Santa Berry

Aren’t these the cutest Santas ever?!  The trick is finding strawberries in season this time of year.  I know they can get expensive, but they’re worth it!

These are a perfect project for the kids to make at their own holiday table on Christmas Eve, great for class parties, or perfect for that holiday buffet.

The original recipe called for the use of frilly toothpicks, but I haven’t been able to find them around town, so I modified that by using a small marshmallow on the top of the toothpick.

My son told me that the Santa (pictured above) “looks creepy” without a mouth, so we fixed that below!

Santa Berry Adapted from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2006

To make these handsome guys you need. . .

12 large strawberries, hulled

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

12 red-frilled toothpicks, or regular toothpicks and 12 mini marshmallows

1 loaf (10 3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed or homemade pound cake, recipe here

24 miniature semisweet chocolate chips and 12 red hots for the mouth, or an extra 12 chocolate chips for the mouth

12 fudge-covered cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

*These treats are also printed in Betty Crocker Celebrate! with some differences, such as pineapple in lieu of the pound cake and marshmallow/cream cheese frosting (8 ounce cream cheese mixed with 1 cup of marshmallow creme) which I’m definitely trying next time – yum!

Cut the strawberries widthwise – keeping mates together.  Then trim the crust off the pound cake and cut large cubes – then set each cube between the berries and trim to size.

Next stick a toothpick through the berries and cake, and place a mini marshmallow on the top of the toothpick still sticking out.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and scoop into a frosting bag fitted with a small star tip (such as #18).  Pipe around the rim of the hat (the top strawberry), then pipe the beard and down the sides of the front of the face.

Dab the back of the mini chocolate chips with frosting and place them onto the cake.  Add the red hot (or additional chocolate chip) for the mouth.

*Optional, dust the cake with powdered food coloring for a blushing Santa (the one on the left).

These guys go quick, so make plenty!

Santa Berry can’t believe his friend Frosty has melted!  Oh dear!

For the melting snowman shown above, click here.

Linking to I Heart Nap Time, Tidy Mom, Crazy for Crust

Melting Snowman

I saw this idea here, and I absolutely LOVED it!  I might use some orange candy melts next time for the carrot nose for some extra depth.  The kids and I had tons of fun putting these together.

You’ll need . . .

1 box of graham crackers

2 Giant Hershey Bars

1 bag of large marshmallows

1 box of Fruit by the Foot

1 package of white candy coating, or white chocolate

Edible markers

*Orange-colored candy melts – if you want don’t want to use the marker

So here is how we did it. . .

Place halved graham crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then set two squares of chocolate on top (I used a Giant Hershey Bar).

Then have your kids place a large marshmallow on top of the chocolate.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees (I preheated my oven, then turned it off when I put the s’mores in) for about 10-15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are slightly puffed and lightly browned.

*I wanted to heat them in the oven so that all the components would adhere to one another.  Plus, the melted marshmallow really makes the snowman head look, well . .um . .melted.

Here they are out of the oven, cooled, and topped with melted white chocolate.  And when I say “topped,” I don’t mean it literally – I just basically spooned the white chocolate around the base of the marshmallow.

Then I just “painted” on the face with my edible markers and added some blush with my dry paintbrush (I use it for food only) and some powdered food coloring.  Then I used fruit by the foot as the “scarf.”  Super fun, super easy, and dare I say. . .super cute!

Linking to I Heart Nap Time, The Grant Life, Tidy Mom

Lifesaver Candy Canes

Lifesaver candy canes. . .aren’t these the cutest?!  They’re fun to make, and there are plenty of jobs for all of the kids.  In fact, the only “adult” job is manning the oven.

So here’s the backstory . . .

My friend Janna was looking for something edible to make for her daughter to sell for a school economics project, and she found this idea here.

After listening to her talk about them on the phone, I was running for the car keys to buy some Lifesavers of my own.

Janna made her’s with red and white Lifesavers, but I knew I wanted rainbow ones.

All you need is. . .

hard Lifesavers candies (any color of your choice)

a cookie sheet

parchment paper

*treat bags and ties are optional, but I recommend them.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Have the kids unwrapped all of the candies and set aside.  It’s handy to have the trash nearby for this part – those wrappers can make a big mess quick!

Place 8 Lifesavers in a candy cane shape on the parchment-line cookie sheet – make sure they’re touching!

Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes.  *I had 4-6 candy canes on each cookie sheet.

