Cookie Art

As we prepare for Christmas, I am reminded of my preferences.  I like upbeat Christmas music, white lights that blink on the tree and sparkling snowflakes.  Over the years, I have avoided those gingerbread house kits like the plague. Oh, for sure, we have had one or two. So, when a dear 5 year old said, “Oh, I must have this Elsa Sugar Cookie Castle kit”, I bowed to fate. Of course, you should have it. It’s the very last one in Hallmark and except for a quirk of fate we would have missed it altogether. There were 10 aisles in the store and we only needed to take one to get to the ornaments we came to purchase. It happened to be “that one”.:)

Regrouping, I quickly started going through my list to see who would be good at this kind of thing. It is definitely NOT me. I did great on career testing in high school except for one area- visual spatial and constructing from little pieces. I am perplexed by 100 piece jigsaw puzzles and run from crosswords.  So, my plan was to take the tree decorating and stay out of the castle making. It was in everyone’s best interest, trust me!  Of course, between a 5 year old reading the instructions and a 60 year old with a strong OCD tendency, we got this mixture of form and fancy. Who knew there would be wet and dry icing, or how long it took the wrong one to dry? I did. That’s who. I knew the project was fraught with unknown pitfalls!!! Why do they make these things for children and it takes a rocket scientist to create what the box displays?

Is it edible? I have no idea. I did lick that blue icing off of spatulas in an unconscious way. It tasted sort of like plastic. The cookie is so thick and hard, I doubt it would chew well. Only my little darling’s parents could say for sure. We packed it up and carried it ( holding it together for hours) to get it to her home intact.

Why do people build gingerbread houses? Good question.

Martha Stewart has recipes, some for baking it from scratch and some of the no bake methods. The internet if full of photos!

Hotels pay their best pastry chefs to work on these creations for weeks to display at Christmas. Its a piece of wonderment that leaves me puzzled!!

Lucky me- I got to decorate the tree. A simple task that required little more than perseverance and pleasure!