Santa Claus & elves
There are 11 products.
For St Nicholas Day and Christmas: Santa cookie cutters and St Nicholas cutters – full figure, face or with a reindeer – make real festive cookies. Add elf cookie cutters with plunger and embossing for a cheerful St Nicholas Day. In Switzerland, when Samichlaus visits the villages on 6 December with his helper Schmutzli and his donkey, children recite their little poems and the Chlaussäckli is filled with nuts, mandarins and gingerbread – so homemade St Nicholas cookies are a must. And on Christmas Eve, Santa and his elves on the cookie platter make children’s eyes light up and put everyone in a good mood.
Ideas for St Nicholas cookies and elf treats
Santa and elves are rewarding shapes: red coats, white beards and pointed hats can be decorated to great effect with little effort. A few ideas for Advent:
- St Nicholas treat bags: fill small bags with St Nicholas cookies, nuts and mandarins – a personal gift for kindergarten, the school class or the neighbours’ children.
- St Nicholas face: with the St Nicholas face cutter, create the beard with white royal icing, desiccated coconut or a piping bag with a star nozzle – it looks lovely and fluffy.
- Embossed Santa: the 7.5 cm embossed Santa and the embossing cutter already outline the details of the figure – red and white icing is all you need for a splendid result.
- Santa and reindeer: together with other animal shapes, the Santa and reindeer set tells the story of the sleigh that brings presents in the night.
- Santa and barley sugar: this set lets you bake the classic candy cane alongside Santa – iced in red and white stripes, a true classic.
- Elf parade: elves with plunger and embossing already have their details pressed in. Iced in red, green and white, they form a cheerful troop for the Advent calendar or as table decoration.
Tips: perfect Santas and elves
Beards, hat tips and boots are the tricky parts. These tips help your figures come out of the oven beautifully and make decorating easy:
- Chill the dough well and roll it out to about 4 to 5 mm so hat tips and boots don’t break off.
- Press plunger and embossing cutters down firmly and straight so the pattern stays clearly visible.
- For embossed figures, use a dough without baking powder, otherwise the relief blurs during baking.
- When decorating, ice the white areas such as beard and fur trim first, then the red coat, letting each layer dry in between.
- Add eyes with small chocolate drops or candy eyes and dab on rosy cheeks with a little powdered food colouring.
- With children, choose plunger models – the dough releases easily and the figures stay whole.
Combinations for St Nicholas evening
St Nicholas never travels without his loyal companions. Combine the figures with shapes from the Reindeer, polar bear & penguin category – reindeer pull the sleigh, while polar bears and penguins add a touch of the North Pole to the plate. Christmas trees, stars and presents also go perfectly. For a classic platter, use two doughs: a pale butter dough for St Nicholas and the elves, and a dark gingerbread dough for trees and reindeer. This creates lovely contrasts and shows off every shape. Decorated with a few mandarins, walnuts and peanuts, the platter is ready for St Nicholas’ visit.
Buying guide: what to look for
When choosing Santa and elf cutters, these points help:
- Figure or face: the full figure looks classic, while the St Nicholas face offers a large surface for a beautiful beard.
- Embossing and plunger: they outline details and release the dough cleanly – ideal for beginners, children and large batches.
- Sets: combinations such as Santa and reindeer or Santa and barley sugar give you two matching shapes at once.
- Size: shapes of around 7.5 cm work well for the cookie platter and treat bags, while leaving enough room for decorating.
FAQ about Santa and elf cookie cutters
How do I decorate St Nicholas’ beard beautifully?
With thick white royal icing and a star nozzle, or with icing and desiccated coconut – both look fluffy and three-dimensional.
Which dough suits embossing cutters?
A firm shortcrust dough without baking powder, so the relief is preserved during baking.
Which shape fits best in a St Nicholas treat bag?
Compact figures of around 7.5 cm such as the embossed Santa or the St Nicholas face – they fit neatly in the bag and break less easily than delicate shapes with long hat tips.
What is the difference between St Nicholas and Santa?
St Nicholas visits children on 6 December, Santa brings the presents on Christmas Eve. When decorating, the icing makes the difference: a mitre or hood for St Nicholas, a pointed hat for Santa.
How long do the cookies keep?
In a tightly closed tin in a cool place they stay fresh for several weeks – ideal for baking ahead.
Find more shapes in the Christmas cookie cutters overview and everything for the holidays in our Christmas category. For tasty dough ideas, browse our Christmas cookie recipes.