Explore the world, one post at a time
Baking - Blog Posts
Rise Mikey Headcanon
Although Mikey is a great cook, he is not as great in baking, so he watches a lot of baking shows for practice.
I don’t know how this idea came to me. It’s more of a cute thought. Wouldn’t it be adorable to see Mikey taking notes while watching British Bake Off?
He would love Mary Berry!
What do you think would be the turtles' favorite desserts?
I tried my hand at English muffins and I’m obsessed! They’re a bit soft so I think next time I’ll cook them longer but for my first try I think I did well!!! My family definitely agrees!
My first ever attempt at bread! I went with an easy white bread and it got way bigger than I expected; it’s so good, especially with a bit of honey!
bro i love my mom sm
i saw this cake on tumblr and told her it looked nice
she literally baked one for me today.
(ps i already took a big ass bite off it that’s why it looks destroyed)
I have been making these pride cookies and I think the side and end pieces are my favorite.
Even if they look imperfect when you turn them around they’re just as beautiful as the rest.
Made pride cookies, i think the end and side pieces are my favorite.
Even if they look imperfect from the front, when you turn them around they’re beautiful.
I am the queen of ugly (“rustic”) cakes that taste supremely delicious. This one is vanilla bean chiffon cake layers w dark chocolate espresso mousse filling & a salted caramel chai Swiss buttercream frosting. Decorated w sugared rosemary & cranberries 🌿
the cake result i forgot to post !!!
Making cake is hard
Cooking up a fall out boy themed cake might burn down the kitchen
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
I was looking through my holiday stuff and realized I never shared this picture from last year’s Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase!
This style of cookie picture, with the dusting of powdered sugar in the background, has always been a personal favourite of mine. I’m so happy that I got to try it out for myself and that it turned out so well!
Pumpkin Shaped Dinner Rolls
"On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises from his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys to [give to] all the children." - Linus, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
Happy Halloween everyone! I’ve been a huge fan of Charlie Brown for as long as I can remember. Every year, my family watches the specials on TV and I must have read each volume in my grandmother’s massive collection at least three times.
So, when I saw this tumblr post late last year, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for Halloween this year… but with a twist! After some trial and error, I’ve found a way to add cinnamon/pumpkin spice sugar to these rolls while avoiding a massive pocket of it.
So, grab your fall-themed drink of choice and check out below for how to make a batch of these delicious pull-apart dinner rolls for yourself! The great pumpkin may just pay you a visit for your troubles…
(Based on the post by Chef John from All Recipes and the tumblr post linked above.)
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 3 hrs Total: 3 hrs 20 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) milk, warm
1 packet (2 ½ tsp, 6.5 g) active dry yeast
1 tbsp. (15 ml) honey
4 tbsp. (57 g) butter, melted
1 tsp (6 g) salt
2 ¾ cup (345 g) all-purpose flour, plus ¼ cup (30 g) more for dusting
Kitchen string cut into 12 32-inch long pieces
Vegetable oil
Pour in the warm milk, yeast, honey, and butter into a large bowl and stir to combine (top-left).
Next, add the salt and the 2 ¾ cups of flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour until a shaggy, sticky dough forms (top-right).
Turn the sticky dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it becomes smooth, elastic, and is no longer sticky, about 10 minutes.
Form the dough into a rough ball shape by tucking in the sides. Lightly coat a medium or large bowl with vegetable oil and transfer the dough seam-side down (top-left).
Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap or a dish cloth and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours (top-right).
Meanwhile, prepare two baking trays with parchment paper or reusable silicon liners.
TIP: I found that only about 3 tsp (8 g) of the reserved dusting flour spread out onto the board was needed to keep the dough workable without the buns becoming dense.
TIP: Remember from the video, you’ll know the dough has been kneaded enough when it springs back after being lightly pressed and you can stretch out a piece the dough like a windowpane without it ripping. The windowpane should also be able to support the weight of the rest of the piece of dough without ripping.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto your clean work surface and knead it a few times to bring it back together.
Next, either cut the dough in half and divide each half into six even wedges or divide the dough into 50g - 55g portions using a kitchen scale.
