One of my friends laughingly refers to these as "The Gingerbread Army". I suppose they do resemble a little corps of biscuit men, although their outfits are much nicer than the usual army-green business. The Gingerbread Army came about when one of my small people wanted gingerbread men. I, of course, didn't have the right sized cutter. I had a huge one, but once decorated, the result was really a meal in itself. So I went to get a medium-sized one. However, we were out of stock, so I ended up with the little boy. Little indeed: little did I know that one batch of my dough recipe would turn into a zillion little boys. I must say, though: this was my first copper biscuit cutter, and the results are superior to my usual cutters. Copper is supposed to be sturdier and longer-lasting, but there is something else, something that I can't define, about the clarity and ease of cutting (very important when you have 100 to cut out!).
To decorate the army, I used some "Confetti" Sugar Sprinkles Five Colours (not on our website yet). These decorations are quite new to our shop, and come in a gorgeous selection of designs (not just the round, as seen here). The bag contains 50g, and the decorations are made in Germany. To give you an idea of how much is in a 50g bag, the bag pictured is what remains after decorating the boys. Plenty to keep you decorating! For the piping, I use the Thermohauser Piping Bags, which I like to refer to as semi-reuseable. You wouldn't keep them forever, but the very thick, sturdy quality means that, carefully looked after, you will get a few repeat uses. I'm an enthusiastic piper, so the Wilton Deluxe Tip Set is an essential in my kitchen. More tips than you could poke a, well, tip at: one for every occasion, and then some more. My only complaint with this set is the single coupler: if you have a few colours on the go, you might need to purchase some extra couplers. Otherwise, it is the perfect tip set.
The army is poised for attack on a Bakers Secret Non-Stick Cooling Rack. How non-stick is this rack? Well, the army lost some men in transit between the bench and the table while on their way to the photo shoot. They simply slid right off. Very efficient non-stick!
I have (since yesterday's baking) given two-thirds of these away. After all, doesn't everyone love a (gingerbread) man in uniform?
