Tag Archives: tradition

Gingerbread Houses

17 Dec 2012

Not Like Mom Used To Make.

But, still super fun. Trader Joe’s Kits have the genius of architectural gravity on their side.
You can erect the walls, raise the roof, and put the candy on with no waiting.

Nanu, thank you so much for coming over and helping me uphold the tradition!
And for bringing candy too – We just made it!
The “giant” amount of icing I made? Was just enough. (#Itoldyouso)

The kids want to eat these SO BAD.
I told them they need to wait until the evening of the 24th.

Poll: Shall I keep my word, or shall I cave early?

Such Christmas Angels

12 Dec 2010

No, I’m not writing about my kids, although come to think of it, they have been really sweet lately. (Hmmmm, I think we can attribute that to a quickly approaching Santa Claus coming to town.)

These are some new little angels, inspired by a cookie party at Geffen’s house. In a wave of caffeinated baking enthusiasm, I made a double batch of gingerbread, yielding forty angels. Later that night, armed with piping bags and toothpicks, Kiera and I brought our choir to life.

Recipes and techniques and more photos coming soon to Sweet Kiera … Stay Tuned.

Ausstecherle (a.k.a. German Christmas Cookies)

11 Dec 2010

These are the cookies that Mark and his his sister Karen made when they were kids. The cookies may seem plain, but the tradition of making them is meaningful when it’s passed down to the next generation.

If you ask Mark, the best part about baking the cookies is being able to sneak eating the raw dough.
The mixing – as you will see, has its own little method, and the choosing of cookie cutters is always fun. The cookies come out sweet and buttery with a little crunch. One day I might just have to decorate some, but for now I’ll resist. Frohe Weihnachten!

PS. This is a scan of an old postcard that Omi found – I think it’s so charming! Click to see it big.

Gingerbread House – Like We Used To Make

07 Dec 2010

Are you ready for a sugar hit?
Nanu made the gingerbread pieces at home, which was genius because it saved time. Traditionally we use a recipe from a Christmas book, cut out the pieces from a template – then bake. Chief made the house a little wider this time, but this is basically the same house we’ve grown up making. Nanu brought over some candy, then we made a “candy run” for even more. The frosting/glue is Royal Icing, made from 2 egg whites, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, and 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Sweet Kiera stepped in to add beautiful attention to detail. (she made the whole roof with breathtaking efficiency!) Oscar did a lot too. He saw the project to completion, and contributed original projects such as the welcome mat and path, and many of the rows of gumdrops, red hots and the like. The only real question is, how long can we go until we eat it?

Click to see these large and luscious!:

Ps No, you can’t eat the pig.

Behind the scenes shots: