Enjoy A Christmas Cookie Decorating Party

Make the most wonderful Christmas cookies with our decorating ideas and recipe suggestions.

Christmas biscuits are a beloved holiday tradition and decorating them makes it even more special. We have plenty of inspiring ideas to help you craft delicious treats that are almost too beautiful to eat! And with gingerbread making a big comeback this season, we’re sharing a must-try recipe for gingerbread folk too.

Christmas Biscuit Decoration Delights

No Christmas is complete without beautifully decorated biscuits! Hosting a biscuit decorating party with friends and family is a fun way to celebrate the season. Here are some decorating tips to make your biscuits stand out:

1. Perfect Your Icing:

“The key to decorating is the consistency of your royal icing – like Goldilocks, you want it just right!" says New York-based baker Elizabeth Mayhew (@ElizabethMayhew). “I use a thicker consistency to keep my designs from merging. Also, I cut the smallest possible opening in my disposable piping bags.” Try Yueton Disposable Icing Piping Tools.

2. Add Colour Gradually:

Stir food colouring into icing slowly, especially red and black, as they dry darker. For black, mix until it’s dark grey. Gel food colourings are best for vibrant results.

3. Stick to a Limited Palette:

A few colours work best for a professional look. Classic Christmas shades like red, green, white, gold, silver and a bit of black for outlining are perfect.

4. Outline, Then Flood:

Start by outlining the biscuit with thick icing, then 'flood' the centre with thinner icing. Let each layer dry fully before adding details

5. Create Fun Designs with a Cocktail Stick:

For swirls, drag a cocktail stick through the wet icing. For a marbled look, pipe dots of different colours and swirl them with the cocktail stick.

6. Snow-Topped Biscuits:

Sprinkle white sparkling sugar on icing before it dries to give biscuits a snowy effect.

7. Use Sprinkles and Edible Glitter:

Give each guest a small plate of sprinkles to avoid sharing containers. Dip biscuit edges into sprinkles or glitter for a festive touch.

8. Precise Placement with Tweezers:

Use tweezers to place delicate decorations on your biscuits without smudging the icing.

9. Storing Your Biscuits:

Once the icing is dry, store biscuits in airtight containers. They’ll stay fresh for 5-7 days. Serve on a festive plate or package them as gifts using cellophane and ribbons, or our Small Reindeer with Stars Gift Bags.

Classic Christmas Biscuit Ideas

Here are four of our favourite Christmas biscuit decorations:

Christmas Tree Biscuits:

Flood tree-shaped biscuits with green icing or pipe leaves. Add garlands in contrasting colours like gold or red and decorate with sprinkles as ornaments. Finish with a star on top made of fondant or an edible decoration.

Santa Biscuits:

Flood Santa's suit with red icing and his gloves and boots with black. Pipe his beard, suit trim and buttons in white. Use flesh-coloured icing for his face and black icing for his belt and eyes. Add yellow icing for his buckle.

Reindeer Biscuits:

Cover with brown icing, then pipe a red nose, golden antlers and black eyes. Add a festive bow for extra flair.

Gingerbread People:

Decorate them with red, green and white icing. Add scarves, buttons or even a Christmas jumper for a fun twist!

Delicious Gingerbread People Recipe

Gingerbread people are the ultimate Christmas biscuit. Here’s Elizabeth Mayhew's go-to recipe for perfect gingerbread people:

Ingredients

Makes approximately 20 gingerbread people

375g plain flour
125g wholewheat flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g unsalted butter, room temperature
170g dark brown sugar
245g molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
60ml whole milk, room temperature

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, and bicarbonate of soda.

2. In another bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

3. Mix until combined, then divide the dough into two parts, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out gingerbread shapes and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on the trays, then transfer to a wire rack before decorating.

Serve your gingerbread people on Gingerbread House Plates or use them as festive cake decorations! This recipe also works well for Santa and reindeer-shaped biscuits, using stainless steel biscuit cutters from our collection.