Cookie Wreath
with Holly Berries
THE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Beetroot Powder
- 2.25 oz Vegetable Oil
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Almond extract
- 1 Tbsp Red Sanding Sugar
- From your pantry:
- 2 Eggs
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
Coils of green and white cookie dough twist together to make this festive edible centerpiece. A light almond glaze adds a hint of sweetness to this biscuit-like cookie.
BAKING ADVICE:
Cookies taste best within a day or two of baking, but can be stored in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
BAKING HACKS:
If the dough becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate for a few minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add more oil to your hands or work surface.
DID YOU KNOW?:
Candy canes are traditionally 5 inches long, and have been around for 350 years. The red and white striped version of the confection came about around 1900.
YOUR INGREDIENTS
STEP 1
Wow, you’ve got some beautiful ingredients! Once you’ve unpacked your Red Velvet kit, take out 2 eggs from your refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and sugar together until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to oil-and-egg mixture and combine with a spatula.
STEP 2
Divide dough into thirds and place into three small bowls. Add two-thirds of the green food coloring to one bowl and one-third to another bowl. Knead the color in by hand until there is one light green dough and one dark green dough. Leave the final third of dough without color. Prepare one baking sheet with parchment paper provided.
STEP 3
Grease your hands and work surface with a few drops of oil (vegetable or olive oil) from home. Roll each ball of dough into a strand about 15 inches long. Once you have rolled all three strands, place two next to each other on the work surface and one on top of them.
STEP 4
Begin to twist the strands together by gently rolling them toward you. Shape into a circle and pinch the ends together to seal. Pro tip: As you twist, the wreath will stretch, so move slowly! Carefully transfer the wreath to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-18 minutes until slightly golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool.
STEP 5
In a medium bowl, combine icing sugar and two tablespoons of water. Whisk until completely smooth and thick. Pour one-third of the icing into a small bowl; add the red food coloring and whisk to combine. Add the almond extract and an additional tablespoon of water to the remaining white icing and whisk to combine until smooth and pourable. Place the cooled wreath onto a wire rack. Slowly pour the white icing over the entire wreath to cover it completely (use a spoon to help spread icing).
STEP 6
Using a spatula, fill the piping bag with red icing. To fill the bag, fold over the top to form a cuff, scoop in icing, then unfold and twist to push icing down, releasing any air bubbles. Twist and seal the top of the bag. When you’re ready to pipe, cut a tiny corner off the piping bag, about 1/4 inch from the tip. (Start very small with a test.) Pipe holly berries and a red ribbon or bow onto the wreath. When you’re ready to serve, slice it like a cake. Be merry!
