Christmas Sugar Cookies real and virtual

As if I have all the time in the world  to not only create real cookies with my "real" hands in my "real" kitchen but to create some "virtual" cookies with my fingers and my keyboard and the help of BHG.  Tonight  I found this really cool way of wasting half an hour icing virtual cookies.  My first attempts were a bit wonky, I am certainly better with a paintbrush, but by the third cookie I had got the hang of it. If you click on my cookie it will take you to the link at Better Homes and Gardens, who thought up this time stealing but fun idea!

You basically choose from a sidebar menu your cookie shape, star, angel, tree, snowman, gingerbread man etc, then you pipe around the edges with your chosen colour,  fill in with icing (again your chosen colour), choose your sprinkles, then your background and voila! a "virtual" Christmas cookie. So after you've read this post and looked at the real cookies, click on the cookie below or "here" and have some fun.  (If the link doesn't take you direct to the page try clicking a second time...sometimes they ask you to join BHG (Better Homes and Gardens), it only takes a few seconds to join and they do have some great ideas throughout the year but if you go back to my link and click again you should be able to go direct to the cookie decorating page without joining.

My "virtual" attempt at cookie icing

I thought I better add some reality so I have found some gorgeous decorating ideas for your Christmas cookies and a fabulous little video showing you how to make your own "real" cookies.

I found these absolutely divine cookies via Pinterest .......they put my "virtual" cookie to shame

Image from Kara's party ideas, a wonderful website with ideas for every imaginable party theme!  I love the frosted look icing.

These beautiful cookies are available for purchase through Rolling Pin Productions - small snowflakes US$4.00 each, standard US$7.50

Sugar cookies in more traditional colours to purchase from The Piece de Resistance  (Worldwide shipping available)

Image reproduced with permission of Red Ted Art's Blog

So...if you still have  time left after decorating your "virtual" cookies or you don't want to waste precious time and go straight to making some lovely Christmas cookies, please use the link "here" to Joy of Baking where you can watch their video for making sugar cookies, their recipe is printed below the video. Its a marvellous step by step video that will guide you to perfect cookies.  I will be making some myself and will share my results next week.

Hope you enjoyed your day, 

try not to stress over the holidays  looming closer...

Make sure you make lists to ease 

the stress of forgetting anything last minute.

Lee oxo

&

Poppy 

Christmas Cookies and Stamping

I discovered these gorgeous cookies on Flickr and thought what a great idea.  These simple iced cookies have been stamped with a rubber stamp using edible ink and then touched up with a cake decorators pen.  I was thinking that a Christmas stamp would be great, you could then wrap a few cookies in clear cellophane and tie with a gorgeous ribbon to give as a teachers gift or for neighbours at Christmas time.

photo credit/idea via nice icing on flickr

Cavallini Birds & Nests stamps 
set of 11 elegant birds and nest as seen on stamped cookies above

set - US$27.50 from Paper Source

 

Cavallini Paris Rubber stamp set 

contains 11 vintage Paris inspired stamps and black ink pad, so you could use them for gift tags/cards too. Don't whatever you do use the ink pad to stamp on the cookies unless it is water based and non toxic :)

US$27.50 set from Paper Source

You could make your own ink pad by folding a piece of absorbent kitchen paper several times and soaking it with a dark food colouring or a small piece of a new kitchen sponge and soak it in the food colouring. However, I think the food approved ink pads would work much better.  I did read that Stamping up classic pads work well as they are non toxic and water based and have no taste. 

A sugar cookie recipe and royal icing recipe plus video demonstration for making sugar cookies can be found at Joy of Baking, please click "here" for the link.

 Handy Hint:  Always pipe your icing on your cookies as spreading with a knife will encourage it to seep over the edges. 

And if you are not much good at baking, you could order these really pretty ready made cookies just in time for Christmas:

These lovely Christmas cookies are available at The Piece De Resistance an Etsy store - US$26.00 for 1 dozen cookies (shipping is world wide prices on their site).




Pretty Christmas trees - US$30 for 1 dozen cookies, also from Piece De Resistance

 I am sorry for not posting daily at the moment

I have not been too well and finding it a little hard to concentrate. However I will try to post as much as I can.

Lee xox