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| Photo by: Little Birdie Secrets |
There are plenty of stories about how the Christmas wreath tradition started.
But what I love is how one thing stands out so clearly in all the different stories - the wreath is an unwavering symbol of hope and light.
Now that is Christmas beauty.
Some wreaths have candles that are lit in the weeks leading up, with the final candle bursting to light on Christmas day.
Just lovely.
Now there are all sorts of wreaths.
Pine, fir cones, paper, garlands, fabric, twigs, twine, laurel leaves, gold, silver, blue, green, red...
So many awesome manifestations.
> Red is Christmas!
* Rich, red velvet cake
* Never too much red with Elmo
* Baked with love
I worked on my lemony version for Christmas, cuz I like edible wreaths best!
> What's baking this Christmas?
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| The recipe I used was from one of the happy COOKIE books (it's literally titled 'Cookies'!) I have on my bookshelf, which makes it a little hard to transport to share here. But Martha Stewart has an amazing version, check out her recipe here. Another recipe for Christmas: Sugar Cookies - perfect for festive icing! |
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| Start by rolling out little lengths of dough ropes. Take 2 ropes, twist them together like you're braiding hair. Circle the braided ropes to form a wreath, tucking the ends together where they meet. The dough softens when it's been out of the fridge for a while, just pop them back in to firm up if it gets too soft to handle. |
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| When they're slightly browned, they're ready to be taken out. The final baked wreath is still fairly pale in color, so don't get alarmed. |
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| As it bakes, the braids expand so remember to leave a little space in the center for the dough to fill out. |
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| After cooling, the braids are ready to be glazed (see recipe for Lemon Glaze). While the glaze is still wet, add your sprinkles and decor to make them Christmassy. I added little fondant angels and stars to mine here, great variation that's quick to make and keeps well. |
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| Bag the little rounds of Christmas spirit in clear pouches so they can peek out and say hi, and you're all set! |
