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    December 15, 2019

    Gingerbread shadow box with template

    baking, recipe, sweet

    gingerbread shadow box

    Gingerbread shadow box, made with layers of gingerbread stacked on top of each other to create this pretty frame.

    It’s not the holiday season with out a gingerbread creation.

    I had planned to make a gingerbread house, but i suddenly had the idea for this and designed a template for it.

    It was quite fiddly to cut out, i wont lie!, but once the deer’s are cut you can free hand the trees a little.

    As long as the straight lines are in the right place and the trees are in the same place.

    Jump to Recipe
    gingerbread Christmas

    Gingerbread dough

    To make it, i made a massive batch of gingerbread dough. I thought it would be safer to cut out the layers as whole pieces rather than trying to stick parts together.

    Hence the large quantities for the recipe below.

    There will be some dough left over. I used it to make a fifth frame layer to stick on top.

    Draw around one of the other templates to get the measurements for it.

    I also made a few deer gingerbread cookies.

    Because the gingerbread dough is made with out any eggs, its safe to eat raw. I like to make cookie dough balls with the left overs and dip in in chocolate.

    • gingerbread shadow box
    • gingerbread shadow box
    gingerbread shadow box

    I found a clay tool (like this light blue one) that had a star end and poked it through the dough to create the star shapes.

    Then i added some crushed yellow and orange hard sweets in to the holes i cut for the moon and stars and baked it for 3 minutes.

    When you place a light behind it you can see it glow.

    gingerbread lit up

    If you just want to make some gingerbread trees then i have a tutorial here

    gingerbread christmas
    • gingerbread shadow box

    I am not very good at piping royal icing. So my trick is to create texture on the dough for the trees. Then i bake them and rub powdered sugar on.

    Print the template for the gingerbread shadow box

    Print on to A4 paper, the bottom part of the paper is used as the edge of the design.

    When cutting out the template use the scissors to pierce the paper in the middle, so you don’t have to cut through the frame.

    Because i drew the template and then scanned it, you might find that it is not perfectly straight.

    Use a ruler to make sure that the bottom of the template did’t get cropped off by the scanner.

    1. shadow box layer-1Download
    2. shadow box layer-2Download
    3. shadow box layer-3Download
    4. shadow box layer-4Download
    Deer templateDownload

    The dough recipe

    If you just want to make the deer cookies then use half the quantities.

    Excuse the poor step by step photos, it was late at night and i used my phone.

    gingerbread shadow box

    Gingerbread shadow box

    large quantity of gingerbread dough, enough to build this gingerbread shadow box or a gingerbread house. the dough is egg-less. so i enjoy eating the cookie dough raw too. the raw cookie dough can me used to make cookie dough candies dipped in chocolate.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: european
    Ingredients Equipment Method

    Ingredients
      

    • 150 grams unsalted butter softened
    • 90 grams caster sugar
    • 90 grams soft light brown sugar
    • 100 ml golden syrup i use lyles
    • 100 ml black treacle i use lyles
    • 600 grams plain flour
    • 1 and a half tsp baking powder
    • 2 tbsp ground ginger
    • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ground allspice
    • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 10 tbsp milk
    Decoration
    • a couple hard candy sweets in yellow or orange
    • icing sugar
    • gold lustre dust optional

    Equipment

    • template
    • knife
    • baking paper
    • 4 large flat baking trays
    • battery powered fairy lights (optional)

