Am I the only person who loves to make super cute "food crafts" with her small kid (or kids) for Christmas but also secretly wants the treats to turn out polished and pretty? No? OK! Good to be in good company. I get it. Some of us want to cook with our littlest kids at Christmas, and we feel the need to create something we will be proud to plate at a party. The sweet treats pictured here hit a sweet spot. Try them with your kids and let Fancy Folk followers know how they turn out by tagging us and using the #FancyFolk hashtag.
How to make the base for each design:
Place cookie dough in a mini-muffin pan to bake. (This is a step any child can participate in. My son loved plopping the dough in the pans.)
Scoop icing into a pastry bag or a freezer bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of the bag or the corner of the freezer bag. You will use this bag to pipe icing onto the marshmallows.
Pull the green tops off the strawberry marshmallows tops if you plan to make Gnomes, Santa hats, and/or trees. Leave the green tips on the strawberry marshmallow if you are making lights.
Once the cookies have cooked and cooled, top them with icing and the upside-down marshmallow if you make Gnomes, Santa hats, and/or trees.
Decorate to match the design you’ve selected. (See instructions below)
Note: If making trees melt chocolate in a double boiler or according to instructions on the packaging. I began melting chocolate while the first batch of cookies was cooling. Tip: We do not have a double boiler, but I prefer to melt chocolate on the stove. To improvise, I fill a pot halfway with water, heat it, and top it with a heat-safe mixing bowl.
Gnomes: Cover the cookie cup top with icing, draw down the side of the cookie cup on one side to create the effect of a beard, top with an upside-down strawberry with green tops removed, and add a candy piece for the nose.
Food items: Chocolate chip cookie cups, strawberry marshmallows, and icing. Add pink or red candies for noses (I prefer pink Trolli bites.) Optional: chocolate chips or candy eyes.
Santa hats: Cover the cookie cup top with icing, add the upside-down strawberry with green tops removed and line the base of the upside-down strawberry cone with icing. Kiss the top with a dollop of icing.
Food items: Chocolate chip cookie cups, strawberry marshmallows, and icing.
Trees: Heat white melting chocolate until smooth, add green food coloring, dip upside-down strawberries in the mixture, top with sprinkles, and excellent, and top with a dollop of icing.
Food items: Chocolate chip cookie cups, strawberry marshmallows, and icing. Add white melting chocolate, green food coloring, and sprinkles.
Idea generation:
I was tired. Beyond tired, really. Like a single mama at Christmas tired, and I didn’t want to skip my regular practice of creating with my kid at Christmas.
I turned to Pinterest in search of something that would take the edge off the mental load that comes with doing all the things. That’s when I spotted these popular little Gnomes, typically crafted with real strawberries. They looked so cute and so easy, but I wanted to try to make them using these little strawberry marshmallows I’ve occasionally been buying for the last year or so.
Next, I tried to think of additional Christmas symbols I could create with these little mellows. I remembered those popular little strawberry Santa hats and decided to try them. The strawberries could also be used to craft Christmas trees and Christmas lights, so I gave those a try too.
I really liked how these treats came together the color combination, and the sugary sparkles gave them a magic-at-Christmas feel that I love.
