, sifted)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsps. milk or light cream
assorted food colors if desired

Directions:
1) In a large bowl sift and whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.

2) In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand held mixer), with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses, beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.

3) Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.

4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside while you roll out the dough.

5) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread man or other assorted cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. With an offset spatula lift the cutout cookies onto the baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using them as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies using a straw or the end of a wooden skewer.

6) Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Small ones will take about 8 minutes and larger cookies closer to 12. When they are firm and the edges are beginning to brown, they are done.

7) Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. When the cookies have completely cooled, decorate with Confectioners Frosting.

Confectioners Frosting:
1) In an electric mixer (or with a hand held mixer), cream the butter until smooth and blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sifted sugar.

2) Scrap down the sides of the mixer and the beaters. Add the milk and beat on high until fluffy. (Add a little more if it appears to dry)

Divide the icing into as many containers
as you want colors.

Remove a small amount of the corner from
as many resealable plastic bags as you have
colors of icing.

Fit each bag with a coupler and various
icing tips. Fill each bag with a different
color icing.

Frost the cookies, and let dry. Place in an
air tight container.

*The amount of cookies produced by this recipe is determined by the size of the cookie cutter used.

You may also like:
Gingerbread Cookies in a Jar
Gingerbread Pancakes
Gingerbread Pancakes in a Jar

Gifts from your Kitchen

    Another wonderful gift from the kitchen is Gingerbread Cookies in a Jar. These delicious cookies are a holiday tradition. No Christmas is complete in my house without cooking up a batch.
    I gifted something similar to this a few years ago, and received nothing but positive reviews. They are simple and affordable to make, and are sure to put a smile on any one's face.


Gingerbread Cookies in a Jar:

Materials:

1 - 1 liter Mason Jar
1 - standard size ring
1 - standard size lid
Wide mouth funnel
16 inches of hemp twine (or any string you have on hand)
1 - 9"x 9" piece of holiday fabric
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
2 pieces of card stock, 2 colors matching your chosen fabric (to make the label)
adhesive of your choice
computer printer
8.5 x 11 card stock (extra thick printer paper)
Gingerbread man cookie cutter (optional)
___________________________________________________________________________________

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1 cup packed brown sugar

Instructions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups of the flour, the baking soda and baking powder.
2) In a second mixing bowl, sift together the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour with the ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice.
3) Begin layering the ingredients into the Mason Jar starting with the flour and baking powder mixture, then the brown sugar, and finally the flour and spice mixture. Pack firmly between layers.  

All 3 layers...

Just enough room...

4) Fit the jar with the ring and the lid.
5) Place the fabric over the ring and secure with the twine.
6) Create Label. The label should read:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Gingerbread Cookies in a Jar:


Additional Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup molasses
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vinegar

Directions:
1) Empty the contents of the jar into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together all additional
 ingredients. Add to flour mixture.
3) Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C).
5) Roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface.
6) Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.
7) Place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
8) Bake for 7-8 minutes for soft cookies, and 10-11 for crunchier cookies.
Decorate as desired.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

7) From here cut the above instructions and paste them into your personal word processing software. Change the font size, type and color to suit your liking. (I chose size 9 font, Comic Sans, and went with a red and green color scheme.) Print as many as you need.
8) Using a ruler and pencil, carefully trace around the directions. Neatly cut along the pencil line you have created.

9) Glue the directions onto your second piece of card stock. Using your ruler and pencil, carefully trace around the first piece of card stock with the directions on it, leaving a 1/2 inch on all sides.
10) Carefully cut along the pencil line you have created.
11) Punch with a hole and attach to the prepared Mason Jar.

12) Attach gingerbread man cookie cutter.

All finished

*I also came across this web site with a bunch of free printable labels, to add a little something extra.

You may also like:
Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread Pancakes in a Jar

Gifts from your Kitchen

    This time of year can become financially stressful on us all. There are always so many people on your Christmas list and only so much money to go around. Gifts from the kitchen are always affordable to create and welcomed by all. While I was making a batch of Gingerbread Pancakes I thought it might be a nice idea to put the dry ingredients into a Mason Jar. This way I have a nice hostess gift for any parties I might be attending, or a quick gift I already have prepared for those wonderful friends who remembered to think of me, and that I may have accidentally overlooked :/

Gingerbread Pancakes in a Jar

Materials:

1- 500ml Mason Jar
1- standard size ring
1- standard size lid
Wide mouth funnel
16 inches of hemp twine (or any string you have on hand)
1- 9"x 9" piece of holiday fabric
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
2 pieces of card stock, 2 colors matching your chosen fabric (to make the label)
adhesive of your choice
computer printer
8.5 x 11 cardstock (extra thick printer paper)

_____________________________________________________________________

2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
2 tsps. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 Tbsps. brown sugar

Instructions:

1) In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

2) Divide the flour mixture in half.
3) Fit the mason jar with the funnel.
4) Pour half of the flour mixture into the jar. Tap the flour down, by pounding the bottom of the jar against your counter.
5) Once the flour seems to be packed down, pour in the brown sugar.

6) Arrange the brown sugar in a neat layer using a wooden spoon.
7) Pack the brown sugar down.
8) Pour the second half of the flour mixture into the mason jar. Tap the bottom of the jar against the counter again.
9) Fit the jar with the lid and ring.

10) Place the fabric over the ring and secure with the twine.
11) Create Label. The label should read:
______________________________________________________________________________________

Ginger Bread Pancakes


Additional Ingredients Needed:
2 cups of buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tbsps. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. molasses

Directions:
1) Pour contents of jar into a large mixing bowl.
2) In another mixing bowl combine all of the above ingredients. Whisk to combine.
3) Combine wet and dry ingredients, making sure not to overmix.
4) Heat a non-stick skillet and spray with cooking spray.
5) Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and cook until the surface starts to bubble.
6) Once bubbles begin to appear, it is time to flip.
7) Serve with warm maple syrup.


*This recipe makes 18 average sized pancakes.
________________________________________________________________________

12) From here cut the above instructions and paste them into your personal word processing software. Change the font size, type and color to suit your liking. (I chose size 9 font, Comic Sans, and went with a red and green color scheme.) Print as many as you need.

13) Using a ruler and pencil, carefully trace around the directions. Neatly cut along the pencil line you have created.

14) Glue the directions onto your second piece of card stock. Using your ruler and pencil, carefully trace around the first piece of card stock with the directions on it, leaving a 1/2 inch on all sides.
15) Carefully cut along the pencil line you have created.
16) Punch with a hole and attach to the prepared Mason Jar.

All Finished!

 *I also came across this web site with a bunch of free printable labels, to add a little something extra.

They're personalized and everything.

    And there you have it. A wonderful gift that comes from the heart and your kitchen. After all, who wouldn't be greatful to eat such a delicious breakfast...

Gingerbread Pancakes with warm maple syrup.

You may also like:
Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies in a Jar
Gingerbread Pancakes