How to Make an Edible Advent Calendar
Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C)., Cut the butter into the flour, baking powder, and ground ginger., Mix together the brown sugar, egg, and golden syrup in a separate bowl., Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and mix until a dough...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C).
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl first, then cut the butter into them.
You can use a food processor, pastry blender, or two crisscrossing knives for this step.
For chocolate gingerbread, add ½ cup 50 grams) of cocoa powder., Place the brown sugar into a clean mixing bowl, then add the egg and brown syrup.
Stir everything together until evenly combined., Start by stirring everything together with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Once it is just combined, use your hands to finish kneading the dough.
The dough may be dry at first, but it will eventually soften up.If the dough is too dry, add a splash of milk. , Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then put it into the fridge for 30 minutes.
This will prevent the dough from becoming too mushy when you roll it out., You can use standard sized cookie cutters or mini cookie cutters.
You will need 25 cookies, one for each day on the Advent Calendar.
They can be Christian symbols, such as stars and angels, or they can be holiday symbols, such as trees, reindeer, and stockings.
Consider making a larger cookie for the last day on the Calendar.
It might be a good idea to make a few extra cookies in case you mess up.
If you plan on hanging the cookies, use a straw or skewer to poke holes into the top of each one. , Lift the parchment paper up and place it on a large baking sheet. , Place the entire baking sheet back into the fridge, and leave it there for 30 minutes.
This will prevent the cookies from spreading and losing their shape when baked., It is better to over-bake these cookies than to under-bake them.
You will be using them as an Advent Calendar by eating one each day; you want them to last the entire month. , Once the cookies are baked, transfer them to a wire cooling rack, and let them cool.
This will take about 5 minutes., Separate the egg yolk from the white.
Save the yolk for another recipe, and put the white into a large bowl.
Add the lemon juice, then beat until the whites turn frothy.
You can do this using a stand mixer, a handheld beater, or a food processor fitted with whisks.If you'd prefer something less sweet, use lemon juice instead of vanilla extract.
Be sure to use pasteurized egg whites. , Turn the speed down to the lowest setting and add the sugar slowly.
Keep beating until the sugar is evenly mixed in.
The mixture should look a little shiny at this point., This will take about 5 to 7 minutes., You can use as many colors as you'd like, or just two different ones.
For a more old-fashioned look, consider leaving one of the bowls white.
You can use as much or as little as you'd like.
The more food coloring you use, the darker and more vibrant the color will be.One color will be your background color.
The other color will be your detail color.
Plan on using more icing for the background. ,, Choose a background color, then pipe the icing around the inside edges of your cookies.
This will create a border for the icing, and prevent it from running off.
Once you have the cookies outlined, let them dry for 10 to 30 minutes.If you added holes to your cookies, be sure to outline around the hole.
This way, you won't risk accidentally filling it in. , Using the same color as you did for the piped edges, squeeze the icing back into its bowl.
Stir in some water so that it becomes thinner.
You'll be using this to fill in your outlines. , Some people find that using a skewer or cocktail stick helps them guide the icing to the edges.
You want the icing to blend in smoothly with the outlines., This can take up to 12 hours.
Be sure to store your piping bags in the fridge so that they don't dry out. , Take out your piping bags, and write a number on each cookie.
An Advent Calendar has 25 days, so number the cookies accordingly.
Consider writing 25 on the largest cookie. , At this point, your cookies are done, but you can still decorate them further.
For example, if you have stocking-shaped cookies, you might want to add the trim.
If you have gingerbread men-shaped cookies, you might want to add the face. , If you added holes to them, cut some ribbon, and thread it through each hole.
Hang the cookies on a decorative board or on a tree.
If you did not add holes, you can put them into a banner with 25 pouches, or into a box with 25 slots. -
Step 2: Cut the butter into the flour
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Step 3: baking powder
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Step 4: and ground ginger.
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Step 5: Mix together the brown sugar
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Step 6: and golden syrup in a separate bowl.
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Step 7: Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture
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Step 8: and mix until a dough forms.
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Step 9: Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Step 10: Roll the dough out on a sheet of parchment paper
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Step 11: then cut it into shapes using cookie cutters.
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Step 12: Peel away the excess cookie dough
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Step 13: then lift the parchment paper and place it onto a large baking sheet.Once you have cut out as many shapes as you can fit
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Step 14: peel the excess dough away and ball it up.
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Step 15: Chill the dough for another 30 minutes.
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Step 16: Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes
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Step 17: or until firm.
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Step 18: Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating them.