Knead each portion a little and then pull in the edges of the dough to create a ball (like the big dough ball). Secure the its shape by placing the ball seam-side down on the work surface and gently rolling it with the palm of a clawed hand, for about 10 seconds.
Once the smaller dough balls have been formed, place them seam-side down on the prepared baking tray, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the pieces of kitchen string in bowl and toss them with a generous amount of vegetable oil.
NOTE: Do not move onto the next step without this first rest. The dough will expand way too much around the string if you wrap it immediately.
Optional addition to this step:
If you’d would like slightly sweeter rolls to dip in coffee or tea, you can add some cinnamon/pumpkin spice sugar after kneading the measured portions and before shaping the rolls.
First, roll the dough flat and spread ~⅛ tsp. of the sugar mixture on one half (top left). Then, fold in half so the sugar mixture is covered and spread another ~⅛ tsp. on half of the folded dough (top right).
Fold in half again and follow the shaping instructions above to seal the rolls.
NOTE: If you put ¼ tsp. of the sugar mixture in the middle of the rolled dough and shape it from there, the mixture will not be evenly distributed throughout the dough - you’ll just get a dry sugar bomb in the middle of the roll.
After letting them rest, working one roll at a time, place the end of one piece of string on the seam-side of the roll with enough of an overhang to tie a double knot latter, ~2 inches (5 cm).
Wrap the string around the dough so eight sections are created. Unlike the tumblr video in the intro, I wrap the string around the dough in one motion (no crisscrossing or twisting strings).
The string should be secure but loose enough that it isn’t pressing much on the dough before the knot is tied.
Once wrapped, double knot the string so there is enough pressure to form small indents and return the roll to the baking tray knot-side down (which should also be seam-side down).
Cover and let rest for an additional 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375॰F (190॰C) with the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
TIP: Any adjustments to the placement of the string should be made before the knot is tied. The string is virtually unmovable at that point.
TIP: If you’re choosing to add the sugar mixture, set a 15 minute timer once you’ve shaped the first roll. Depending on how long it takes to get through all the dough, you may be able to start wrapping the string around the rolls as soon as you finish shaping the last one.
Sift a little bit of flour on top of each roll (top left).
Bake until the rolls have lightly browned and sound hollow when knocked, about 20 to 25 mins (top right).
Once the rolls have cooled enough to handle, cut the strings off of each roll from the bottom. Slowly and carefully unwrap each roll, removing any strands of string that get stuck.
NOTE: It might have been the string I was using, but I found a lot of little strands were left behind as I unwrapped the rolls. The best solution for this I found was:
Not to wring out any of the vegetable oil from the string when I took it from the bowl and,
Have my finger directly behind the string as it slowly peeled away from the roll to help all the little strands come off.
You’ll probably still need to go in an remove some from where the knot was tied, but this should get rid of most of them.
Finally, cut one or two cinnamon sticks into ¾ inch (2 cm) pieces and press one into the tops of each roll to create the stems.
TIP: To cut the cinnamon sticks, use a steak knife to make a small groove and then snap them at that mark. It’ll really save the durability of your knives. Use long sawing motions instead of short ones.
Voilà, your very own pumpkin dinner rolls! Overall, I would give these a 4.5/5 for the regular ones and a 4/5 for the sugar mixture ones - not because of the taste, but for the process.
Cutting the string, soaking them in oil, plus the wrapping, tying, and unwrapping nearly drove me insane each time. I would recommend making these, especially the sugar mixture ones, with a friend. The extra hands (and jokes) will go a long way.
In the end, although they were a little awkward to make, they were definitely a fun way to get into the spirit of the season (and flex on everyone /j)!
At this point half the reason I still put up with TiKTok is the insane bakers and cooks. I mean LOOK AT THIS.
At this point half the reason I still put up with TiKTok is the insane bakers and cooks. I mean LOOK AT THIS.
Scientist bakes sourdough bread with yeast derived from 4500 year old Egyptian pottery
i'm losing my mind @ this thread......historie......
2021 Tumblr Year In Review
For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang syne
- Auld Lang Syne, Dougie MacLean
First year actively making content on the internet and it’s been a lot of fun so far! I’ve definitely learned a lot and would like to think I’ve improved since I started haha
According to Tumblr, my two most popular tags were #homecooking and #heroes’ feast!
