Witch’s Calderon and Fall Decorative Cookies: Part 1

Are you ready for some fall baking? I know I am.This is my favorite time of year.
I love the anticipation of the holidays in the air and the Santa Ana winds that blow.I’ve decided to write the posts in parts so it’s more organized. One post will be recipes, another on techniques and so on. You might think I’m working backwards but this post will give you some ideas on packaging. I’m always inspired to begin my cookie projects by finding pretty or creative containers first. This also helps me to know how many cookies I’ll need to fill it to make it look festive and full.

Have your supplies ready to go because as soon as your cookies are dry and can be packed you will be so excited with what you have created that you will want to put it all together, take a picture of your own talents and send them on their merry way to make someone’s day!
I guarantee it!

We’ll start with a few pictures so you can see what I make for the season.

Halloween

Hiding in these cauldrons lies bats, candy corn, spider webs, pumpkins, ghosts, cats and witches’ hands cookies.
I’ll show them to you ‘up close and personal’ as we make them.
It’s difficult to tell from the picture but the witches’ hands are positioned to look like they are rising up from the cauldron. Boo!

Witches’ Cauldron Supplies:
Plastic Cauldron (party supply store)
Packing Peanuts or Wadded up Paper
Sizzle Pack/Shredded Paper (orange and black or purple)
Cellophane (wide)
Orange Mylar Wired Ribbon (or your choice)
Spider Garland
(I incorporated the garland into the bow then snipped off a few spiders on garland not used to make individual spiders crawling on the cello. I adhered them with double stick tape)
Double Stick Tape
Chenille Stems
(upon gathering the cello up, secure with the chenille stem/pipe cleaner to hold.)

The cauldrons tend to be top heavy so I added some cans of pumpkin puree, corn and beans inside the container. The cans can be used for canned food drives that are popular this time of year or for the hostesses’ holidays. Up fill with packing peanuts or wadded up paper. Arrange shredded paper on top then place cookies.

Thanksgiving

A flat open basket or an apple bushel basket are my favorites.

The bow is made from paper ribbon.
I’ve added some silk leaves and wheat stalks.
Natural colored shredded paper works well for the filler.
Resist using Excelsior as a filler since it is wood pulp and it is not safe to use around food products.

I like to make large leave designs and swirl the colors together. I add a few Indian corn cookies for color variation with purple and pumpkin cookies for solid colored pieces.
Bright colors work well but you could add an acorn or a squirrel cookie.
That would be kind of cute too.

So now it’s time for me to get my fall cutters out and get the dough mixed. I have a great recipe in case you need one. There are tricks I use to working with the dough so the cookies keep their shape as they bake and I’ll be glad to share. 🙂