I love you more than Christmas kids lunch treats

Sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind.

Live a little, love a lot.

Eat sugar sprinkles.

Sushi, fruit, yogurt and healthy sandwiches are great lunch box staples for the kids, but sometimes I like to sneak in a surprise treat like these Christmas sprinkle sandwiches# with a happy note.

When I was growing up we used to call this type of sugar sprinkle sandwich fairy bread and it was a party staple.

I'm sure you don't need the instructions on how to make them but I'll share anyway :)

Take super fresh white bread. Spread with butter, sprinkle one half with sugar sprinkles (non-pariels), cut out a cute Christmas Tree shape on the other half and then press together firmly.

If you don't have green sprinkles don't worry, just use whatever you have handy.

Use a sharp knife to remove crusts (this is an essential step with fairy bread).

Write a note and slip it in the lunchbox with your sprinkly treat.

I used ejector Christmas Tree cutters which came in a set but you can just use regular mini tin cutters, it will work out just the same.

# If you just can't bring yourself to feed your kids sugar for lunch don't despair. Low fat cream cheese spread and sprouts will look awesomely fun too :)

Linda Vandermeer is the author of Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid Friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go. You can pick it up at all good online book shops including these shops:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Elegant Ornament Cookies

Elegant Ornament Cookies with hand piped royal icing details and jelly jewels.

Yup instead of baking crushed candy into the holes I decided to use the soft jelly jewels for a little extra elegance.

Which by the way jelly gems are the only type of jewels in this household.

and that was the case even before someone kicked in our front door a few weeks back to rob us. Happily our monitored security and vigilant neighbors stepped up immediately and they were only in the house for a total of 1 minute before fleeing.

Otherwise with nothing else of value to steal they might have resorted to taking my jelly jewels in which case you would totally not be enjoying the pictures of these cookies.

Plus the amount of time I have spent on the phone to insurance, police and people re fixing the door has really eaten into my blogging time. So totally inconvenient - don't those thieves know I have cookies to bake and treats to make. 

Anyhoo back to cookies. I am a fan of white on white Christmas cookies. But I did decided to try out a pink and gold version. Except I was all out of luster dust so the hand painting didn't quite come out like I had hoped, but they were still super pretty. I think perhaps I should have used the edible glitter, it's on my list for next time :)


Edit update I have a youtube video tutorial on how to make the sugar cookie cut out dough up:


Shopping/Photo Details
Cookie Cutter - Fancy Flours
Gingham ribbon, cards and small rectangle tin (set) - Greengate - Originated Shop
Jelly Jewels - mine Culpitt from Party Animal Online
Large round Pink Tin - Just Plain Gorgeous (Balmoral QLD)

Elegant Ornament Cookie Instructions

Sugar Cookie Dough (I used the recipe from Sweets on a Stick any good recipe will do)
wooden rolling pin
Ornament Cookie Cutter
White ready roll fondant (I used Bakels)
brush and water
Royal Icing in a piping bag with small plain tip
Jelly Jewels
small rolling pin
Icing tip with large round tip #12

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and use ornament cutter to cut out shapes. Place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Chill for 1/2 an hour until firm then bake in preheated oven (160 C or 320 F) for around 15minutes or until golden.

Remove from oven and quickly using the #12 icing tip cut 3 holes into the cookies (look at pictures for examples). Allow cookies to cool for around 5 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Knead the white fondant and using the small rolling pin roll out on a cornflour (cornstarch) dusted workbench until quite thin. Using the ornament cutter cut out shapes. Brush a small amount of water onto the cookies and then press the fondant on top of the cookie using the rolling pin and gently pressing into place. Use the # 12 tip to press out 3 holes in the fondant ensuring they are in the same spot as the holes in the cookie underneath.

Pipe the desired design onto the cookie with the royal icing and allow to set.

Finally pipe a little royal icing into each hole (I piped around the edge of each round) and press the jelly jewel into place.

Linda Vandermeer is the author of Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid Friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go. You can pick it up at all good online book shops including these shops:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Linked to:

I'm Lovin' it Party @ Tidy Mom

Sweetest Thing Reindeer Cookies for Christmas

Oh my goodness these cookies are just the sweetest things.

I am totally in love with the pretty pastel colors and the flying reindeer shape.

