Baking and Decorating Holiday Cookies and Sweets!

I absolutely love baking cookies and other treats for the holidays. I love decorating them with all kinds of techniques and then sharing them with family and friends. OK, maybe I eat a few of them too! 

In this Flex class, I will teach you all about how to bake and decorate several different types of holiday cookies. The techniques you will learn can be used for Christmas or any other holiday or occasion. 

This is a flex class, so there are no meeting times. I will post 4 videos either weekly or every few days as we get closer to the holidays showing me in my kitchen baking and decorating with the week's technique. You watch the video and then make your own cookies using those techniques. You can ask me questions in the classroom and post pictures of your creations. We'll have class discussions about some of the techniques covered through the comments. Throughout the class, you can comment on other's photos, ask how they did a certain decoration, or ask me about something you had difficulty with. I'll also be commenting on your photos and giving you pointers for the next time you make that recipe. If you find a cookie that you are curious about how to make it, post it in the classroom and let's discuss how to make it. 

Week 1 will be all about the basic sugar cookie. I'll share recipes for cookies to use with cookie cutters that don't spread out and lose their shape. Then I'll teach you how to make a flood icing that gives that perfect glossy finish. We'll use piping bags to decorate these. Once you understand this technique you can use it for any occasion
Week 2 will cover how to make cookies with almond bark or candy melts. We'll learn how to melt it correctly and how to use it to make several delicious and fun treats. 
Week 3 we're going international and learning how to make Linzer cookies from Germany and a Gingerbread house from England. 
Week 4 will focus on other traditional sweets for Christmas, not necessarily cookies. What is better than fudge! 

Each week I will post the ingredient list and any needed equipment.  Cookie cutters, a rolling pin, holiday sprinkles and other basic cooking equipment will be needed.