Make this gingerbread Tree of Life
- Kim Simons
- June 21, 2023
- 3 mins
- Kim's Kitchen
- edible paints gingerbread tutorial
Originally published at: https://www.riverreporter.com/stories/make-this-gingerbread-tree-of-life,102551
Remember when we were kids and used to climb trees?
This isn’t something you see often anymore. At least, I don’t.
But back in the day around my neighborhood in Liberty, NY, there wasn’t a warm afternoon that went by without some time spent ascending tree branches hand-over-hand. If there was a tree, I tried to climb it.
And you know what? I was better than most of the dudes!
Of course, once I got up there, I savored the views as well as the overall experience. It’s hard to express what trees mean to me. Call me crazy, but I always felt as if they would talk to me. There’s something majestic about them, something that touches me, that I just can’t define.
High above the ground, supported by strong maple or chestnut branches, I was sure I was safe and was convinced I could see for a hundred miles. And if I sat still and kept quiet long enough, the birds would forget I was up there, so I could observe their behavior up close. I even sat with an owl one time, which was amazing.
To this day, I enjoy studying trees, photographing them and painting them. I find their varied textures to be endlessly fascinating. To me, trees are life.
This is not to say that every time I climbed a tree, I experienced Mother Nature in perfect bliss. You might remember the days before leash laws—most dogs then were allowed to roam around at will.
One time, a couple of big dogs—they were Dobermans, if I’m remembering correctly—got it into their heads that they needed to suddenly dash over to me and a group of friends. We didn’t know whether or not they were trying to meet us, or take our arms off at the shoulder—and we didn’t intend to find out.
Instead, we ripped into high gear, fanned out, and sprinted to the nearest trees, practically flying up the trunks to safety.
It felt like four days before those puppies got bored enough to walk away so we could climb back down.
As I’ve noted above, I appreciate trees for reasons other than just climbing. Plus, the symbolism attached to trees is powerful. They can represent endurance, immortality, strength and courage.
And we have family trees, which feature the branches of our ancestry, as I was reminded on a recent trip to Lew Beach, looking for the gravestone of my great grandparents, Ann and John Backman. (They owned the old Lew Beach Villa. Keep your eyes open for the rest of the story in the next Upper Delaware magazine supplement in the River Reporter.)
That’s why this month’s project is a gingerbread Tree of Life. Trees, to me, represent freedom. Their branches grow, reaching for the sun. Plus, the project is easy to do and makes for a great decoration.
Gingerbread Tree of Life
Learn how to create a gingerbread Tree of Life decoration using a simple gingerbread dough, wafer paper flowers, and edible petal dust.
Supply List
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (or to temperature recommended in your gingerbread recipe).
- Mix up dough according to the recipe, and roll dough into a long, thin cylinder.
- Cut a long piece of dough. On parchment paper, shape it into a frame.
- Add pieces of dough, cut into various lengths, into the frame to look like tree branches.
- Add details with cake tools.
- Add further details.
- Bake in 5-minute intervals until golden brown and dry to the touch.
- Using a paper punch, create little circles of various colors out of wafer paper.
- Shape the circles into little flowers.
- Add the flowers to the tree with piping gel.
- Dust the piece with edible petal dust.
Notes
Products Used
As always, feel free to make my project yours. Experiment with different shapes, textures and styles. Make the tree of your own life.
And if you don’t climb a tree today, perhaps make a promise to take a minute and admire one.
