Gingerbread Ornaments

With Thanksgiving behind us, I think it’s safe to start sharing Christmas cookies around here.

One of the things I love most about the holiday season, is the festive baking.

While it may be at least another week before I tackle our Christmas tree, I’m all in when it comes to cookie making.

First stop, gingerbread ornaments.

For several years now, I’ve made various edible ornaments for my Christmas tree and they’re so simple and fun to make.

Making edible ornaments from gingerbread cookies is also a wonderful way to use some of the cookie cutters that don’t get any other chance to see daylight.

I’ve amassed quite a cookie cutter collection over the years. Isn’t it fun to pull out cookie cutters this time of year?

While you can just as easily use a sugar cookie recipe for ornaments, I also love the rustic vibe of gingerbread.

As eager as I am to make ornaments, I haven’t been as ambitious about getting my tree up this year.

I’m still mulling over when to drag everything up from the basement.

Years ago, I used to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving.

I guess, I better hurry up and get on it.  

Anyway, back to the gingerbread ornaments.

The gingerbread recipe I use is ideal for cookie ornaments too.

It produces cookies that are hard enough to use as Christmas tree decor, but still deliciously edible and ultimately they are made for eating. 

I like to roll my dough out between two pieces of parchment paper and then, refrigerate it so that it gets nice and firm.

This also helps makes cutting so much smoother too, especially if you’re using pointy or intricate cutters.

Always remember to dip your cutters in flour before each use to help prevent the dough from sticking to the gingerbread dough.

Use a straw to create a hole at the top of the cookie before baking.

While I typically use gingerbread ornaments as minor elements on my tree, one year I used them almost exclusively.

Here’s a look at how that turned out HERE.

When you have a gingerbread tree, it’s interesting how the ornaments seem too “mysteriously” disappear a little every day.

With so much going on this year, I hope every one of you reading this is safe, healthy and most importantly… hopeful, that better days are ahead for us all.

Holiday cookie making is a most delicious distraction.

Now, to get going on getting my Christmas tree up so I have somewhere to hang all the cookies.

Happy holidays and baking in your neck of the woods.

Happy holidays.

Thanks for stopping by.

See you back here next time. ♥