by CICO kidz
7Using the palette knife, spread the milk chocolate frosting all over the brownie pops. Lay them on a sheet of baking parchment and leave until the frosting is starting to set.
8Decorate with patterns of sprinkles or candies on the front. Scatter lots of sprinkles on the sides. Serve them standing up in cups so that you don’t spoil the decoration!
Is it a brownie? Is it a lollipop? No, it’s a BROWNIE POP!
Marbled cheesecake brownies
This is a very different way to decorate brownies and makes them into a delicious dessert to follow a special meal.
You will need:
1 quantity Brownie mix (see page 14), without nuts
For the cheesecake mixture:
1½ cups (350 g) cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup (125 g) superfine (caster) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 × 12-in. (20 × 30-cm) baking pan, greased and lined with greased baking parchment
(makes 16–20 portions)
1Ask an adult to help you make the brownie mixture, leaving out the nuts (see page 14), but don’t bake it yet.
2Now make the cheesecake mixture. Tip all the ingredients into a bowl and beat them together with a wooden spoon until they are smooth.
3Spoon three-quarters of the brownie mixture into the baking pan and spread it so it’s level.
4Spoon the cheesecake mixture evenly over the top.
5Dollop the remaining brownie mixture in spoonfuls over the cheesecake mixture.
6Using a round-bladed knife, swirl the mixtures together to create a marbled effect. Tap the pan on the work surface to level the mixture.
7Ask an adult to put the pan on the middle shelf in the oven and bake it for about 30–35 minutes, or until it is just set in the middle.
8Ask an adult to take the pan out of the oven and let it to cool completely in the pan before turning it out and cutting it into portions to serve.
Swirls of SCRUMMY BROWNIE and cheesecake!
Stained glass window cookies
This is a lovely way to decorate cookies to hang by a window or on a Christmas tree. You use melted candies in different colors to make the stained glass. The cookies look really magical when light shines through them.
You will need:
1 quantity Gingerbread dough (see page 17)
all-purpose (plain) flour, for rolling out
4½ oz. (125 g) clear, hard, fruit candies
writing icing
narrow ribbon
2 baking trays
nonstick baking parchment
cookie cutters (Christmas ones for Christmas decorations)
small shaped cookie cutters
a drinking straw
plastic freezer bags
pastry brush
(makes 10–12)
1Ask an adult to help you make the Gingerbread (see page 17), stopping at the end of Step 3. When the dough is well chilled, turn the oven on to 325°F (170°C) Gas 3. Cut pieces of nonstick baking parchment to cover the baking trays.
2Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and roll out the dough to ¼ in. (5 mm) thick. Cut cookies from the dough and lay them on the baking trays.
3Cut a hole for the stained glass window in each cookie—either use a smaller cutter or a sharp knife.
4Use the drinking straw to make a small hole for the ribbon at the top of each cookie.
5Unwrap the fruit candies, divide them into separate colors, and place each color in its own plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the candies into small pieces and then pour each color into a separate bowl. Put them to one side.
6Ask an adult to help you bake the cookies on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 5 minutes until the gingerbread is just starting to color at the edges. Remove the baking trays from the oven.
7Carefully and neatly fill the windows in the cookies with the crushed fruit candies. Use a dry pastry brush to brush away any stray candy pieces. Return the baking trays to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes until the gingerbread is golden brown and firm and the candies have melted to fill the window shapes. Be careful not to bake them for too long—if the candies start to bubble they could lose their color.
8Let the cookies cool completely on the baking trays, then use writing icing to add extra decorations.
9Finally, thread pieces of ribbon through the holes. Hang your cookies where the light can shine through the colored centers.
Watch the LIGHT SHINE through these beautiful cookies!
Ladybug cookies
These ladybug cookies are a lovely way to brighten up a summer picnic or party. They take quite a long time to make so you could just make a few and stamp out some simple cookie shapes with the rest of your cookie mix. If you can get it, it is much better to use ready-colored fondant icing for these so that you get really bright, strong colors.
You will need:
1 quantity Vanilla cookie dough (see page 16)
confectioner’s (icing) sugar
To decorate 6 ladybugs:
5 oz. (150 g) each ready-to-roll black and red fondant icing, or 10 oz. (300 g) white fondant icing and black and red food coloring paste or liquid
1 oz. (25 g) white fondant icing (if using ready-to-roll colored icing)
For the ladybug template:
template (see page 126)
paper
stiff card (a cereal packet works well)
scissors
2 baking trays
nonstick baking parchment
round cookie cutter about 3½ in. (9 cm) diameter
other cookie cutters
(makes 12 cookies)
1Ask an adult to help you make the cookie dough (see page 16). While it is chilling, trace the ladybug template on page 126. Cut it out and draw round it on some stiff card. Cut this out to make your cookie template.
