Homemade Baked Goods
First of all, in continuation of our previous Homemade Baked Goods part, I think one of them that I have to mention is our Decorated Cupcakes!
Decorated Cupcakes
Cupcakes often appear on some celebratory occasions and are easy to decorate and create themes, especially our various holidays, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas of course.
It’s in the shape of a small paper cup, with a very simple cake base underneath. The cream and other decorations on top are the key parts we have to work hard on. You can turn it into any classic Christmas icons. I believe the other person received it. It will definitely feel cute and delicate.
Ingredients:
Cupcake batter ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, vanilla extract, etc.)
Frosting ingredients (butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, food coloring)
Christmas-themed decorations (edible glitter, sprinkles, mini candy canes, edible snowflakes, fondant decorations)
Process:
- Prepare the Cupcake Batter: Follow your favorite cupcake recipe to prepare the batter. You can prepare some vanilla, chocolate, or gingerbread ahead of time to accentuate the Christmas style.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners with the batter and bake according to the recipe instructions. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare the Frosting: Make a batch of frosting using butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and food coloring in festive colors such as red, green, or white.
4.Decorate the Cupcakes: Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them with the prepared frosting. Then, decorate them with Christmas-themed toppings such as edible glitter, sprinkles, mini candy canes, edible snowflakes, or small fondant decorations shaped like snowmen, Christmas trees, or presents.
5.Final Touches: Consider adding a dusting of powdered sugar to mimic snow, or creating a winter wonderland scene with a light dusting of edible glitter.
Here is another tip about cupcakes. If you are not confident about the decoration part of the dessert, you can use the disposable cupcake coasters. The uniform use of Christmas-themed coasters can quickly enhance the Christmas feel of your cupcakes!
Gourmet Brownies
Homemade gourmet brownies, probably in flavors like salted caramel, raspberry swirl, or triple chocolate. I personally think Brownies are a hand-made dessert that tastes great whether you decorate it or not, and the decoration is still relatively simple, and even novices can do it.
Ingredients:
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter
8 oz (225g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (175g) chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
Process:
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
- Melt Butter and Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl or using a double boiler, melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Mix Sugar, Eggs, and Vanilla: In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until smooth. Then, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. If desired, fold in the chocolate chips or chunks.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool and Packaging: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before slicing and decorating. Because what we are doing this time is a Christmas theme, you can use red, white, and green frosting or chocolate to match it, as well as red and green M&M beans!
Assorted Baked Goods Basket
Cakes, cookies, pastries, muffins, breads, and more, you can put everything you want to give away into this Baked Goods Basket!
Some baskets may also include specialty items such as lemon poppyseed coffee cake, fruit tarts, mousse cakes, French and Italian pastries, and gluten-free options, adding a touch of uniqueness and catering to various dietary preferences.
You can of course make this Assorted Baked Goods Basket yourself, especially if you want to make lots of different kinds of sweets in bulk. In this way, you can divide out several baskets at once, which not only solves the problem of making too many baked goods at once, but also solves the monotonous problem of only one category of gifts.
Fruit Basket
Another addition to the basket category of consumable gift ideas! You can pack some abundant seasonal fruits, such as apples, oranges, pears, grapes, and berries. Adding some dried apricots, figs, dates, and prunes can add richness to your Fruit Basket, as well as those everyone’s favorite nuts, which echo the watery texture of the fruit and add a firm texture. Cheese, crackers, breadsticks, etc. are all great additions, and you can also add chocolate and candies (packaged, of course). Another optional choice is wine, you can check our last post for reference.
Customized Cake
If you are going to a large Christmas party or a large group event, then a theme cake made by you will definitely become the focus of the audience!
Cakes in the shapes of Santa Claus, elk, snowmen, etc. are very cute and will be very popular with children. The retro cake can be decorated with red and green buttercream or meringue, or cute cookies. The week cake can be decorated with red and green ribbons or M&M beans. Of course, candy canes and gingerbread are also some cute decorations worth considering.
