Santa Claus Hat

A festive hat outline for the December baking session — the slouched, bobble-tipped cap that reads as Father Christmas from across the kitchen the moment it comes out of the dough. Simple shapes are what work on a biscuit, and this one has a strong silhouette: the folded brim, the sweep of the crown, the ball at the tip. Iced or plain, it stays readable, which is more than can be said for the fussier Christmas cutters that turn into a vague blob by the time they leave the oven. It is the kind of thing that comes out for a school fair, an advent bake or a tin of biscuits for the neighbours, then goes back in the drawer until next year. One file — and printing your own beats shop prices for a cutter with a three-week season.