Nigella Lawson - Edible Christmas Tree Decoration

Nigella Lawson - Edible Christmas Tree Decoration
Author and self-proclaimed domestic goddess Nigella Lawson shows the TODAY hosts how to make beautiful and edible Christmas decorations for your home. 091203
Edible Christmas Tree Decoration
Nigella Lawson
Makes approx. 35-40
I couldnt have Christmas without these, or at least, not happily. Rituals are essential to give us meaning, a sense of ceremony, and making these peppery gingerbready edible decorations is how I have always marked with my children that Christmas had begun.
INGREDIENTS
For the cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 stick (8 tablespoons) soft butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup runny honey
For the icing and trimming
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
Edible gold or silver sprinkles
Florists ribbon for hanging

DIRECTIONS
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and pepper in a food processor and, with the motor on, add the butter and sugar, then, slowly, the beaten eggs and honey, through the feed tube, though dont use all of this liquid if the pastry has come together before its used up.
Form two fat discs and put one, covered in plastic wrap or in a resealable bag, in the refrigerator while you get started on the other.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Then dust a work surface with flour, roll out the disc, also floured, to about ¼ inch, and cut out your Christmas decoration with cutters of your choice, which could include fir-tree shapes, angels, stars, snowflakes, and so on.
Re-roll and cut out some more, setting aside the dough scraps from this first disc, well covered, while you get on with rolling out the second. When youve got both sets of leftover clumps of dough, roll out and cut out again, and keep doing so till all the doughs used up.
Now take a small piping nozzle and use the pointy end to cut out a hole just below the top of each cookie (through which ribbon can later be threaded).
Arrange the pastry shapes on the lined cookie sheets and bake for about 20 minutes: its hard to see when theyre baked, but you can feel; if the underside is no longer doughy, theyre ready. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Mix together the confectioners sugar with the meringue powder and 3 tablespoons water, beating it until its thick enough to be able to cover the cookies with a just-dripping blanket of white. Carefully ice the cold decorations, using a teaspoon (the tip for dripping, the back for smoothing), and scatter sparkles or sprinkles as you like. When the icing is set, thread ribbon through the holes and hang on your tree.


Check out my page for Nigella's Christmas Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• nigella lawson
• nigella christmas
• gingerbread
• christmas
• domestic goddess
• Author
• today show
• edible
• tree
• decoration

[clipsism]

yeh its from the 3rd of Dec.

[jacobs06]

wow is this recent? She looks like she lost a bit of weight

[szqsk8]

I hate the Today Show! They have chefs and cooks on all the time and they rush them along so fast, totally dissing them. Give them the time and respect they deserve or don't have 'em on.

[3Deity]

Did the host just come from his day job at an accountants? [grey]

[chilliconcarnie1]

shes hot

[fossy111]

She's hilarious

[happpyhalo]

Omg! Those stupid news casters. If u want her on your show at least give her some respect. Stop rushing her!

[yvette74731]

nigella is my icon~

thanks god we have nigella!

[dwightschrute50]

I wanna bang those tits