After an insane 20-day-long Christmas baking schedule, I’m ready for an extended break.

Baking this year has been loads of fun, but at times, it has also been extremely challenging and exhausting, especially in the last 3 weeks. I suppose it was inevitable, with 418 macarons, 250 gingerbread cookies, 6 gingerbread Christmas trees, 30 cakes on the Christmas baking schedule and just one oven and one pair of hands!

Looking back, I’ve realised that this past year held several “firsts” for me; 1st press interview and press mention, 1st blog award, 1st corporate order, 1st time taking Christmas orders. I’m not sure if next year will be as exciting, but I’ll be beginning 2008 by teaching my 1st ever individual hands-on baking class!

None of these would have been possible without you (my dear blog readers and generous clients), so here’s a big thank you to all of you, for your support, wonderful comments and feedback this past year!

For now, Harald and I are off to Germany (and London) for a month of R&R! So here’s wishing everyone a happy Christmas and wonderful New Year!

Jen from Milk and Cookies has very kindly presented me with the Yummy Blog Award. Thank you, Jen! By my count, I’m the fifth recipient of this award, created by Meisha of meisha in progress for Culinary Creativity.

I’d like to pass this award on to the more than deserving Lynn of Enchanté. This Le Cordon Blu trained pastry chef makes the most beautiful desserts and gives lessons in pastry too. Have I mentioned that she takes gorgeous photographs of all her wonderfully original creations?

In my opinion, gingerbread cookies are to Christmas, what pineapple tarts are to the Chinese Lunar New Year. But to be perfectly honest, I didn’t make any last Christmas and the main reason why I’m making them this year is an order for a corporate client.

When I do make gingerbread cookies, I actually find the entire process of kneading, rolling out, cutting and baking the dough a lot of fun. But the most enjoyable part for me is the decorating. There are really so many different ways to decorate a gingerbread cookie and every cookie represents a chance to try out a new idea.

This year, I came across the idea for an edible Christmas tree in several places. I first saw it on the Wilton website, subsequently on Jocelyn’s blog and most recently on Lynn’s blog.

It seemed like an easy enough project with impressive looking results, so I went ahead and made one (ok, two) small tree(s) as well. The icing turned out a little more time consuming than I’d expected, but the finished product certainly justified the effort.

There’s no denying that a large edible gingerbread tree would make a wonderful table centrepiece for that Christmas brunch or dinner party. It would also make a lovely gift, but if you do decide to give it a go, be forewarned that while the piping process isn’t rocket science, it does require some patience!