How Did They Make That?!
People often look at cakes and question ‘where did they get the idea from’? ‘where did they begin in making that’? and ‘I wonder how long that took them’? Here, Christina Ludlam answers all of these probing questions and more..
Farmyard Cookies
Which is your favourite cookie?
I love the horse cookie. I was really pleased with how the barn doors turned out and the horse has such a cute face. The horse cookie really makes me smile.
Which moulds did you use?
I used the Farm Animals Mould, Rustic Wicker Mould, Rustic Basketweave Mould and the Rustic Driftwood Mould.
How did you make the metal pieces on the barn door backgrounds?
For the metal bracing, I cut two narrow strips of grey sugarpaste and indented them at intervals with a #1 piping tube to indicate the bolts. I painted the bolts with black food colour paste.
What size cookie cutter did you use?
These cookies were made using a 7 cm round cutter.
What cookie recipe did you use?
What dust colours did you use?
I used Sugarflair Nutkin Brown, Skintone, Primrose and Autumn Gold. I also brushed a little cocoa into the woodgrain.
How long did they take you to make?
These cookies were very quick to make, thanks to Karen and Alice’s beautiful moulds. In fact, I think it probably took me longer to colour the sugarpaste than it did to decorate the cookies.
How far in advance could I make these?
The toppers for these cookies can be made weeks in advance. Simply cut out and decorate the sugarpaste toppers then store them on parchment paper until required. To keep them soft, store them in an airtight container until required. If you prefer them to set harder, allow them to dry in a cardboard box. When you’re ready to decorate your cookies, use a little royal icing, piping gel or jam to attach the sugarpaste toppers.
Do you use rejuvenator or vodka to mix the colours.
We always use rejuvenator 🙂 vodka can make your colours separate slightly as they dry.
I love your moulds. I am going to buy the village mould for my Christmas cake. How did you do the colours on the houses? Paint them with food colour? Brush them with powder? Many thanks. Christine
Hi Christine,
Thank you!
If moulded in sugarpaste then we use rainbow dust powder colours mixed with isopropyl alcohol to paint.
If moulded in cookie dough and baked then you can do the same or you can flood them with coloured royal icing.
Hi Karen, I am from the USA and just received your Christmas cookie mould and was reviewing ingredients. I am not sure what golden syrup is or what would be a substitute in the States.
Hi Cathy,
You can use corn syrup instead of golden syrup.
Golden syrup is made from sugar cane and is a natural by product of the cane sugar refining process. It can also be made from sugar beet by adding an acid or an enzyme but the cane variety is the most common type seen in stores. It has a fairy thick treacle-like consistency but lacks the molasses falvour of treacle and is a good sweetener. It is useful in baking as it is an invert sugar so does not cryastallize and if added to baked goods it will tend to make them more moist.
Lyle’s golden syrup is probably the best known brand globally and is available in many places. If it is not available the the next closest comparative is light corn syrup (syrup of maiz). Corn syrup is slightly thinner than golden syrup though generally we have found that you can substitute corn syrup for golden syrup without having to change the quantities. If you are making gingerbread cake then you can also use dark corn syrup if you prefer. Maple syrup and honey both have quite distinct tastes and are more expensice than corn syrup so are not the best substitutes for golden syrup.