As for posts, my top five are:
The Ultimate Sausage Pasta
Hand Pies (including small, snackable pies!) from Heroes’ Feast
Baked Feta Wrap
Hot Cocoa Broth from Heroes’ Feast
Soul Cakes and Halloween Costumes
The “slogan” I chose for 2022 is: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss
Holiday Wrap-Up 2021
“Can we eat the house yet?” - my dad waiting for me to take this picture
Just a quick index of all the holiday treats I made this December, both from Heroes’ Feast and my own kitchen!
Dec 5th - Cranberry-Banana Muffins!
Dec 5th - Earl Grey Cookies!
Dec 15th - Gingerbread from Heroes’ Feast! Check out the Showcase winners HERE
Dec 19th - Hot Cocoa Broth from Heroes’ Feast!
2021 HEROES’ FEAST GINGERBREAD SHOWCASE WINNERS
RESULTS ARE IN the winners of the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase are:
In 1st place, @afinickyguide with their fancy inn!
In 2nd place, the cozy 3 Weird Elves inn by Samantha Nahra!
In 3rd place, Luboffin’s grandiose castle!
And in 4th place, myself with the Homely Halfling House!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the showcase and to those who voted - this couldn’t have happened without you!
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE before the poll closes for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase ft. myself, @afinickyguide , Luboffin_ , and Samantha Nahra!!
VOTE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Keep reading
LAST DAY TO VOTE in the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase ft. myself, @afinickyguide , Luboffin_ , and Samantha Nahra!!!
VOTE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Winners will be announced the 24th at 3pm EST!
Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Keep reading
TWO DAYS LEFT to vote in the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase ft. myself, @afinickyguide , Luboffin_, and Samantha Nahra!!
VOTE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Keep reading
Here are the cookies I made with the scraps leftover from the house I made for the Gingerbread Showcase (VOTE) ft. myself, @afinickyguide , Luboffin_ , and Samantha Nahra!
I really love how these turned out, especially the reindeer! I think I just found my new Seasonally Appropriate(tm) profile picture
Also, the hot chocolate shown here is the Hot Cocoa Broth from Heroes’ Feast if you’d like to try it for yourself!
Reminder to vote in The Unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase featuring myself, @afinickyguide, Luboffin_ (Luna), and Samantha Nahra!
Check out the gingerbread recipe and how I made mine HERE!
Voting closes December 23rd at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be announced on December 24th at 3pm EST!
VOTE here! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Keep reading
Voting is OPEN!: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Check out all of the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase entries and vote for your favourite!
The winner will be announced December 24th at 3pm EST!
Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Keep reading
Homely Halfling House (Gringerbread)
“A traditional treat served in the waning light of the month of Sunsebb in Greyhawk, this style of gingerbread man memorializes a legend about the ancient ruins of Castle Greyhawk.”- Heroes’ Feast, p. 43
Here’s my entry for the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase that I’m participating in with:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin_ (Luna)
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
As the chilly winds descend on Fearûn, there’s nothing more comforting to a halfling than cozying up in their house by the fireplace with their favourite book and a steaming cup of cocoa broth.
So, as we all settle in for the winter months ahead, bring some cozy warmth and joy to your holiday season and create your own halfling house!
Spiced without being overbearing, these cookies are a great dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate, or pack them in a cookie bundle with some Earl Grey cookies and Banana-Cranberry muffins!
Remember to vote for your favourite house using the Survey Monkey link!
Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 2 hours 15 mins* Overall: 2 hours 25 mins
* Includes time for dough to chill
Ingredients for the dough:
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (75 g) dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. (8 g) ground ginger
2 tsp. (6 g) ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. (5 g) baking soda
¾ tsp. (4 g) kosher salt
¾ tsp. (2 g) dried mustard powder
½ tsp. (1 g) freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ tsp. (.3 g) ground cloves
12 tbsp. (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
⅔ cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
3 tbsp. (44 ml) whole milk
½ tsp. (3 ml) pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for decorations:
1 ⅓ cup (175 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 egg white
¼ tsp. (2 ml) pure vanilla extract
kosher salt
In a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, mustard powder, nutmeg, and cloves. Pulse several times to mix.