I'm calling the colors white, dusky pink and teal.....'cause that's the titles on the food color bottles. But I think you can also call the 'teal', mint green or perhaps seafoam.

I'm not really sure, sometimes I get a bit confused with all those fancy names :)

What I do know is that they look even more adorable in real life and that the teal color with white and a pop of red looks amazing.

Anyhoo......before you all ask......the cookie cutter.

Lots of you may already have it which is great news. I picked it up in a bucket of 100 cutters from Aldi (discount supermarket) last year, for around 10 or 20 dollars for the whole lot.

In the US I have seen them sold as Faberware sets or maybe Roshco 100 piece plastic sets, Amazon has them listed kinda expensive (see below) although I noticed a used one for a good price. Or maybe try Ebay.


Like I said you might already have it or be lucky enough to find a set, but if not you could pick up a similar one by picking up a flying reindeer like the one from the below link.


Now I know the flying reindeers do not have the lovely looking fragile antlers and legs, but that might be a good thing for some. I use a pretty good cookie recipe (the one from my cook book Sweets on a Stick) and the dough was pretty chilled, but I still rolled each cookie out on a square of parchment paper to make it easier to pick  up and pop onto the oven tray. Plus I needed to gently ease/push out the antlers and legs. Not unachievable, or even that hard, but kinda time consuming and not so kid friendly.

 But they do look soooo sweet so for me totally worth it :)

I'm kinda into the whole color scheme at the moment so I seemed to have a stack of stuff sitting around ready for some photo's.

Photo stuff Vendor/Stockists:

Ribbon sets - Tilda (I bought mine @ Sewco Mt Gravatt)
Mint Green Sandy Cup - Greengate (I bought mine @ Originated Shop)
Silver Christmas baubles - Spotlight
Paisley card stock - Tilda (I bought mine @ Sewco Mr Gravatt)

Before I start the tutorial - just a quick reminder that if you don't want to miss out on any posts you can subscribe for free up in the top right corner of this blog by entering your email address. I have lots of Christmas cookies and treats coming up so you won't want to miss a single sweet thing (and facebook is mostly unreliable for updates these days).

Sweetest Thing Reindeer Cookies
If you don't like fondant covered cookies you can follow the general directions using royal icing instead, well y'know piping instead of rolling out and cutting. Y'all get the idea :)

Reindeer cookie cutter
cookie dough (I used the recipe from Sweets on a Stick stockist details below)
White ready roll fondant (I used Bakels)
food color (I used Americolor Teal, Americolor Ivory, Sugarflair dusky pink and red)
Royal Icing (I mixed up a little premix with water)
Edible glitter in pink and silver
Small rolling pin
cornflour / cornstarch
brush and water

Roll out the cookie dough onto parchment paper and cut out reindeer shapes. If you cutter has fragile thin pieces make sure the dough is quite chilled and ease each section out with the base of a knife, or some other flatish thin tool.

Chill in freezer for around 15 minutes and then bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until just golden, remove from oven and allow to cool on baking tray enough so they are firm and easy to move without breaking. Place on wire rack to cool completely.

Take a tablespoon of the fondant and color red. Divide the remaining fondant into 3 evenish amounts. Leave one section white, color one section pink and then the remaining teal using 2 parts teal to 1 part ivory to make a color similar to the one in the pictures. (to color fondant knead it well and then gradually work in drops of food color until the desired color is achieved.)

Dust the work bench, knead the white fondant until pliable and roll out until a couple of mm thin (1/16th ") making sure to pick it up and turn often so it does not stick to the bench. Cut out a reindeer shape with the cookie cutter (ensure the cutter has been washed and is completely dry).

Brush a small amount of water onto the cookie and then gently press the fondant onto the cookie using the rolling pin to gently press it into place.

Repeat for remaining cookies until a third of the cookies is covered with white fondant.

To make the spots on the back of the reindeer, pipe small dots of white royal icing with a #2 tip.For the teal spots (on some of the white deers) I just used small balls of teal fondant pressed into place (use a tiny amount of water to stick if necessary).

To make the glittery reindeer noses lay the fondant covered cookies on clean parchment paper, pipe a small dot of royal icing onto the noses and then before the royal icing dries sprinkle a small amount of edible glitter directly onto the wet royal icing.