2Cut some baking parchment to cover your baking trays. Turn the oven on to 400˚F (200˚C) Gas 6.
3Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and roll out the cookie dough until it is about ¼ in. (5 mm) thick.
4Lay the ladybug template on the dough and carefully cut around it with a roundbladed knife. Cut out 5 more in the same way.
5Use the rest of the dough to stamp out some simple cookie shapes that are about the same size as the ladybugs (so that they take the same time to bake). You will need to gather all the trimmings together and roll them out again.
6Lay all the cookies on the lined baking trays and ask an adult to put them into the preheated oven for 12–16 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Leave to cool on the baking trays.
7Make a little “edible glue” by putting two tablespoons of confectioner’s (icing) sugar in a cup and adding two tablespoons of warm water. Stir them together.
8If you are coloring your own icing, put a little of the white fondant icing to one side for the ladybugs’ eyes. Split the rest in half and color one half black and one half red (see page 21), kneading the icing well to make sure that the color isn’t streaky.
9Sprinkle a little confectioner’s (icing) sugar onto a clean work surface. Roll out the black icing until it is about ¼ in. (5 mm) thick. Each time you roll the icing, lift it, turn it a little, and sprinkle on a little more confectioner’s sugar to stop it sticking to the work surface. Sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar onto the rolling pin too, if that sticks. Roll out the red icing in the same way.
10Brush a little of your “sugar glue” onto the first cookie.
11Cut out a strip of black icing, rounding one end for the head, and attach it down the middle of each cookie. Cut it off at the other end.
12Using the large round cookie cutter, cut out a circle of red icing for the wings. Cut it in half to make two wings. Using a little more “sugar glue,” attach each of the halves to the cookie joining them in the center by the head.
13Roll 2 small balls of white icing as eyes. Squash them and stick them to the ladybug (use more “glue”). Add tiny black pup
ils. Make more black balls, squash them, and stick them on to make spots. Roll a long thin sausage of black icing, to make antennae. You can curl them and put bobbles of icing on the ends if you wish.
14Make the other 5 ladybugs in the same way. Use any icing trimmings to decorate your other cookies.
Christmas tree cookies
These yummy cookies, decorated with icing and silver balls, can be threaded with ribbon to hang up on the Christmas tree. They make lovely gifts for teachers or other grown ups.
You will need:
1 quantity Gingerbread dough (see page 17)
all-purpose (plain) flour, for rolling out
writing icing
edible silver balls and other decorations
narrow ribbon
2 baking trays
nonstick baking parchment
a star-shaped cookie cutter
a drinking straw
(makes 25)
1Ask an adult to help you make the gingerbread dough (see page 17). When the dough is well chilled, turn the oven on to 325˚F (170˚C) Gas 3. Cut pieces of nonstick baking parchment to cover the baking trays.
2Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour and roll out the dough to ¼ in. (5 mm) thick. Using the star cookie cutter, cut cookies from the dough and lay them on the baking trays.
3Gather the dough scraps together, knead lightly, re-roll, and stamp out more cookies until all the dough has been used up.
4Use a drinking straw to punch a small hanging hole in each cookie, about ½ in. (1 cm) from the edge.
5Ask an adult to help you bake the gingerbread in batches on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes or until they are firm and lightly browned at the edges.
Leave the baked cookies on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
6Decorate with writing icing. Stick silver balls or other decorations onto the icing.
7Once the decorations have dried completely, thread a length of narrow ribbon through the hole in each cookie and hang them on the Christmas tree.
How long will these DECORATIONS last ON YOUR TREE before you eat them?
Witches and wizards
Are you having a Halloween party, or perhaps a Harry Potter party? These witch and wizard hats would look great on your party table. Like the ladybugs, these hats take quite a long time to make, so you could always use some cookie cutters to make other cookie shapes with half of the dough and icing. You need really black icing for these so it is best to buy ready-colored fondant icing.
You will need:
1 quantity Vanilla cookie dough (see page 16)
all-purpose (plain) flour, for rolling out
confectioner’s (icing) sugar
2 oz. (50 g) white fondant icing
purple food coloring paste or red and blue food colouring liquids
8 oz. (250 g) ready-to-roll black fondant icing
writing icing in different colors
For the templates:
templates (see page 126)
paper
stiff card (a cereal packet works well)
scissors
2 baking trays
nonstick baking parchment
(makes 12)
1Ask an adult to help you make the cookie dough (see page 16). While it is chilling, trace the witch and wizard hat templates on page 126. Cut it out and draw round them on some stiff card. Cut these out to make your cookie templates.
