Southern Living Christmas Baking
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Southern Living Christmas Baking - Southern Living
DICKEY
HOW-TO
Rosemary Trees
SELECT THE RIGHT SPRIGS: A rosemary bush will have bigger, thicker, more treelike sprigs than the snips at the grocery store. If you don’t have a live plant, choose precut sprigs that are as wide as possible.
FAN OUT THE NEEDLES: Use your fingers to fluff out the leaves on all sides. The bottom stem of each sprig will be the top of the tree; you want the leaves to be shorter at the top and wider at the bottom.
GIVE IT SHAPE: If necessary, use kitchen shears to trim the leaves to give each sprig a treelike, triangular form. Add a wintry sprinkling of powdered sugar.
PRO TIP Dust the trees
and cake with powdered sugar for a soft, snowy look.
GREAT GEAR
Choose Your Own Topper
Any cookie cutter shape will work, but we love these winter wonderland themes
CAR
Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go. Car Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter, $8; printandflourish.etsy.com
GINGERBREAD HOUSE
We have visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter, from $4; cutitoutcutters.etsy.com
BABY DEER
Hey, Rudolph! This fawn is ready to join in your reindeer games. Baby Deer Cookie Cutter, from $3; sheyb.com
BAKING TIP
The Secret to Even Cake Layers
When you’re dividing cake batter between two or more pans, do it gradually, going back and forth between the pans rather than filling them one by one.
TEST KITCHEN TECHNIQUES
Two-Step Ribbon Frosting
Follow our advice for simple, pro-looking results
STEP ONE
For a textured ribbon
look, start by adding a second, thicker layer of buttercream to the top and around the sides; use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting.
STEP TWO
Drag a 1-inch-wide offset spatula around the sides of the cake, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Use your other hand to rotate the cake stand slowly as you go. Leave the top smooth.
GREAT GEAR
Baking Tools That Hit the Sweet Spot
Before whipping up sugary confections, add these three helpers to your list
1. 19-INCH FRENCH ROLLING PIN
Why we love it: A tapered, handleless wooden pin is easy to clean and flattens out dough for pies and cookies like a dream. $22.50; whetstonewoodenware.com
2. GIR ULTIMATE SPATULA
Why We Love It: This silicone spatula feels great to hold, and the angled tip scrapes up every last bit of batter from a bowl. Bonus: It can be used for high-heat cooking too. $12.95; gir.co
3. OXO GOOD GRIPS OFFSET ICING SPATULA
Why we love it: Once you’ve frosted a cake or cupcake with this sturdy yet flexible offset spatula, you’ll never go back to using a butter knife again. $9.99; amazon.com
PANTRY PRIMER
Baking Essentials Breakdown
Stock up on must-have ingredients to get you through the sweetest season
Vanilla
1. VANILLA EXTRACT: Use extract in recipes without long cook times, which can degrade its delicate flavor. For oven-baked goods, such as cakes and cookies, imitation vanilla gives more bang for your buck.
2. VANILLA BEANS: Use vanilla beans for their rich, concentrated flavor and beautiful black seeds. One bean is roughly equal to 3 teaspoons of extract.
3. VANILLA BEAN PASTE: This syrupy liquid has a strong vanilla flavor and is speckled with real vanilla seeds. If a recipe calls for one vanilla bean pod, use 1 tablespoon of paste. If the recipe calls for extract, use the same amount of paste.
Cocoa
4. LEFT: Smoother and more mellow, this cocoa is treated to remove acidity.
5. RIGHT: Since this cocoa hasn’t been treated, it’s more acidic and has a reddish color and a sharp, almost fruity flavor.
Butter
6. UNSALTED: We often recommend unsalted butter for baking. If a recipe calls for unsalted and you have only salted, simply omit half of the salt you would add.
TEST KITCHEN TECHNIQUES
Genius Cake Topper Hack
Replicate our ice-cream cone Christmas trees
STEP ONE
Let 6 to 10 sugar cones stand at room temperature, uncovered, 24 hours. Cut bottom from several cones to make trees of varying heights.
STEP TWO
Prepare an extra batch of Apple Cider Frosting or any simple vanilla frosting. Using 1 cup at a time, place frosting in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a ¼-inch hole. Pipe small dots onto each cone, starting at bottom and lifting up to create a snowy branch effect. Cover cones completely.
STEP THREE
Carefully press silver dragées into wet frosting. Let cones dry 24 hours. Place around edge and on top of cake.
COOKING TRICKS
Smart Shortcuts
Our sneakiest ways of sprucing up store-bought products
Bake a nutty piecrust
START WITH
REFRIGERATED PIE DOUGH
Dust work surface with powdered sugar. Unroll dough; place on top of sugar. Sprinkle evenly with ⅓ cup toasted, finely chopped pecans. Gently roll over dough with a rolling pin. Place in a pie plate; bake as directed.
Go beyond cookies
START WITH
PARCHMENT PAPER
We love Reynolds Parchment Paper with Smart Grid because it makes it easy to cut an exact size for any pan. We use it to line baking sheets when roasting vegetables in the oven and as a cooling rack for fried foods, such as doughnuts.
COOKING TRICKS
Toaster Treats
Here’s a sweet dessert that doesn’t require the main oven
Toaster Oven Blackberry Cobblers
PRO TIP Mix or replace the blackberries with any fresh berries.
Preheat toaster oven to 375°F. Toss 3 cups fresh blackberries with 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl. Divide berries evenly among 6 lightly greased (8-oz.) ramekins. Stir together 1 large egg, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl. Add 6 Tbsp. melted butter; stir until just combined. Divide flour mixture evenly over fruit; gently press to cover the berries. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. (You may need to bake them in batches, depending on the oven size.) Bake in preheated oven 35 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
GREAT GEAR
Hottest New Oven
CUISINART TOA-60 CONVECTION TOASTER OVEN AIR FRYER
Why we love it: This roomy, multipurpose unit can roast a Sunday chicken, air-fry a batch of crispy catfish (using little to no oil), or bake a 12-inch pizza without heating up your whole kitchen or making a greasy mess. $199; amazon.com
KNOW-HOW
Perfect Squares? Yes, Please
Test Kitchen tips for even cuts every time
SLICE RIGHT When it’s time to cut, press the blade of the knife down firmly and then drag it back in a single motion. Moving the blade back and forth (like a saw) creates jagged edges.
1 LINE THE PAN
Before baking, cover the pan with Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil. Leave about a 3-inch overhang on two sides to use as handles to lift the bars once baked.
2 COOL COMPLETELY
It’s tempting to cut the bars as soon as they come out of the oven, but the longer they cool, the neater your slices will be. Speed it up by refrigerating for two hours.
3 USE A RULER
For the most precise results, measure bars with a ruler and use a toothpick to make small marks where you’ll slice. This is helpful if you need an exact number.
4 SPRAY THE BLADE
A chef’s knife is best for slicing bar cookies. Coat the blade with cooking spray, and wipe it with a paper towel. Repeat the process between slices if extra gooey.
TEST KITCHEN TECHNIQUES
Roll a Roulade
Try this with our Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream
STEP ONE
Invert warm cake onto a clean tea towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off parchment paper and discard. Dust cake with powdered sugar. Starting with 1 short side, roll up cake and towel, jelly-roll fashion. Let stand until cool, 1 hour.
STEP TWO
Unroll cake, and remove tea towel. Spread filling over cooled cake.
STEP THREE
Starting with short end, roll up in jelly-roll fashion. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, sealing both ends. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.
Merry Christmas, Sugar!
Make a batch (or two or three) of nostalgic Southern holiday candy and other sweets