The red reindeer noses are just small balls of red fondant pressed into place (use a tiny amount of water to stick if necessary)

Wrapping paper Greengate - frameTarget

Linda Vandermeer is a mum, blogger and author of Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid Friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go. You can pick it up at all good online book shops including these shops:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

I joined in the fun and added my link to:

Lollipop and Candy Christmas Tree Cake tutorial

Willy Wonka was one of my favorite movies growing up.

Oh how I wished to win a golden ticket and be transported to a place where everything was made of chocolate and candy.

OK I guess I'm not surprising anyone with that little revelation, and I doubt I was alone in my wish, but it might go a little ways to explaining why I am the way I am.

I think this Christmas cake is a little bit Wonka and a little bit Dr Suess. In fact originally I was going to make each of the layers a bit topsy turvy......but then I got a bit lazy. Well not lazy so much as I needed to do some other stuff.

'Cause oh my goodness it's nearly Christmas.

Anyhoo back to the cake - the inside cake is a cranberry, almond and hazelnut gluten free cake I created which was quite delicious and moist.

Decorations are handmade fondant lollipop and lime green sixlets* (little chocolates coated with a hard candy shell).

If you wanted to you could use a real lollipop in place of the fondant decoration. I chose not to as I find that they become a little tacky and sticky when left out unwrapped in our humid weather.

*Sixlets are available from Spotlight in Australia, in the US you can get them at Walmart and Target, if you can't find target just replace with another type of sweet.

Lollipop and Candy Christmas Tree Cake
NOTE - the first couple of pictures are from last years pretty ruffled tree cake and are green follow the written directions and use white fondant.

4 x 16cm (around 6") cakes - brown edges, tops and bottoms trimmed, ensure that the cakes are level
Cake board (16cm or around 6")
White chocolate ganache set at room temperature (make the day before assembling the cake)
large knife
offset spatula
White Ready Roll Fondant (I used Bakels brand)
Red Ready Roll Fondant (I used Satin Ice brand)
a small amount of green fondant (I colored white fondant with Americolor Electric Green)
large rolling pin
small sharp knife
small rolling pin
cornflour/ cornstarch
small brush and water
skewer
green sixlets

* Fondant dries out very fast. You must work quickly and keep in an airtight container when not in use. Knead well before use.

Using a small amount of ganache adhere one of the cakes to the cake board, spread a generous amount of ganache evenly on the top of the cake and then place a second cake on top of the first cake layer. Place into the fridge to set. Once set remove from the fridge and spread on an even layer of ganache on top of the second layer. Place the 3rd cake on top and pop the cake into the fridge for the ganache to set.

Remove from fridge spread an even layer of ganache onto the third cake layer and pop the 4th layer on the top, quickly pop a skewer or dowel in the center of the cake pushing it thru all 4 layers and return the cake to the fridge to set.

Once the ganache is set securely, use a sharp knife to shape the layers of cake into a cone. (I actually used some of the off cuts to make another layer which you can try if you feel confident with your carving)

Picture of last years tree cake.  This years cake was gluten free cranberry, 
sorry I didn't take any construction photo's this year.

Reserve any offcuts of the cake to make cake pops :)

Using an offset spatula spread the remaining ganache on the sides of the cake cone, making the sides as smooth as possible. I popped the cake into the fridge for the ganache to set and then smoothed on a final layer.

Smooth ganache all around the sides of the cake

Dust the workbench with cornflour (cornstarch) and using the large rolling pin roll out the WHITE fondant large enough to cover your fondant cone. I shaped my fondant into a rectangle which was tall enough in width to cover the cone from the bottom to the tip of the cone and wide enough to wrap around the base of the cone.

Picture of last years tree cake.  This years cake was white fondant, 
sorry I didn't take any construction photo's this year.
 

Pick the fondant up and wrap it around the cake cone (I'm using a fake styro one for these pictures), smooth the fondant down along the whole edge opposite where the seam will meet (that would be the middle of your large piece of fondant). Work quickly and carefully  working the fondant onto your cake until you get to the seam at the back, wrap one layer over the top of the other and using a sharp knife cut a straight seam down the back through both layers. You can then easily remove the top layer of overhang from one side. Then pull back the fondant to get to the underlayer of overhang and remove that. Push the seams together as neatly as possible.

Picture of last years tree cake.  This years cake was white fondant, 

sorry I didn't take any construction photo's.

Neatly trim any fondant overhand from the bottom of the cake using the sharp knife.

