One of my favorite party food posts was this bite size desserts post, so I thought I’d share some holiday-themed bite size treats! Christmas parties are all about mixing, mingling, trimming the tree, etc. so easy-to-eat, bite size desserts are the best to serve for these holiday gatherings. You can also make these for homemade gifts for neighbors and friends. Oh, the possibilities!
donut snowmen
Drop a candy corn down in a mini powdered sugar donut. Use black icing or chocolate for creating eyes and mouth! It just doesn’t get any easier than this one – and definitely a crowd-pleaser too!
christmas wreaths
- 2 2/3 cupsconfectioners’ sugar
- 5 cupsunsweetened dried coconut
- 5large egg whites
- 2 teaspoonsvanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoonsalt
- Green food coloring
- Red M&M’s Minis, red candy décors or Red Hots candies
1. Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
2. Combine confectioners’ sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl and mix with a rubber spatula. Add green food coloring and stir in completely until the dough is desired color. Dough will be sticky.
3. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets. Moisten your fingers with water. Using your index finger, make a 1/2-inch hole in center of each cookie. Carefully flatten dough with your fingers into a 3-inch wreath shape. Remoisten fingertips with water as needed. (Cookies don’t spread as they cook, so leave about 1 inch between them on the baking sheet.) Repeat with remaining dough. Press a few M&M’s Minis or other decorations into each cookie.
4. Bake cookies until firm and light brown around edges, 8to 10minutes. (Cookies will firm as they cool; they are very soft coming out of oven.) Let cool on baking sheets on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough and candies.
cheesecake trees
- 1to 2 big peppermint candy sticks
- 1(30-oz.) frozen New York-style cheesecake
- 1(7.25-oz.) bottle chocolate fudge shell coating
- 1(6.4-oz.) tube green easy-flow decorator icing
- 12red candy-coated chocolate pieces
1. Measure 1/2 to 3/4 inch from end of peppermint stick, and make a small cut using a sharp knife. Gently break peppermint stick at cut. Repeat procedure with remaining peppermint stick to make 12 pieces.
2. Remove cheesecake from box according to package directions. Let stand 5 minutes. (Do not thaw.) Carefully cut cheesecake into 12 wedges. Gently push 1 peppermint piece partially into curved edge of each cheesecake wedge to form tree trunks. Place wedges on a wire rack on a baking sheet, and freeze 10 minutes or until firm.
3. Remove pan from freezer; evenly coat tops of each cheesecake wedge with fudge shell coating, allowing excess to drip down sides and curved edge. Freeze 5 minutes.
4. Remove pan from freezer; squeeze icing on top of each wedge in a pattern using ribbon tip. Place 1 red candy piece at tip of each slice. Freeze at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
gingerbread cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Sanding sugar and miniature candies, for decorating
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg; mix well. Beat in molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add flour a cup at a time, mixing until incorporated.
- Divide dough into quarters; shape into disks, and wrap into plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in top and bottom third. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies, rolling out any scraps and additional disks as needed until you have about 20 kids. Transfer to parchment-paper-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between cookies. With remaining dough, cut out additional kids to make clothes, jewelry, and hair as desired. Dress cookies, and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Bake cookies, two sheets at a time, 7 minutes; rotate pans top to bottom and front to back, and continue baking until cookies are firm when touched, about 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired.
