DIY Holiday with IKEA DC: Baking Essentials

It’s Monday morning and you might still be in a turkey coma or travel fatigue (I got back to my apartment at 1 this morning and promptly flopped into my bed) but I’ve got something that’s guaranteed to wake you up….

This month, IKEA DC and I are partnering up for a “DIY Holiday with IKEA” series. From now until Christmas, I’ll be crafting holiday decorations and even creating an oh-so-cool (HINT HINT) cocktail using items from IKEA DC. Thought IKEA was just for decorating your college dorm? Think again, folks!

To kick things off with a bang, we’re giving away a RASKOG cart in a gorgeous turquoise blue with all the trimmings for you to be crowned the Christmas Cookie Queen. It seems like my calendar beginning in early November started filling up with Christmas cookie exchanges and parties, I practically went into a sugar coma from the Facebook invites. But never fear! IKEA DC has the tools and I’ve got the tips to help you survive the Christmas cookie season like a champ. And, fingers crossed, without a cavity.

Let’s check out everything packed into this handy dandy cart! I feel like Vanna White, you guys. You might need to buy a vowel for W__W because WOW is exactly how I feel about all the IKEA goodies packed onto this cart!

HEMBAKAT Baking Book 

GARNERA Serving Stand

SOCKERKAKA Baking Cups (2)

DESSERT Measuring Cups

DESSERT Measuring Spoons

DROMMAR Cookie Sheet

ETTY Dish Towels

GUBBRORA Rubber Spatula 

MAGASIN Rolling Pin

PEPPARKAKA Ginger Thins

DROMMAR Muffin Tin

JAMFORLIG Hand Held Whisk

STINN Oven Mitts (2)

PEPPARKAKA HUS

SOCKERKAKA Baking Mold

We’ve got the IKEA tools covered, now onto the tips!

Keep it simple: Confession booth time: I get a tad bit competitive when it comes to the kitchen. So while my inner Martha tells me now is the perfect time to master creating macarons at home, I know with everything going on this month ain’t nobody got time for that. It’s better to go with a tried and true recipe that you’ve made before than winging a new recipe and getting stuck with less than stellar cookies 30 minutes before the party. Been there, done that and it’s no picnic.

Plan ahead: Before you go the grocery store leading up to your party, take a look at the recipe and read it carefully a few times. Which ingredients do you have on hand? Which do you need to pick up? If you have the ingredient, do you have the right amount the recipe calls for? Check that bag of flour, it might not be as full as you think. Also, when you read through the recipe, watch out for any high maintenance steps. Does the dough need to be refrigerated for at least an hour? Keep an eye out for any small steps that can throw off your cookie groove.

Have a backup plan: We’ve all been there. The cookies went from golden to black in the blink of an eye. The frosting doesn’t turn out the way it normally does. Sometimes, it’s just the way the cookie crumbles. I was getting ready for a cookie party a few years ago and my normally chewy cookies came out on the hard side. But I had a back up plan: instead of frosting each individual cookie, I created cookie sandwiches with the frosting in between two cookies. Voila! And I only reached for the wine bottle once that time. Okay, maybe twice. You got me.

Presentation counts: The cookies are beautiful but if they’re on a plastic plate, they can just look meh. You worked hard on those cookies!! Show ‘em off with pride. Those cookies should be smizing so hard. Target and craft stores have a reliable selection of Christmas themed plates and platters at pretty great prices. If you’re looking for a simpler look, a lace doily is about as effortless as it gets. Get creative with the display! Your cookies are your work of art, treat ‘em like the masterpieces they are!

Sidebar: I used IKEA’s ready-made PEPPARKAKA DEG gingerbread dough and it was a smash hit in my house! All I had to do was roll out the dough and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. BAM! Delicious gingerbread ready to be dunked in eggnog. Tommy didn’t leave my side the entire time I was baking the cookies and even my dad asked me oh-so-casually a couple of times “when I’d be done taking pictures.” Somebody had their eyes set on my gingerbread peeps! Last thought on the subject for right now: normally gingerbread can be a tough cookie to chew but I loved that these gingerbread cookies puffed up in the oven and were more soft and chewy than other gingerbread I’ve had in the past. This won’t be the last you’ll see of PEPPARKAKA DEG! And my New Year’s resolution is to get a grip on frosting!

PHEW!!! That was more than a mouthful. How are you feeling? Ready to seize the day with some snickerdoodles? Give it your all with gingerbread? Then all you have left is to enter below to win!

** This giveaway is open all to those who reside in the Washington, DC area. If you are the lucky winner, you will have to pick up your prize at IKEA DC located in College Park. Good luck + happy baking!

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This post was sponsored by IKEA® DC.  All opinions and product sentiments are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make DC Girl in Pearls possible!