Then, add the melted butter, molasses, milk, and vanilla and process until the ingredients form a dough with no remaining streaks of flour, 15 to 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the dough as necessary. (Picture 1) )
Lightly dust a work surface with flour, scrape the dough onto it, and knead briefly until the dough forks a cohesive ball. (Picture 2) )
Divide the dough in half, and flatten each half into a disk ~¾- to 1-inch thick. (Picture 3) )
Wrap each half in cling film and allow to chill in the fridge for one hour or up to 24 hours. (Picture 4) )
Preheat the oven to 350F (177 C) with the racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Making regular gingerbread cookies
Unwrap one of the dough disks and lay it between two pieces of parchment paper on your work surface. Roll out the dough until it’s roughly 11-inches (28 cm) in diameter and ¼–inches (0.5 cm) thick. (Picture 1) )
Cut out as many cookies as possible using your cookie cutter of choice. You’ll get more than I did here since I used the dough scraps from the house. Heroes’ Feast used a 3 ½-inch (1.3 cm) gingerbread man cookie cutter for all of theirs. (Picture 2) )
Peel away the dough scraps so that all you have left is the shapes. The dough is super sticky and a nightmare to transfer. The easiest way that I found to transfer the cookies was to cut out the parchment around each cookie (Picture 3) ) and use it to flip the cookies onto the baking sheet.
Once the cookies have been transferred, peel away the parchment. (Picture 4) )
Making a gingerbread house
Roll out the dough the same way you would for the gingerbread cookies. (Picture 1) )
Next, trace any shapes you want to use for the house onto parchment paper and cut them out with a sharp knife. Do not lay down regular paper as the stencil for the cookies - the dough is way too sticky and makes it a nightmare to peel off.
To get the right dimensions for the house, I first traced out the shapes with a ruler onto graph paper and cut them out to use as stencils for the parchment shapes. (Picture 2) )
Peel off the parchment paper stencils and cut out the bottom parchment piece the same way you would if making regular gingerbread cookies (previous step). Use the cut out parchment to flip the shapes onto the baking sheet. Once transferred, peel away the parchment (Picture 3) ).
Dimensions
Front and Back: 5-inches (13 cm) base, 2.5-inches (6.5 cm) wall height, 3.5-inches (9 cm) diagonal for the roof
Side Walls: 6-inches (15 cm) base, 2.5-inches (6.5 cm) wall height
Roof*: 7.5-inches (19 cm) length, 4-inches (10 cm) width
* Meant to hang over the edge of the front, side, and back pieces.
Making a 3D Christmas tree
To decorate the house, I really wanted to make a 3D tree. To attempt this, I cut out two trees and created small slits to allow them to slide together.
Making regular gingerbread cookies
Bake each tray of cookies until they begin to set and the edges and are slightly puffed, about 9-11 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees and switching racks halfway through baking.
Cool the cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. (Picture 1) )
You won’t be able to cook all of the cookies on two baking sheets. Make sure to let the baking sheets cool before loading them with more cookies.
Making a gingerbread house
Since these cookies were so much larger than their cut-out cousins, I left them in the oven about 5-6 minutes longer.
I also left them to cool on the rack for a few hours to harden up a bit so they wouldn’t be as flexible when building the house.
Like if you’re making regular cookies, you won’t be able to cook all of the cookies on two baking sheets if you’re using up the scraps from cutting out the gingerbread house shapes. Make sure to let the baking sheets cool before loading them with more cookies.
Decorations
For the frosting, add the confectioner’s sugar, egg white, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp. water to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium-low until combined, about 1 minute.
Adjust the speed to medium-high and beat until glossy, soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. (Picture 2) )
For decorations, Heroes’ Feast uses chopped up walnuts and currants. I wanted to make a wreath for the house, so I used chopped pistachios instead. (Picture 3) )
Using baking soda in gingerbread cookies is great when making cookies that you don’t need to retain their original shape too much. But, it’s a bit of a pain when trying to make a gingerbread house.
After doing some sleuthing on Sally’s Baking Addiction, it looks like the best thing to do for gingerbread houses is cut the amount of baking soda used by ¾.