    Method
     

    1. In a large bowl using an electric whisk cream the softened butter with the sugars until pale and fluffy.
    2. Add the golden syrup and treacle and whisk together until combined
    3. mix the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt together then add to the wet ingredients
    4. Add milk a table spoon at a time until you have a soft dough
    5. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours
    6. Cut out the template ready to start making the gingerbread (see downloads)
    7. take two large sheets of baking paper to roll the dough out on and get four large flat baking trays
    8. Flour one of the sheets of baking paper then take some of the dough and roll it out so its large enough for the template. Place the paper with the rolled dough on to a baking tray before you cut it out if its easier, or cut on a board and gently lift the paper across to the tray afterwards. then check its straight.
      cutting dough
    9. Using a sharp knife cut around the template. Make sure the edges are straight and place tray in the fridge to chill while you make the next one
      gingerbread template
    10. Keep rolling the dough and cutting around the templates until you have all four. after you have cut it and its on the tray, place the template back over it to check the lines are straight.
    11. Preheat oven to 180c
    12. After the dough has chilled while the oven is preheating using clay tool or knife create texture on the trees creating lines to look like branches.
    13. Bake the top three layers for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden, The antlers can burn so keep and eye on them you can cover them with a tin foil after 4 minutes if you like.
      For the last layer that goes on the bottom, bake for 10 minutes, then add the crushed sweets in the star and moon holes and bake for a further 3 minutes. To make the stars i used a clay tool that was shaped like a star but you could use a straw and make circles and then use a knife to cut lines. The tool i used was like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outus-Plastic-Ceramic-Sculpting-Assorted/dp/B01J9S3Z0A (the light blue one in the middle)
      (after 5 minutes i opened the oven and used a knife to poke the star holes open a bit more so they didn't close over when the dough baked.)

      adding candy
    14. Once all four layers are baked let them cool
    15. Using the left over dough, draw around one of the templates to get the size and cut a frame to go on the top, Then if you like make the deer cookies or any other shaped cookies you like
    16. Rub some icing sugar on the trees so it creates a snow pattern, then make some icing glue
    17. I mix a really thick icing using powdered sugar and water it should be so thick that it can't be poured and more like a paste
    18. Take the bottom layer with the stars and add some of the paste in small blobs around the edge. then place the next layer on top and gently press them together. continue this with the next layers.
    19. Once it is built, leave it laying flat to dry.
    20. To display place some lights behind it. i used battery powdered ones. you could even use the left over dough to build a compartment to place them in.

    The deer are made by cutting around the template. Then use a knife or clay tool to create the texture. (bake these for 8 to 10 minutes).

    Once cool rub on some icing sugar so it sticks in the indentations.

    Happy baking and happy holidays

    Find some of my other christmas recipes here.

    Sweet

    Dulce de leche ginger snow globe cake

    Christmas tree meringue tower

    Mulled wine cranberry curd tart

    Meringue mountain scene

    Chocolate and orange cheesecake log

    Mushroom shaped gingerbread cookies

    Chocolate yule log

    Chocolate and chestnut log slice shortbread

    Christmas spice marhsmallows

    Bourbon hot chocolate and bourbon spice marshmallows

    Croquembouche recipe

    Chocolate fennel seed and orange biscotti

    cookie dough bark

    Savoury

    Christmas cracker ravioli

    pork, cider and apple sausage rolls

    Savoury cheesecake

    • chocolate orange cheesecake
    • christmas tree pavlova
    • chocolate log cake
    • mushroom shaped gingerbread

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    baking, christmas, cookies, gingerbread, holidays

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    10 Comments

    1. Ruth Miranda says

      December 16, 2019 at 9:46 am

      this is beyond beautiful

      • twiggstiudios says

        December 16, 2019 at 7:28 pm

        thank you ruth x

    2. Jesse-Gabriel says

      December 18, 2019 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      Einfach nur traumhaft, so ein schönes Kunstwerk viel zu schade zum essen!!!
      Grüße,
      Jesse-Gabriel

      • twiggstiudios says

        December 19, 2019 at 1:46 pm

        thank you

    3. Margaret Johnson says

      December 19, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Hello Ruth, your creations are Beautiful. Thankyou so much for your generosity in sharing your very detailed recipes. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year……Marg ox

      • twiggstiudios says

        December 19, 2019 at 1:51 pm

        thank you marg, merry Christmas and happy new year to you too,
        aimee xx

    4. Margaret Johnson says

      December 20, 2019 at 2:09 am

      Dear Aimee, please accept my apologies for getting your name incorrect!!…Marg..ox

    5. Lizette says

      October 19, 2021 at 12:41 am

      It’s beautifu and I am going to give it a go. Can the dough be frozen? Regards Lizette

      • twiggstiudios says

        November 16, 2021 at 9:48 pm

        I have not tried freezing it but i cant see why not. it goes rock hard in the fridge and i find i need to microwave it for 10 seconds to make it workable again, so you may find that you need to do that after it has defrosted.

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