Halloween gingerbread baking doesn't always have to be about spooky horrors, cobwebs, death masks, skulls, or skeletons. You can think of Halloween as fun, creation, and joy for children. I'll show you how to decorate Halloween gingerbread in a different way! This lesson will serve as inspiration for how you can apply the techniques I teach, even on these little "monsters."
Baking and decorating for children is a great joy for all of us. Plus, it's so rewarding when we see the amazement on the children's faces.
I have decorated a whole series of ghosts (as I like to call them) for you, and I believe you'll have a lot of fun making them. But before we dive into the work, let's remember what will turn your efforts into perfect, admired gingerbread cookies.
Perfect Dough: Choose a dough from the recipes available here in the Gingerbread Academy. Essentially, all the recipes are suitable for these small ghosts.
Correct Icing: For this lesson, we will need basic icing and flooding icing for the white areas. Prepare both according to the instructions provided and let them rest properly.
Holding Technique: Be sure to follow the technique I teach you. I assume you'll be decorating multiple ghosts one after the other, and trust me, with my technique, you'll be able to decorate not only much more and without pain, but also much more beautifully.
Lesson Overview and Working with Icing
1. Ghosts in Basic Elements
This part is divided into two videos to remind you once again of the key rule: if you are filling a surface with run-out white icing, you must let the icing dry properly. We'll look at a technique that ensures your icing doesn't run together.
Watch the 1/1 video
Applying the outline
Watch the 1/2 video
Flooding the base and allowing it to dry
2. Happy Ghost with a Cobweb
In this video, we'll work faster and test what your icing can really do. You'll be surprised how easy it is (if your icing is prepared according to my instructions) to create a thin cobweb and a line that looks just like a real piece of string.
3. Monster on a Stick
All children love gingerbread lollipops, as they call them. You will see how to decorate a cookie on a stick. However, it's important to remember to insert the stick (or skewer) into the gingerbread immediately after baking, when it's still soft.
Just be careful! Gently push the skewer in; it really goes in easily. When arranging the cookies on the baking sheet, plan for this step in advance so you don't move the cookies too much and cause them to "wrinkle."
Watch the video
Tip for you
I recommend cutting out a large quantity of ghost shapes from the dough so you can seamlessly transition between icing steps. While you are doing the run-out on the first batch, the lines on the initial cookies will already be drying. Before you've finished flooding all the ghosts, the first ones will be dry, and you can add the final touches.