To fix my cookie-spreading problem post-baking and make everything a bit more manageable, I started by re-cutting out the slits I had made in the 3D tree before baking. (Pictures 1) and 2) ).
Next, I used the graph paper stencils I had made as guides to trim the cookies back to their original dimensions. (Pictures 3) and 4) ).
In hindsight, to save myself from the gingerbread crumb apocalypse, I would have trimmed them before I let them harden for a few hours.
To decorate the house, I used these Wilton products:
#16 decorating tip (open star)
#2 decorating tip (round)
4 piece, quick twist coupler system
16-inch featherweight decorating bag
To start, I used the #16 tip to pipe a line of frosting onto the base of one of the front/back walls and attached it to the serving platter. Then, I piped icing along one of the long and short edges of the side walls and attached them to the serving platter and front wall. (Picture 1) )
I attached the back wall by piping icing along its base and inside edges and securing it to the serving platter and side walls. (Picture 2) )
Because the roof was pretty heavy and I didn’t want it to fall, I tried to attach it extra securely by piping icing onto the slanted edges of the roof and one of the long walls while also piping icing onto the edges of the roof where it would attach in those places. (Picture 3) )
I wanted the roof to overhang on the front and back of the house, but since I hadn’t accounted for the extra length on the sides from the width of the front and back walls, they were actually a bit short*. I used scraps from cutting the gingerbread back into shape to pad the edges. (Picture 4) )
* The dimensions provided in a previous section take this extra width into consideration.
To clean up the “structural frosting” of the house a little bit, I used the #16 tip to add little dots of frosting along seams and a line of frosting connecting the two halves of the roof. (Picture 1) )
After, I switched out the the #16 tip for the #2 tip and used it to pipe on the shingles. (Picture 2) )
Again, I used the #2 tip to pipe on windows and a door. (Picture 3) )
Finally, I used frosting to attach little pieces of pistachios to create a wreath and put together the 3D tree - it stands on its own! :D (Picture 4) )
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. Not only are the cookies well spiced without being overbearing, you can also have a lot of fun and be creative with it!
If you’re making regular gingerbread cookies, they come out really nice - crunchy on the edges and soft on the inside!
For making a gingerbread house, all I would change would be to lower the baking soda by ¾ to not have them spread out as much and use crusting buttercream frosting instead of royal icing. But that’s just because I like buttercream more.
I highly suggest using this recipe and trying to make your own gingerbread house with friends! It’s a lot of fun and you get to eat it afterwards - win-win!
Happy Holidays everyone and thanks again to:
@afinickyguide
Samantha Nahra
Luboffin (Luna)
For participating in this years unofficial showcase - this couldn’t have happened without you all! <3
Check out their gingerbread houses and use this Survey Monkey link to to vote for your favourite! : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LHFG8PD
Earl Grey Cookies
“[...] a combination of shortbread and jam thumbprint cookies, made all the more interesting by the addition of tea - something different for a cookie exchange, or package them with a fancy cup and extra tea as a gift.” - ~mystery book~, p. 227
Sugar cookies are a staple of the holiday season. Whether decorated with frosting, cut into festive shapes, or sprinkled with powdered sugar, they are the go-to cookie for gifting!
When I first decided to try this version of sugar cookie, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I figured I’d give them a shot since it uses my favourite tea. In the end? Best. Decision. EVER! I’ve made them for myself and friends in past holiday seasons and I constantly get asked for the recipe and/or when I’ll be making more (the answer is always December, guys).
Like the Soul Cakes marking the overlap of four different holidays at the end of October, these cookies offer a twist on the traditional treats served this time of year.
Consider baking them with the Cranberry Banana Muffins to really spice up the holiday season!
EDIT: Now with extra tips!
(This recipe is an adaptation from a cookbook my grandmother has tucked away. However, I don’t have the title of the book and I can’t find her copy anymore so it’s of ~mystery origin~.)
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 45 mins Total: 50 mins
Ingredients*:
1 cup (227 g) butter, softened
⅔ cup (138 g) granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extractñ
2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. (6 g) Earl Grey tea leaves
¼ tsp. (0.5 g) kosher salt
½ cup (320 g) apricot jam or marmalade**
*Makes enough for about 3 dozen cookies.