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Step 19: Beat the egg white and vanilla extract until they turn frothy.
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Step 20: Add the confectioner's sugar gradually.
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Step 21: Beat the mixture on high speed until it forms stiff peaks.
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Step 22: Divide the icing into bowls
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Step 23: and stir in some food coloring into each one.
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Step 24: Put the icing into piping bags fitted with a size 0 piping tips.If you have any icing left over
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Step 25: cover it with plastic wrap
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Step 26: and put it into the fridge.
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Step 27: Outline your cookies
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Step 28: then let the icing dry for 10 to 30 minutes.
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Step 29: Squeeze the icing back into the bowl
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Step 30: and add some water to thin it out.
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Step 31: Fill in your outlines using the thinned icing.
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Step 32: Allow the icing to dry completely
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Step 33: or until it is hard.
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Step 34: Write numbers on the cookies.
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Step 35: Decorate the cookies further
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Step 36: if desired.
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Step 37: Let the icing dry completely before using them.
Detailed Guide
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl first, then cut the butter into them.
You can use a food processor, pastry blender, or two crisscrossing knives for this step.
For chocolate gingerbread, add ½ cup 50 grams) of cocoa powder., Place the brown sugar into a clean mixing bowl, then add the egg and brown syrup.
Stir everything together until evenly combined., Start by stirring everything together with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Once it is just combined, use your hands to finish kneading the dough.
The dough may be dry at first, but it will eventually soften up.If the dough is too dry, add a splash of milk. , Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then put it into the fridge for 30 minutes.
This will prevent the dough from becoming too mushy when you roll it out., You can use standard sized cookie cutters or mini cookie cutters.
You will need 25 cookies, one for each day on the Advent Calendar.
They can be Christian symbols, such as stars and angels, or they can be holiday symbols, such as trees, reindeer, and stockings.
Consider making a larger cookie for the last day on the Calendar.
It might be a good idea to make a few extra cookies in case you mess up.
If you plan on hanging the cookies, use a straw or skewer to poke holes into the top of each one. , Lift the parchment paper up and place it on a large baking sheet. , Place the entire baking sheet back into the fridge, and leave it there for 30 minutes.
This will prevent the cookies from spreading and losing their shape when baked., It is better to over-bake these cookies than to under-bake them.
You will be using them as an Advent Calendar by eating one each day; you want them to last the entire month. , Once the cookies are baked, transfer them to a wire cooling rack, and let them cool.
This will take about 5 minutes., Separate the egg yolk from the white.
Save the yolk for another recipe, and put the white into a large bowl.
Add the lemon juice, then beat until the whites turn frothy.
You can do this using a stand mixer, a handheld beater, or a food processor fitted with whisks.If you'd prefer something less sweet, use lemon juice instead of vanilla extract.
Be sure to use pasteurized egg whites. , Turn the speed down to the lowest setting and add the sugar slowly.
Keep beating until the sugar is evenly mixed in.
The mixture should look a little shiny at this point., This will take about 5 to 7 minutes., You can use as many colors as you'd like, or just two different ones.
For a more old-fashioned look, consider leaving one of the bowls white.
You can use as much or as little as you'd like.
The more food coloring you use, the darker and more vibrant the color will be.One color will be your background color.
The other color will be your detail color.
Plan on using more icing for the background. ,, Choose a background color, then pipe the icing around the inside edges of your cookies.
This will create a border for the icing, and prevent it from running off.
Once you have the cookies outlined, let them dry for 10 to 30 minutes.If you added holes to your cookies, be sure to outline around the hole.
This way, you won't risk accidentally filling it in. , Using the same color as you did for the piped edges, squeeze the icing back into its bowl.
Stir in some water so that it becomes thinner.
You'll be using this to fill in your outlines. , Some people find that using a skewer or cocktail stick helps them guide the icing to the edges.
You want the icing to blend in smoothly with the outlines., This can take up to 12 hours.
Be sure to store your piping bags in the fridge so that they don't dry out. , Take out your piping bags, and write a number on each cookie.
An Advent Calendar has 25 days, so number the cookies accordingly.
Consider writing 25 on the largest cookie. , At this point, your cookies are done, but you can still decorate them further.
For example, if you have stocking-shaped cookies, you might want to add the trim.
If you have gingerbread men-shaped cookies, you might want to add the face. , If you added holes to them, cut some ribbon, and thread it through each hole.
Hang the cookies on a decorative board or on a tree.
If you did not add holes, you can put them into a banner with 25 pouches, or into a box with 25 slots.
About the Author
Paul Morris
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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