the happiest season of all

If you're ever walking through Bed, Bath and Beyond and wonders who spends $9.99 on a giant gingerbread cookie mold, well ask no more questions.  You've found me.  Guilty as charged. 

one giant cookie tin

Now I usually make my cookies from scratch, but I have had this mix since last Christmas and figured it was finally time - that I had the perfect application.  My husband and I were going over to his co-worker's house for dinner and they have two small girls (4.5 and 3) who might like a giant cookie.  Here's the catch, I don't really have a huge sweet tooth - so I like making desserts when I know others will be on hand to do most of the damage. 

one stick of butter - always a good idea

 At first I wasn't sure that the dough was going to fill out the mold.

dough boy

 After a few good whacks with my spatula, I got it all smoothed into the pan.

ready for baking

While my little guy was in the oven, it was time to prepare the icing bag.  Break out my 56 piece set of icing tips.  Yes I own 56 piece set.  Could you resist this?

so many options!

I also picked up some holiday sprinkles at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (20% off coupons burning a hold in my hand).  The red cake sparkles on the right came from Sur La Table.

so much fun - I need my nieces around to help!

The little man came out of the oven and looked SO good!

naked gingerbread man

Not knowing exactly what an iced gingerbread man should look like - I searched online for "gingerbread man" and was very inspired.

a simple buttercream icing

I mixed up the icing (sugar, butter, milk) with a hand mixer and dumped it into a disposable piping bag fitted with a tip from my 56 piece set.

all ready!

So here is the final product!  I brought it over to our friends house and their two little girls were pretty excited.  I'm not so sure their parents were excited at the prospect of their kids eating it before bed, but the holidays are really about kids any way. :)

gingerbread man success!

I'm tempted to bring my new pan home for Christmas (where two of my nieces will be).  It would fit in my carry-on and I'm sure the TSA has seen stranger things.  I wonder what they would make of the 56 piece icing tip set... 

Happy Holidays!