Christmas Cookie Train Recipes

CHRISTMAS CANDY TRAIN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Cover frosting with a damp cloth between uses., Break three graham crackers in half, forming six squares; if desired, trim side edges with a serrated knife., Fill pastry or plastic bag with icing. Pipe icing on the edges of a whole cracker for train car base. Attach another whole cracker and the halved cracker at right angles to each other, forming two walls of the engine car. Pipe icing along inside and outside edges for added stability. Repeat with second side and back. , Repeat twice, forming two boxcars. Let engine car and box cars stand until set, about 1 hour., Using icing, attach cookies to cars for wheels. For boiler, attach 1 wafer to front of engine. Microwave two wafers on high until softened, 10-15 seconds. Cut with a serrated knife to form a smokestack and cowcatcher. Attach to engine. Let stand until set., Attach peppermint candies to wheels with icing. Decorate cars with icing, assorted candies and sprinkles., Place cars on a covered cake board. Let stand until set. Fill cars with candies and cookies.

GINGERBREAD TRAIN

Steps:

• Put the sugar, syrup, butter and a pinch of salt in a saucepan set over a medium heat and bubble for 1-2 mins, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside. Tip the flour, bicarb and spices into a large bowl, pour over the warm syrup mixture and egg, stirring to combine. The dough will seem soft, but will firm up in the fridge. Cover and chill for at least 30 mins, or overnight. Will keep wrapped in the freezer for up to two months.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. Dust the work surface with a little flour and divide the dough into two large balls. Roll each ball out to the thickness of a £1 coin and use the downloadable template to cut out the train parts A-D. You will need two A pieces, one B piece, two C pieces and three D pieces, plus 10 small wheels (about 2cm in diameter) and two larger wheels (about 4cm in diameter). Use biscuit cutters or the wide end of a piping nozzle to stamp out the wheels. Use what remains for gingerbread stars or people, if you like. Transfer all the pieces to the prepared trays.
• Bake for 10-12 mins, swapping the trays around halfway through, until slightly risen and golden brown. The gingerbread will expand as it bakes, so trim back into shape while still warm using a small sharp knife and the templates again. Leave to cool completely on the trays.
• For the decorations, mix the icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick icing the consistency of melted chocolate. Spoon into a piping bag and snip off the end, then draw windows on the A pieces, spokes on the wheel pieces and any other decorations you like, adding the sprinkles and balls while the icing is still wet.
• To assemble the driver's carriage, use the icing to glue the two A pieces to the B piece (for the taller back of the carriage), then glue one of the D pieces to the front. For the second carriage glue the two C pieces together with two D pieces. Use cans to support the sides while the icing sets, if needed (at least 30 mins). Glue three small wheels to both sides of the second carriage. Glue one large wheel at the back of the driver's carriage, on both sides, then two small ones beside those. Leave to set for another 30 mins.
• Use any leftover icing to decorate the train, sticking sprinkles and silver balls to its sides. Leave to set for a final 30 mins, then fill the carriages with the wrapped sweets. The assembled train will keep in an airtight cake tin or on display (covered overnight to protect from dust) for up to four weeks.

CHOO CHOO TRAIN COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Print and cut out templates (template can be found under the Tips below) to use as guides for cutting train engines, box cars and cabooses, or have similarly shaped 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters ready.
• In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, flour and egg until soft dough forms. On floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Use sharp knife and templates, or use cookie cutters to cut 6 train engines, 6 box cars and 6 cabooses. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet; cool completely.
• Decorate with icings and candies as desired. Arrange so each engine is followed by a box car and a caboose, making 6 trains. Let stand until set.

CANDY TRAIN

Steps:

• For each engine, attach candy bar miniature to top of fun-size candy bar with frosting. Attach bite-sized cookie halves to sides as wheels. To form smokestack, attach 1 candy, wide end up, to top with toothpick.
• For coal car or log car, with frosting, attach crackers to fun-size bar. With frosting, attach candies for cargo or pretzel sticks for logs. Let stand until frosting is set.