** Be careful when selecting your brand of jam (both for these cookies and in general). Ingredients on labels are listed from greatest amount to least - so try to pick one that has apricots as the first ingredient instead of sugar!
First, preheat the oven to convection bake at 325℉ (160℃) [or 350℉ (177℃) if using a conventional oven].
Then, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light (top-left).
Beat in the egg and vanilla (top-right).
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined.
Roll the cookies into 1 tbsp. (about 1-inch or 2.5 cm) balls and place them on two large, parchment-lined baking sheets.
TIP: To get all of the cookies a uniform size, I level off a 1 tbsp. measuring spoon with dough, then roll them.
Dip the end of a wooden spoon about ⅜ th of an inch (1 cm) in diameter into flour and make indentations in the center of each cookie.
Fill each indentation with a generous ¼ tsp. of jam or marmalade.
Convection bake in the oven for 16 - 18 minutes [or the same amount of time, rotating the pan halfway through, if using a conventional oven], or until they start to turn a light golden.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.
Overall, I would give these cookies a 5/5. The mild sweetness from the earl grey mixed with the sweetness of the jam produces such a unique flavour without being overwhelming. Not to mention that snacking on them creates this holiday/Christmas-y vibe that’s hard to describe.
As mentioned in the intro, I’ve made these for my friends in the past and they’re a massive hit. Because they look so different from traditional holiday sugar cookies but fit so well with the season, they become a really unique treat to give to friends and family!
Cranberry Banana Muffins
“The tang of the cranberries is softened by the subtleness of the banana and the hint of nutmeg in this recipe.” - ~mystery book~, p. 218
For holiday cookies, our minds usually go to sugar cookies, gingerbread, and maybe the odd biscotti thrown in for fun. But, if you’re looking for a change up in your typical festive treats, look no further than these delicious cranberry banana muffins!
The sharpness of the cranberries is tamed by the accompanying ingredients and substituting the regular milk for coconut milk adds a whole new dimension of flavour. Not only that, but the grated nutmeg and orange zest makes your whole kitchen smell like instant Christmas while baking!
Consider baking these with the Earl Grey Cookies for an additional change up!
(This recipe is an adaptation from a cookbook my grandmother has tucked away. However, I don’t have the title of the book and I can’t find her copy anymore so it’s of ~mystery origin~.)
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 1h Overall: 1h 15 mins
Ingredients*:
2 ripe bananas
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups (350 ml) coconut milk**
⅔ cup (151 g) butter, melted
2 tbsp. grated orange zest (about 1 large orange)
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups (330 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
* Makes enough for 24 large size muffins. You can make 12 muffins by halving all of the ingredients, but you’ll have to waste half a can of coconut milk.
** Use both the coconut cream and milk from the can. Freely replace the coconut milk with regular milk if you need to.
First, preheat the oven to 400℉ (204℃) and either grease, or use large muffin cups to line two muffin pans.
Then, in a large bowl, mash the bananas.
Add the sugar, eggs, coconut milk, melted butter, and orange zest and stir to combine well.
TIP: When measuring the coconut milk, pour the whole can into a glass measuring cup. Use a fork to whisk together the cream and milk until it’s mostly combined. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove any remaining larger cream pieces from the measuring cup. This should get you to ~1 ½ cups (350 ml) of coconut milk.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and stir until the batter is just moistened.
Before adding the cranberries, sprinkle ~1 tsp. flour over the cranberries and stir gently to coat (top-left). This will prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins as they cook.
Gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
Spoon enough batter to fill each muffin cup about ¾ of the way full (top-left).
Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees halfway through, or until the tops turn golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean (top-right).
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Overall, I would give these muffins a 5/5. These are AMAZING when served warm with salted butter! I wanted to try something a little different for holiday cookies a few years back and I’m so glad I gave these a go. The blend of flavours really brings home the holidays in a way you don’t expect.
I highly recommend using coconut milk instead of regular milk if it’s available to you; it provides such a depth and richness of flavour without making the muffin feel heavy. Also, although I haven’t tried it with almond milk yet, I imagine that would also yield some tasty results!