Despite two holiday rants this week, we are actually on 4th gear with respect to holiday preparations and only a nasty cold is going to slow me down at this point. While I was in Cebu for several office Christmas events, our cook made four batches of gingerbread dough and baked some giant snowflake cookies. They look beautiful, but turned out rather moist and we broke some 60% of them when drying and moving them around. We did manage to decorate a dozen and a half or so, so there’s plenty for the holidays and the house is beginning just smell absolutely wonderful… the aroma of gingerbread and a fresh Christmas tree are really putting me in a Christmassy kind of mood.
I always forget when I make great plans for a cookie buffet that these kinds of cookies are so incredibly time consuming and my hands shake so much it’s a hassle to pipe the icing on them. But whenever we are done, it always seems to be worth the effort!
These cookies were quite striking, but only my second favorite to these red and white ones I did eight years ago from a recipe in Gourmet magazine.
Our cook, Mrs. MM and I spent a couple of hours on Sunday morning decorating the cookies, and munching on all of crumbs and broken cookies that were placed in a tupperware for friends who can wolf them down like popcorn. I could also use them as the basis for a crust for cheesecake or a pumpkin pie, so nothing will go to waste, despite the breakage…
The multiple sized silver dragees are from G. Detou in Paris, and they looked wonderful on the white icing. The red (and green not shown and shimmering) decorating sugar was also from G. Detou and other shops in the kitchen and food supplies district in Paris.
And as Mrs. MM was munching on broken pieces, she decided these pieces looked a bit like reindeer with large antlers so she decided to make some of those. Only they turned out looking a bit like ati-atihan dancers instead. Hahaha. You saw it here first, ati-atihan dancers in gingerbread. :)
13 Responses
MM, last sentence is a riot! Ho ho ho for the holidays! Ati-atihan style….. :)
MM: Do your hands shake from fatigue? or are you having intention tremors? Make sure it is not an early sign of something.
I like your holiday spirit and that of Mrs. MM and that of your household:)
Connie, I have had shaky hands since high school, but lately, they get tired faster when I pipe icing, and have no idea what intention tremors are… so I will have to look that up. But the shakes are nothing new.
I see the molave board put to use! Pretty snowflakes!
Ati-atihan, ha! ha! ha!
The cookies are beautiful! May I just say that the Christmas Ati-atihan dancers look spectacular as well.
Are you going to offer decorated gingerbread cookies in the Zubuchon outlets, MM? My parents will be in Cebu for a wedding on the 26th to the 28th. I gave them specific instructions to visit at least one Zubuchon restaurant, and printed out maps for them. :)
I thought those reindeer ones looked a little off…haha! I thought they looked like another group of people but you’re absolutely right about them looking like Ati-Atihan dancers. Absolutely love the snowflake cookies!
Ati-atihan dancers in gb…that was funny. :)
Hey, MM…I find that my right hand too is losing its grip and strength though not totally yet! Doc said it could be a neuro thingie resulting from too much cake baking or so he says! Told hubby that this is the last year I am baking those gazillion shortbread cookies…never again!!!!!
For those in my neck of the woods who crAve for the taste of queso de bola this time of the year to be paired with pan de sal and ham, I have found the equivalent! Forget the ones you buy in Pinoy stores…the red ball cheese! To me iit tastes like Velveeta in ball form with red wax rind!
On Columbia Str. In New West is a tiny Dutch shop right smack in the corner of East Columbia near Royal Col. Hospital. I must have tasted about 10 different cheeses….yes, they let you try them!…before I came to the conclusion that the best tasting and closest to queso de bola is a cheese called Beemster Vlaskaas? Once you try it, you can’t stop eating it…even a sliver at a time! I tried the Beemster Classic and though it is good, the boys said it is a bit sharp for them.
Now, I do not work there nor am I related to those guys! I am just sharing my new found cheese which I am totally hooked on now and which you guys here in Vancouver would like to taste and serve for Christmas or New Year merienda…am not crossing the border anymore for Cougar Gold!
Yep, La Emp and Mrs. P….go try it out and I am sure you will be hooked too!
Thanks Betty Q. I know the area fairly well so will check it out soon like after work, today! :)
you did a great job with those cookies, MM. every year i have noble plans of making iced christmas cookies, but as soon as i start flooding one with icing, i remember why i never get to ice my cookies.
BettyQ I tasted and hoarded that beemster cheese from the Armenian deli near the church on Santa monica blvd, I am on my last wedge of the cheese and they don’t know when they will have it again, it is a bargain at $2.99 per lb. I lied to my son and husband that it doesn’t taste good and hid it in the very far end of the ref, but they still found it and making papak. I bought 4 large wedges last September . the marca piña queso de bola is almost $35 for the big one
La Emp, Alilay…make sure you serve the queso room temp. so you can really taste the creaminess of the cheese.
La Emp…surprise Mrs. P. for Christmas with a charcuterie platter….board from Home Sense, Beemster Vlaskaas, Braseola from Oyama’s, a small white bowl of olive jam ( which I can give you), another bowl with homemade really tiny dill pickles which I can supply you as well, oven roasted grapes, Mexican salami or Parmesan crusted salami.
Thanks Betty Q for the tip. I will be serving the cheese at our family noche buena which we will be hosting. :)