CANDY CHRISTMAS TRAIN

Steps:

• Start with cardboard cut into 5" wide by 18" long. Wrap it with foil and tape foil to the back.
• Set a yardstick down the middle and mark it with a pen along each long side for the full length.
• Pipe the 2 lines with canned frosting.
• Take 5 of the unwrapped candybars and use frosting to glue on the green and red M&Ms as wheels.
• 1" from the end, place the orange slice, gluing it down with some frosting. This will be the cow catcher.
• Place 1 of the candy bars with "wheels" (and some frosting for glue underneath it)butting it up next to the orange slice. Push down slightly for frosting to hold.
• Take off wrapper from lifesavers, and open 1 end and remove some candies so that it is the same length as the candy bar. Cut off the excess wrapper leaving enough foil to fold over.
• Pipe a line of frosting down center of 1st candy bar and then press down foil covered lifesavers (make sure that cut end is facing away from the orange slice.).
• Put frosting on end of lifesavers foil(above orange slice, cow catcher)press on the yellow m&m as a light.
• Pipe some frosting directly on foil base behind 1st candy bar and on the end (away from orange slice)and now press the foil santa's feet into the frosting on the base and his belly onto the back of the candy bar & lifesafers.
• Leave about 1.5 inches and put down the next candy car and then 1.5" space then the next and so forth until all 5 candy bar "cars" have been placed and look centered on the foil base.
• On the second car, frost the top and then place 3 tootsie roll midgees to look like logs, using frosting to hold them.
• On third car, frost the top and then stick the 2 lollipops into it with them both facing forward.
• On the forth car, frost the top and then stick on the starbrite candies on their sides facing each other with a dap of frosting between them to help them stand up.
• on the fifth car, frost the top and then push down the foil wrapped candies.

COLORFUL CRITTER TRAIN

Steps:

• Directions: Read all directions before beginning work. A clear day with low humidity will give you the best results with Royal Icing. Assemble and decorate the critter train. This can, be done a week in advance and stored in an airtight container. Do make sure to have extra icing on hand the day of the party for any necessary last-minute repairs., CUTTING CRACKERS/COOKIES: Use a clean ruler and knife to score straight cutting lines onto graham crackers and cookies. Cut along straight lines with the knife, working with one cookie or cracker at a time. Place cookie or cracker always on crumb-free cutting board, cleaning the board often. Draw the knife toward you on the scored line without applying pressure. Continue to make similar strokes toward you until the cut is completed (five or more strokes). , To cut curved lines, guide the knife along the lines to make the first stroke. Then cut in the established groove until cut is complete. Or gently carve away the cracker to the marked line., ICING: Make icing with recipe that follows, using it to "glue" the train pieces together and decorate them. Making sure that bowl and utensils are grease-free, beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes with heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes with hand mixer). Keep in an airtight covered bowl. Cover bowl and, pastry bags with damp dish towels. *For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water., ASSEMBLY: For each car, refer to appropriate diagrams and individual directions. To "glue" pieces together, fill a round-tipped pastry tube with icing and add lines of icing to edges of pieces being added or as directed. , Cut graham cracker base piece(s) and sugar wafer axles for each car as directed, then glue sugar wafer axles on edge about 1/2 inch from each short edge., Decorating:. As assembly of each car is completed, decorate cars with icing stars (using smaller star tip to make stars), or cover areas with dots, stars or rows of icing, then press in rows of Red Hots, Cinnamon Sprinkle Decorations or M&M's as shown. If desired, add candy clowns or clown heads to back of engine cab and front and back of caboose., ENGINE (Fig. 1): Base: Cut two 2- x 4-inch graham crackers. Glue these together for a two-layered base. Glue on a 1-1/2-inch wafer axle (front) and a 2-inch wafer axle (back)., Cab: Glue four shortbread cookies on edge for sides and add a 2-1/2-inch-square graham cracker roof., Wheels: Glue a LifeSaver wheel to each end of the front axle. Glue chocolate-covered cookies to the back axle, making sure that the engine sits evenly. Add a LifeSaver to the center of each cookie wheel. For each side, cut a 3-inch piece of licorice and glue from center of front wheel to center of back wheel., Front: Glue four 1-5/8-inch sandwich cookies on edge in front of cab. For "cow-catcher", cut and use one half of one 2-1/8-inch sandwich cookie, gluing at an angle to front of graham, cracker base. Form a smokestack by gluing together four LifeSavers, alternating colors. Glue to top front of engine front. Decorate as directed above., CAGE CAR (Figs. 2 a-c): Base/top: Cut two 2- x 2-1/2-inch graham crackers. Glue two 1-1/2-inch wafer axles onto one 2- x 2-1/2-inch piece. Add LifeSaver wheels to ends of both, axles., Cage: Cut four 1/2- x 2-1/2-inch graham cracker sides and four 1/2- x 1-3/4-inch graham cracker ends. Glue ends of two pretzel sticks (centered 1/2 inch apart) between each set of sides (Fig.), and glue ends of one pretzel stick centered between each set of ends (Fig. 2b). Let icing set thoroughly, about 20 minutes. Add glue to lower and side edges of a cage side and an end and press in place to base with pretzel "bars" to inside. (Side will be along 2-1/2-inch edge of base and end along 2-inch edge.) Quickly press a pretzel into the corner of the cage just formed. Glue an animal cracker to base inside cage. Glue in remaining side and end of the cage, adding a pretzel to all four corners., Top: Use template to cut two cage car top sides and two cage car top ends as follows: Trace the templates for the pieces onto, freezer paper and cut templates out. Place templates on end of crackers and score with knife. Cut out pieces. Add glue along top edge of side and end cage pieces and press remaining 2- x 2-1/2-, inch graham cracker top piece into place. Let icing set., Add glue along bottom and side edges of cage car top sides and ends. Set ends in place between sides on edges of top piece., Decorate as directed above., CABOOSE (Fig. 3): Base/top: Repeat as directed for Cage Car. Let icing set., Lower box: Add two 1-1/4- x 2-inch graham cracker pieces for sides and two 1-1/4- graham cracker pieces for lower, ends. Add remaining 2- x 2-1/2-inch graham cracker for top., Upper box: Glue edges of two 3/4- x 1-3/4-inch graham cracker pieces for upper sides to edges of two 3/4- x 1-1/8-inch graham cracker pieces for upper ends. On top, glue a 1-1/4- x 2-inch graham cracker piece. Glue assembled upper box centered on top of lower box. Decorate as directed above., b>CAKE: Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Grease and flour bottom and sides of jelly roll pan and line the bottom neatly with waxed paper to aid in removal from pan. Bake according to package directions. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Let cool completely. Place cake in the middle of covered board or cardboard., FROSTING: Cut a piece of freezer paper the same size as the jelly roll pan bottom. Draw a train track onto the shiny side of the freezer paper as shown in Fig. 4a. Cut out the freezer-paper track as a template and position, on cooled cake. , Reserving 1/2 cup of canned vanilla frosting, tint the remaining vanilla frosting with green food coloring. Frost cake up to the, edges of the template. (Don't worry if you frost the edges of the template, this will be removed when the template is lifted.) , Mix 1/2 cup of vanilla frosting with 1/4 cup of chocolate frosting. Lift the template; and frost train track with mixture., Use ribbon tip and chocolate frosting to form railroad ties (Fig. 4b), spacing them about 1-1/4 inches apart on train track. Use round tip to add the rails (spaced about 1-3/4 inches apart) and "Happy Birthday"., Decorate edges of cake if desired with green-tinted frosting and larger star tip.