Christmas is a time of year I love. As a sugar crafter and cake designer, it is a time of year when I embrace the challenge of creating something new and different to WOW my family and friends during the festivities.

This year is no exception and I’ve been busy in my studio creating all sorts of new and exciting sweet treats.

I know from years of teaching that many of you also love to make your own edible gifts and treats during the festive season but just need a little inspiration to get you started.

Below is a simple Christmas bauble tutorial that I hope will give you a few ideas. You don’t even need to bake the cookie, as I’ve used a traditional biscuit found in the UK! I am sure there is something similar in the US and other parts of the world, too!

Here is what you will need:

Materials

Digestive biscuits

Piping gel

Sugar paste / rolled fondant in colors of your choice

Modeling paste – gold

Solid white vegetable fat

Edible gold dust

Edible gold paint

Edible spray glaze (optional)

Equipment

Small rolling pin

5mm spacers (optional)

Cake smoother

Large circle cutter, the same size as your biscuit

Soft dusting brush

Paintbrushes

Small cake stencils (step example uses lindy’s art nouveau flower lc202; others used lindy’s hedgerow flowers set lc203 and silk paisley set c726)

Palette knife

Flower cutter

Steps

Roll out some sugar paste to a thickness of 5mm, ideally using spacers. Then place your chosen food grade stencil on top of the paste.

Place a cake smoother on the stencil and press down firmly so that the sugar paste is forced up to the upper surface of the stencil. You can use a rolling pin to do this, but you must ensure that the stencil doesn’t move.

Next, smear a thin layer of white vegetable fat over the surface of the sugar paste pattern (i.e. the paste that has been forced up through the stencil). Use either a finger or suitable paintbrush.

Take a soft dusting brush and dip into the edible gold dust, knock off any excess, then liberally dust over the stencil, adding more dust as necessary. Using your brush, remove any excess dust from the stencil. This ensures that as you lift the stencil no stray dust falls from the stencil spoiling the pattern beneath.

Carefully lift the stencil away from the paste to reveal the pattern. I always think of this as the “eureka” moment.

Position your circle cutter so that your stencil pattern is nicely framed inside the circle then cut out the circle. Remove the excess paste from around the circle. Next, cover the surface of a biscuit with piping gel to act as glue.

Using a cranked handled palette knife and a quick swipe action, so as not to distort the shape, position the knife under the sugar paste circle. Carefully lift the stenciled paste and position it onto a biscuit. Remove the palette knife and if necessary, using a clean finger, press the paste so it is all in contact with the biscuit.

Thinly roll out some gold colored modeling paste and stamp out a flower shape.

Cut the flower in half and attach to the top of the bauble using a little water as shown.

Roll a marbled sized ball of modeling paste plus seven smaller pinhead sized balls. Attach these in place using a damp paintbrush. Gild the top of the bauble using edible paint. Once this is dry you can spray the bauble with edible spray glaze to set the stenciled dust pattern. This helps to keep the stencil pattern crisp and sharp.

At Lindy’s Cakes we stock all the equipment you need to get started, including a very extensive selection of cake stencils. Why not have a browse? You never know what you might find and it will certainly give you a few more ideas. I do hope you feel inspired to make a few cookie baubles this Christmas!

Do you have any favorite holiday cookies that you love to bake? Please share your ideas and your success with making these cookie baubles!