2Cut some baking parchment to cover your baking trays. Turn the oven on to 400˚F (200˚C) Gas 6.
3Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and roll out the cookie dough until it is about ¼ in. (5 mm) thick.
4Lay one hat template on the dough and carefully cut around it with a round-bladed knife. Cut the next as close to it as possible. When you need to, gather the dough scraps together, and roll it out again. Keep cutting hats but you could always use some of the dough to stamp out some simple cookie shapes.
5Lay all the cookies on the lined baking trays and ask an adult to put them into the preheated oven for 12–16 minutes until the cookies are golden.
6Make a little “edible glue” by putting two tablespoons of confectioner’s (icing) sugar in a cup and adding two tablespoons of warm water. Stir them together.
7Tint the white fondant purple either using purple paste or mixing your own purple with blue and red coloring liquids (see page 21). To mix a purple, put 10 drops of red and 5 drops of blue in a bowl and stir together. Add a drop more red to lighten it, or blue to darken it.
8Sprinkle a little confectioner’s (icing) sugar onto a clean work surface. Roll out the black fondant icing until it is about ¼ in. (5 mm) thick. Each time you roll the icing, lift it, turn it a little, and sprinkle on a little more confectioner’s sugar to stop it sticking to the work surface. Sprinkle a little sugar on the rolling pin too, if that sticks.
9Using the cardboard templates, cut out icing hats to match the cookies.
10Brush a little of your “sugar glue” onto the cookies and stick on the icing hats.
11Roll out some purple icing so it is very thin. Cut some thin strips and attach them around the bottom of each witch’s hat as a trim using your “glue” to stick them down. Decorate the hats using the writing icing.
ABRACADABRA! Presto chango!
Gingerbread family
Everyone has read the story of the gingerbread man, but why stop with a gingerbread man—you can make gingerbread women and children, too! Make a whole gingerbread family and dress them in clothes made from icing and candies.
You will need:
1 quantity Gingerbread dough (see page 17)
all-purpose (plain) flour, for rolling out
writing icing
colored candy-coated chocolate drops
other decorations like currants, cashew nuts, silver balls
gingerbread people cutters in assorted sizes
2 baking trays
nonstick baking parchment
(makes 10–12)
1Ask an adult to help you make the Gingerbread dough (see page 17). When the dough is well chilled, turn the oven on to 325˚F (170˚C) Gas 3. Cut pieces of nonstick baking parchment to cover the baking trays.
2Lightly dust a clean, dry surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ in. (5 mm). Use the cutters to stamp out as many people as possible from the dough, cutting each one as close as possible to the next one. Arrange the people on the baking trays.
3Gather the dough scraps together, knead lightly, re-roll, and stamp out more people until all the dough has been used up.
4Ask an adult to help you bake the gingerbread in batches on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes or until it is firm and lightly browned at the edges. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking trays before you ice them.
5Use writing icing to draw faces and clothes on each person. You can decorate yours with more colors than we did and use currants, silver balls, and nuts, as well as candy-coated chocolate drops, to make the faces and clothes or buttons. Stick on the candies and other decorations with small blobs of writing icing.
RUN, RUN, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the GINGERBREAD MAN!
Snowy village
Make fairy-tale gingerbread houses like the one in the story of Hansel and Gretel. The magical stained glass windows are made with hard, clear candies, which melt in the oven.
You will need:
1 quantity Gingerbread dough (see page 17)
all-purpose (plain) flour, for rolling out
4 oz. (125 g) clear, hard, fruit candies
writing icing
stiff card to make templates (cereal packets work well)
baking trays
nonstick baking parchment
(makes 6–10 houses)
1Ask an adult to help you make the Gingerbread dough (see page 17). While the gingerbread dough is chilling, make the templates for the houses. Draw 3 houses, all different shapes and sizes, onto
pieces of card and cut them out. The largest should be no bigger than about 8–12 in. (20–30 cm) high or wide. Smaller ones are less likely to break.
2Turn the oven on to 325˚F (170˚C) Gas 3. Cut pieces of nonstick baking parchment to cover the baking trays.
3Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Have a big piece for a big house and a smaller piece for a smaller house. Roll the biggest piece of dough out to about ¼ in. (5 mm) thick and lay the biggest house template on top. Carefully cut around it using a round-bladed knife. Slide the gingerbread house onto the baking tray. Cut out the other two houses in the same way.
4Using a small, sharp knife or cookie cutters, carefully cut out windows from each house.
5Unwrap the hard fruit candies, divide them into separate colors and place each color in its own freezer bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the candies into small pieces and then pour each color into a separate bowl. Put to one side.
6Ask an adult to help you bake the houses on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 5 minutes until the gingerbread is just starting to color at the edges. Remove the baking trays from the oven.