There is something about gingerbread that instantly makes me think of snow. The two seem joined at the hip. It must be the warming thought of all that ginger spice on a cold day. Brr.
It wasn’t snowing today. More torrential rain that turned our little lane into a fast flowing stream for most of the day. Along with a bone chilling drop in the temperature.
It had to be a gingerbread day.
I dug out my favourite gingerbread cake recipe. For a touch of snow, I used a splodge of icing made from icing sugar and lemon flavouring. I don’t know about you, but I love the combination of ginger and lemon. The lemon some how lifts it.
Looking at the little snowy cakes, I couldn’t help thinking that there was something missing. Snowmen.
Fortunately, as it’s also hot chocolate season, I have marshmallows readily to hand, which make the perfect instant cake topping snowmen.
To make the 5 snowmen, I used:
12 or so white marshmallows
a tube each of caramel, milk chocolate and white chocolate writing icing
10 mini matchmakers
5 giant chocolate buttons
5 mini rolos
5 cocktail sticks (optional)
For each snowman:
1. Use the icing writing tubes to add 3 buttons to the side of one marshmallow and a face to the other.
2. Use a cocktail stick to make two holes in the side of the button marshmallow and push the matchmaker into each side for arms.
3. Cut another marshmallow in half with a pair of scissors
4. Using the icing from one of the writing tubes, stick the three marshmallows together in the right order
5. Again using the writing tube, stick the chocolate button on the top of the head and then a rolo on the very top. This part looks best if the rolo is upside down.
6. (optional) The snowman will stay in place more easily if you insert a cocktail stick up through the middle of it. (There is no easy way to say it. Sorry snowman.). The end of the stick can be embedded into the cake. The rolo makes it top heavy otherwise, causing the snowman to nose dive off the cake.
7. Ready to add snowman to the top of the cake.
They are more fiddly to make than the christmas light cakes I made last weekend, so I think I’ll stick with those for school parties and the like. This is fun for the family. Especially after a day of battling the weather.
My theory is that if you’re making one, then you might as well make 5, or how ever many you need. With 5 in our family, it had to be 5 snowmen. They look so jolly. Reminds me of the 5 little snowmen and the counting down rhyme, I used to sing and sign with my three when they were toddlers.
Five little snowmen, short and fat
Each one wearing a funny hat
Out came the sun and melted one
What a sad thing was that. Aaaaagh.
Four little snowmen…..
Probably not PC now. I see that the new versions have them standing in a row or made of snow, and wearing bows. Just as dashing, I think.
These marshmallow snowmen seem to be enjoying themselves….and disappearing fast. Two little snowmen left. Sledging on their sleds made of gingerbread.
Five little snowmen cakes
Sliding on gingerbread lakes
Home came the children and gobbled up three
Three less snowman to have for tea.
Not sure it will catch on.
Linking up with Skip to My Lou’s Made by You Monday Linky
Fantastic. I used to make reindeer cakes for the boys with curly wurly choc bars for the antlers. Haven’t made them for a couple of years, think I will this year after seeing your efforts!
I’ve got curly wurlies on my shopping list, but not for reindeers. Maybe I should buy more and give it a try.
These are great, might have to copy them 🙂 I haven’t thought about any Christmas baking yet but I do have some bread pudding cooling in the kitchen, waiting for the kids to come back from swimming.
Oh that does sound nice and perfect after a swim. I’m experimenting with a few new ideas (to me) while I still have time to play.