Roll out some of the red fondant until about 4mm thick and cut along rectangle strip (I made myself up a little cardboard template around 8cm X 2cm (3" X 3/4"), cut that strip in half longways and then do the same for the white.

Layer them on top of each other, you may need to brush the teensiest amount of water on each layer to make them stick.

Cut the layered strip in half longways to make 2 striped long strips.

Using a small rolling pin. roll out the striped fondant strips until they are quite thing and long. Trim the edge and roll it up a few cm's (1 ").

Brush a little water onto the cake and then stick the fondant to the cake by resting the rolled up section of the fondant strip on your baseboard (I was working straight onto my cake stand) and pressing the striped thin strip section up onto the cake.

Make more of the fondant stripes and work your way around the base of the cake using the same steps and technique, allow to dry until the rolled stripe sections are quite firm to touch.

Fold up little pieces of cardboard to make support stands (see picture below for example). I made mine so that the lengths of striped 'candy' fondant were approx 1/4 the height of the cake so I ended up with 2 rows.)

Make more of the striped fondant stripes with the rolled base and then attach them to the cake. The rolled section should be about a quarter of the way up the cake and the cardboard support should sit on the bottom row with the support just resting under the next layer to hold it up).

Continue working around the cake until that layer is complete, allow to dry until the rolled sections are firm to touch.

Using the above instructions and techniques complete another 2 rows so that the whole cake is covered in striped fondant 'candy' type decoration.

Make a fondant lollipop by rolling out a bright green and a red log of fondant about 20cm (8") long. Place the fondant together hold the ends and then twirl each end in the opposite direction so the twisted fondant looks like a rope. Gently roll a little with the palms of your hands to smooth out the 'rope' and then swirl the 'rope' around to make a lollipop shape (see picture). Place a wooden skewer into the base of the lollipop and allow to dry until firm.

Once all the rolled fondant stripes are dry on the cake you can carefully remove all the cardboard support structures, be careful not to snap any of the rolls off the cake, but if you do you can take a little extra white fondant, press it together with a small amount of water until it makes a very thick plaster like past and use it to stick the rolls back in place.

Using more of the white fondant paste (fondant mixed with a little water) stick on the sixlets (of your choice of sweet) in random spots around the cake.

Take the fondant lollipop on the skewer and push it into the top of the cake.

As long as your cake and frosting are not perishable cake can be stored/ used as a decoration (not in an airtight container or fridge) for about 4 days safely. Mine lasted well for 1 week.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.

Sneak Peek - Lollipop and Candy Christmas Tree Cake

Introducing my Candy Inspired 3D Christmas Tree Cake.

I'm supposed to be baking delicious cookies for my demonstration class on Saturday........but I couldn't help but make time to whip up this Lollipop and candy inspired Christmas Tree when someone mentioned that there was only 6 weeks to go until Christmas day.

Is that true - Eeeek! Well I didn't check I just panicked and designed my Christmas cake for this year.

Anyhoo - the cake is a gluten free cranberry cake with candy inspired decoration made with fondant and then decorated with light green sixlets.

If you want the DIY instructions on how to make this cake make sure you subscribe (for free) to this blog by entering your details over there in the top right hand corner so you don't miss out when I post.......or y'know just keep checking back. It'll be soon, maybe Sunday night.

If this red candy inspired cake is not to your taste, you can always check out my Christmas Cake from last year - the ruffled Anti Fruit cake. If you are looking for the tutorial and instructions for last years ruffle cake CLICK HERE 

Oh well, now I have my Christmas cake sorted out for this year. I can focus on baking those cookies for the demonstration on Saturday, which by the way still has a couple of spots left I think.

It's on the 17th of November as part of Hands on Brisbane. I will be demonstration how I roll out the cookie dough, how I get an even finish and then decorate a range of cookies from elegant snowflakes to cute babushka snowmen and penguins. The demonstrations are very interactive and limited to 15 people so you can feel free to ask me as many questions about cookies or blogging that you would like. The sessions are on from 10:30am to 12:30 at the Bleeding Heart Cafe Brisbane and are $30. Tickets are available HERE. If you have difficulty booking pop me an email or facebook message me.

Linda Vandermeer is a mum, blogger and author of Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid Friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go. You can pick it up at all good online book shops including these shops:

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)