CUT IT OUT!
Start a holiday tradition this year with the youngsters by baking gingerbread cookies and making bread-dough ornaments.
To make gingerbread cookies, you will need one package of gingerbread cake and cookie mix, cookie cutters and decorators’ frosting.
Decorating is easy using raisins, gumdrops, cinnamon candies, coconut, miniature marshmallows or other small candies. Another fast way is to use disposable decorating bags with ready-to-spread frosting.
Gingerbread cookies
Mix one package gingerbread cake and cookie mix and 1/3 cup lukewarm water. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm, 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll small amount of dough 1/8-inch thick on floured, cloth-covered board (keep remaining dough refrigerated).
Cut dough with floured cookie cutters into girl and boy shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are firm and no imprint remains when touched lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool about 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Use vanilla ready-to-spread frosting or your favorite decorators' frosting recipe. Tint parts with food color if desired.
Outline with a contrasting color; outline dress for the girl and shirt and pants for the boy. Use frosting to decorate faces.
If desired, tint shredded coconut yellow for hair. Use a snip of licorice for mouth and raisin halves for eyes. Red cinnamon candies can be used for buttons.
To make rope Christmas trees: Mix and chill gingerbread cake and cookie mix according to package directions. Using 2 tablespoons dough for each tree, roll dough back and forth on floured surface into a rope about 24 inches long. On ungreased cookie sheet, coil back and forth into shape of a tree. Attach small piece of dough at base as a trunk. Bake as directed. After cooling, outline along coils with pastry bag with writing tip; sprinkle with colored sugar, or decorate with red cinnamon candies.
To make Santa faces: Mix and chill gingerbread cake and cookie mix according to package directions. Roll out dough and cut faces with cookie cutter. Decorate with ready-to-spread icing.
Bread-dough ornaments
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 cup salt
• 4 cups flour
Pour hot water over salt to dissolve. Cool. Add flour, and combine in a mixer or food processor. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, and knead 10 minutes until smooth.
Work with a small amount of dough at a time. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness on waxed paper. (To keep paper from wrinkling, place waxed paper on slightly moistened surface.) Cut out designs with cookie cutters or shape with hands. Smooth and shape outer edges of design using a sculpting tool or an orange stick from a manicure kit. To define certain lines, press tool into the dough. If desired, add three-dimensional hand-formed details.
To join pieces of dough or add one layer to another, moisten area of contact on ornament with a wet paintbrush, then gently press on detail pieces. Insert hanger into center of top of each ornament.
If dough is not used immediately, store in tightly closed plastic bag or container with tight-fitting cover; dough may be kept in cool place up to two weeks. Knead stored dough thoroughly before using.
To make hangers: Straighten paper clip, leaving a hook on each end; cut paper clip in half.
To dry: Place finished pieces on a wire rack or protected surface, and place in a 200-degree oven for several hours. Thicker ornaments may take up to six hours to harden. Thin pieces usually dry in about three hours. The ornaments must dry completely before painting, or they will crumble. If small pieces come off ornaments during drying process, let dry completely and reattach with white glue.
Painting and finishing: Paint thoroughly dry pieces with acrylic paints, poster paints or water colors. For a shiny finish and extra strength, spray dry, painted pieces with three or four coats of quick-drying clear spray — let dry between coats — or dip in clear shellac.
