A simple and tasty chocolate snowman shaped cake is easy to make and highly festive. Best with Dutch cocoa, you can use coconut flakes to create the coating. You can use black licorice sticks for the arms, black licorice drops for the eyes and peppermints for buttons with gum drops on top. For the mouth, you can use a piece of red shoestring style licorice. Fruit leather makes a great decorative scarf.

Alternatively, or in addition to, you can create a Christmas tree cake with equal festivity. By creating individual cake squares, you can stack these to create a tree-like shape with green frosting and other colored frostings to your liking. You can use candies for ornaments and smaller cake squares decorated with colored frosting to make presents under the tree.

Gingerbread houses are a classic way of creating decorative treats. However, there are more creative ways to make artistic gingerbread treats. One less known design is the gingerbread lantern, created by four rectangular pieces of gingerbread connected by frosting. You can cut holes in the pieces to let the light out, such as stars or hearts. Once settled, you can place candles inside these and use them as actual lanterns.

Another creative design is the gingerbread train. You have a great amount of creative license with this, in that there is room to decide how intricate you want to get with the design. However, there is a minimum amount of intricacy involved. The frosting is used for piping and a combination of circular and rectangular gingerbread cookies create the body. You can use candies, licorice and frosting to decorate it anyway you like. Gum drops work well to top the train while licorice works well for the pistons. You can also decide how long you want to make the train.

If you are looking to go more gourmet than flashy, you can make chocolate espresso snowballs with fair trade coffee. Using cocoa, pecans and sugar you can have a treat both decedent and decorative. There are plenty of ways to brighten up holiday cheer just with culinary creativity.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bunt or tube pan.
2. Mix sugar & cinnamon in a large resealable plastic bag.  Cut biscuits into quarters.  Shake 6-8 biscuit pieces in the mixture.  Arrange the pieces in the bottom of the pan.
   
3. Sprinkle each layer with raisins & optional nuts. Continue the process until all biscuit pieces are coated & placed in the pan.
4. In a small pot, over medium heat, melt the margarine with the brown sugar. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over biscuits.
5. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven & let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto serving dish/platter.

Chef’s Note: Do not cut the bread! It’ll pull apart easily!

Ingredients

Directions

1. In a medium to large saucepan combine onions, celery & potatoes. Pour clam juice over vegetables. Add enough water to barely cover vegetables. Bring to boil then reduce heat to medium & simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 20 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt butter. When melted, add flour, blend & cook for 2 minutes. Add half & half & cook, stirring until smooth & creamy. Drain vegetables, reserving liquid. Return vegetables to saucepan. Add clams & sauce mixture. Heat thoroughly (add reserved cooking liquid to make consistency to your taste.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Heat griddle or skillet over medium to low heat.  In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, & sugar.
2. In another bowl, combine evaporated milk, lemon juice, & lemon zest.  Let rest for 4-5 minutes.  Add egg, vanilla, & melted butter.  Lightly stir to blend.
   
3. Gently combine wet & dry ingredients (wet into dry).  Stir to blend ingredients.  Add more milk if batter seems too thick.  Do not make too thin of a batter.
4. Melt a dab of butter on heated skillet/griddle.  Drop batter by ¼ cups & cook until golden (approximately 1-2 minutes per side).  Serve with softened butter & syrup of choice.

Chef’s Note: You can substitute buttermilk for the evaporated milk & lemon juice & zest.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter or spray 9″x9″ baking dish (or other appropriate sized casserole dish).
2.  In a large bowl, mix together creamed corn, eggs, sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg, black pepper, & milk.  Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
3. Slice the butter in half & place the slices on top, separated.  Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown on top.  The center of the pudding may still appear to be loose due to the butter, but the edges should appear done.
4. Server warm. 

Chef’s Note: May also be prepared ahead of time and re-heated before service.

Main Ingredients

Topping Ingredients

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the corn syrup & sugar.  Heat over moderate heat until bubbly.
2. Remove from the heat.  Add peanut butter & stir until melted & combined.  Stir in Rice Krispies until well blended.
3. Using the back side of a greased spoon, spread the mixture into a 9″x12″ pan or dish.
4. In a double boiler, heat the chocolate & butterscotch chips until melted completely.  Remove from the heat & spread evenly over the Rice Krispie mixture, or drizzle in creative patterns.

Chef’s Note: You can use chunky or smooth peanut butter, whichever suits your liking more.  The topping is optional.  For variety you can use both flavors of chips or just use one or the other.  If using just one flavor, you’ll need to double the amount.

Break the Hershey’s candy bars into small pieces.  Put all ingredients into a very large mixing bowl.  Bring to a boil the sugar, milk, & butter & boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour hot mixture over chocolate, Hershey’s, & marshmallow mixture; stir until melted.

Put part of the fudge in an 8″ square buttered glass dish & add nuts to the remainder.  Put the remainder in a 9″x13″ buttered glass dish.

Chop each ingredient with a food processor, being careful not to chop too finely or chop by hand.  Mix all ingredients together.  Test for degree of “hotness” by adding chopped jalapenos one at a time.  Pack in hot, clean canning jars; seal & water bathe can for 25 minutes for pints & 30 minutes for quarts.

Chef’s Note: Use real apple cider vinegar – the flavored stuff is not the same.  Make sure to have plenty of tortilla chips on hand, as the salsa is even better fresh than canned!  Wear rubber gloves when handling the peppers.

Melt 1 c. sugar in heavy skillet over low heat, stirring constantly. Heat until melted to a golden brown syrup, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add boiling water & stir over low heat until lumps are dissolved. Pour into measuring cup ¼ c. of caramel mixture & add enough cold water to make 1 c. of liquid.

Cream together the softened shortening & remaining sugar until fluffy.  Beat in thoroughly eggs.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, & 1 tsp. salt.  Stir in alternately with caramel mixture.  Pour into two 9″ layer pans or 13″x9″ oblong pan & bake 35 minutes in preheated 350°F oven.

Heat together remaining caramel mixture, cream, & butter to make the burnt sugar frosting.  Beat in the powdered sugar, salt, & vanilla extract.

Chef’s Note: You can substitute 2½ c. Softasilk cake flour for the sifted regular flour

Cream together butter & shortening; gradually add sugar, creaming until light. Add vanilla & then eggs (one at a time), beating well after each. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition. Pour into greased & lightly floured 13″x9″x2″ pan. Bake in 350°F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until done. Cool & frost.