Take them out of the oven and slide the parchment sheet (with candy canes) onto the table to cool.

Repeat with remaining candy.  I was able to make 12, give or take, with a regular-size bag of Lifesavers.  Imagine how many you could make with the huge bag!

When they’re cool you can package them for giving.  They can be fragile, so I like to place them in a cellophane bag (with the opening on the bottom) and twist tie them.

These are really cute tied onto gifts, and packages, as an edible accent/decoration.

*This idea has also been published in Kraft Food and Family Magazine – Holiday 2004.

Linking to One Artsy Mama Holiday Party, I Heart Nap Time

S’more Snowman Pretzels

Is it too early to talk about Christmas?  If you’re like me, it’s never too early!  Plus, this year we’re celebrating in three locations, which means I’ll be bringing Christmas goodies with me this Thanksgiving.

I’m already knee-deep in candy making – I still have the cookies & cakes to go.  Oh, and my daughter has a Thanksgiving party, another one has a Pirate performance, then there’s the canned food drive and Caring and Sharing for school.  And that’s just before Thanksgiving.  Yikes!

If you’re crazy-busy like me, then this treat is a break from all the hard-core baking, and they’re super cute.

This is a (Christmas) twist on the S’more Ghost Marshmallows.  Click here for directions on how to make the chocolate dipped marshmallow.

These are really quite simple, and would be great as place settings at Christmas dinner, at school parties as treats, or as an easy dessert buffet item.  You could also put a pretzel stick in the bottom of the marshmallow (after dipping & drying) and use it as a cute cupcake topper.

So let’s get down to business.

First, I decorated the face with edible markers, then I inserted a pretzel stick into the center of the marshmallow, and set aside.

When all of the marshmallows have cheery faces (complete with a light dusting of powdered food coloring for blush – applied with a food-only paintbrush) & pretzel sticks, then I prepare them as usual.  Follow the link above for directions for the chocolate/graham cracker dipping part.

These are also adorable on their own, so if you don’t want to go to all the trouble of dipping them, you can simply take away the pretzel stick (and package them in a cellophane bag) and you have the cutest marshmallows just waiting for a nice cup of hot chocolate.  Perfect for gifting to teachers and friends this holiday season!

*Inspired by Yum! Magazine for Kids and Celebrate Magazine.

Linking to One Artsy Mama, I Heart Nap Time, Tidy Mom, Crazy for Crust

Turkey Cookie Craft

I’m ready for some Turkey!  The kids couldn’t wait to put these together, and I couldn’t believe I finally thought of another holiday besides Halloween.

The kids can do this whole project themselves (minus the waiting patiently for the chocolate to dry), but why let them have all the fun?!

Turkey Cookie Craft

1 package of Fudge Stripes Cookies

1 package of Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies

1 bag of Autumn Mix Candies (candy corn & mini pumpkins)

melted chocolate in a piping bag

Royal Icing eyes

Edible Food Markers

Place a Fudge Stripe Cookie on parchment, then “glue” a Milano cookie on top with melted chocolate.  Let set for a few minutes while you assemble the others.

Squeeze chocolate around the sides, and the top, of the Fudge Cookie and place candy corns however you like.  Let cookies set until dry – about 15 to 20 minutes, or place them in the freezer for a quick set.

Finish the turkey off by adding royal icing eyes (using the melted chocolate to adhere), and draw details with edible markers.

Sit back and admire everyone’s work, then “gobble” them up.  Ha.  ha.  ha.

Linking to Tidy Mom, I Heart Nap Time, Tip Junkie, Crazy for Crust, One Artsy Mama

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

The holidays are upon us and pound cake is about as versatile as cake gets.  There are lots of ways to eat this quintessential dessert - plain, with fruit and whipped cream, or in a trifle – layered with custard and berries.

This recipe has a nice tang from the cream cheese, and the cake is sturdy enough to handle a variety of pairings without being overpowered.  Without further ado, here it is.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Adapted from The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter and cream cheese until combined.  Slowly add the sugar and beat until incorporated.  Add the eggs, one at at time – beating after each addition.

Add the salt.  Then gradually add the flour, beating on low only until combined.  Then stir in the vanilla.  Scoop the batter into a greased 10-inch bundt or tube pan, or a couple of loaf pans.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully loosen the cake from the sides of the pan before removing it.  Let the cake cool on the wire rack until completely cool.

*Baking times may vary based on the size of the pan you use.