Rudolph and Friends

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These dashing desserts pay homage to some of Santa's best-known helpers. They also make a fun activity for little hands after a holiday meal. Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes Servings: 26 Ingredients

Black decorating gel XInstructions 1. 2. For each "reindeer," carefully snap two pretzels into antler shapes and press them into a chocolate frosted cupcake. Finish by adding a pair of white M&M eyes dotted with black decorating gel.

Pretzels (standard shaped) Chocolate frosted cupcakes Tootsie Roll Midgee Mini vanilla wafer Red or brown M&Ms White M&Ms

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Press on a mini vanilla wafer for a snout, then use a small dab of frosting to attach a red or brown M&M nose. Shape each ear from a third of a Tootsie Roll Midgee and arrange them next to the antlers. Where to Find It: You can buy single-color bags of M&Ms at your local party or craft store.

Pretty Peppermint Sticks

by Amy Kaldor-Bull, Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, and Virginia Willis, Photograph by Bill Milne

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Hands-on Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes cooling time) Serves: 15

This seasonal treat is a cinch to make, and the presentation is just as simple and sweet. Place sets of five candies in clear cellophane bags, staple them closed, then affix decorative paper labels. Ingredients

1 cup dark or milk chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 15 (4-inch) soft or hard peppermint sticks white nonpareils

XInstructions 1. 2. In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and oil for 1 minute, then continue in 10-second bursts, stirring between heatings. When most, but not all, of the chips have melted, stir the chocolate until it is smooth. Spread the nonpareils on a sheet of waxed paper. Dip one end of each peppermint stick into the chocolate, then roll it in the nonpareils. Set the sticks on another sheet of waxed paper until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

Peanut Butter Toffee Bars

by Amy Kaldor-Bull, Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, and Virginia Willis, Photograph by Bill Milne

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Hands-on Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes cooling time) Makes: 32 bars

This tempting gift deliciously combines three classic candy bar flavors. Kids can help by sprinkling on the topping and placing the finished cookies in colorful take-out boxes lined with holiday-inspired parchment paper. Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 large egg yolk

1 cup toffee baking pieces XInstructions 1. 2. Heat the oven to 350. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with foil so that the ends extend over the edges of the pan by at least 2 inches. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and egg yolk on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the flour, oats, and salt and beat the mixture on low until the ingredients are just blended, about 30 seconds. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust until it is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes (be careful not to overbake). Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Return the pan to the oven for 1 minute. Remove the pan again and, using a small offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the toffee pieces over the chocolate, gently pressing them into place. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool until the chocolate has set, about 2 hours. Using the edges of the foil, lift the dessert from the pan, then cut it into rectangles. For maximum freshness, store the bars in the refrigerator. Nutritional Information: Per serving (1 bar) Calories 172, Total Fat 9 g (14%), Saturated Fat 5 g (23%), Cholesterol 12 mg (4%), Sodium 91 mg (4%), Total Carbohydrate 22 g (7%), Fiber 1 g (5%), Sugars 15 g, Protein 2 g (5%)

1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup quick oats 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips

3. 4.

5. Tips:

Frosty the Cupcake

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Snow or no snow, your family can whip up a band of these merry marshmallow snowmen to satisfy all their winter wonderland fantasies. Ingredients

Fruit leather XInstructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing. Flatten a large marshmallow on waxed paper with the palm of your hand. Cut a second marshmallow in half horizontally, then stack the halves on the first marshmallow to form a torso and head. Push a thin pretzel stick down through the snowman (this will help him stand up), then set him on the cupcake. Use decorators' gel to create a mouth, eyes, and buttons, then add pretzel stick arms and a wedge cut from an orange slice candy for a nose. Accessorize with a candy hat (a Junior Mint secured to a Thin Mint with icing) and a fruit leather scarf.

Cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) White icing Large marshmallows Waxed paper Pretzel sticks Decorators' gel Orange slice candy Junior Mints Thin Mints

Jamaican Spice Rub and Montreal Steak Rub

by Amy Kaldor-Bull, Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, and Virginia Willis, Photograph by Bill Milne

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These two flavorful rubs let you give others the gift of a quick, delicious dinner. Package the rubs in small stainless steel tins, accompanied by instruction cards. Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper XInstructions 1. Jamaican Spice Rub: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, then place the rub in an airtight container. Makes about 1/2 cup. Wording for the card: Brush 3/4 to 1 pound of shrimp or poultry with oil, then coat with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning. For 2. maximum flavor, let the rubbed chicken or shrimp rest several hours before cooking. Montreal Steak Rub: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, then place the rub in an airtight container. Makes about 2/3 cup. Wording for the card: Brush 3/4 to 1 pound of steak or 1/3 pound hamburger patties with oil. Coat the steak with 1 tablespoon of rub, the patties with 1 teaspoon each, or mix 1 tablespoon of the seasoning into 3/4 to 1 pound of ground beef before forming the burgers. For maximum flavor, let the meat rest several hours before cooking.

FOR THE JAMAICAN SPICE RUB 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper FOR THE MONTREAL STEAK RUB 2 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons granulated or dried minced onion 2 tablespoons granulated or dried minced garlic 2 tablespoons coarse salt 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse-ground black pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons dill weed 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

Holiday Cupcakes
A holiday snack idea from FamilyFun magazine

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'Tis the season when you're sure to need a special dessert to bring to a Christmas party or school bake sale. With this easy decorating tip, you and your kids can turn a batch of homemade or store-bought cupcakes into a festive treat. Ingredients

Red candy for holly berries (M&Ms work well) XInstructions 1. 2. 3. Frost the cupcakes with snowy white icing and top with grated coconut. Then use a rolling pin to flatten green gumdrops on a piece of waxed paper sprinkled with sugar. Use an aspic cutter or butter knife to cut out holly leaf shapes. Arrange two or three leaves and a few red candy "berries" on top of each cupcake, pressing them into the frosting just enough to hold them in place.

Cooled cupcakes (baked from your favorite recipe) White icing Grated coconut Green gumdrops Sugar, for sprinkling gumdrop leaves

Polar Bear Cubcakes

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We just couldn't bear to keep this cool polar family a secret any longer. Here's how to make your own irresistible trio, starting with Mama Bear. Ingredients

Chocolate chips, 4 regular and 4 mini XInstructions 1. First, frost the top, sides, and bottoms of both a regular-size cupcake and a mini cupcake with white frosting. For each cupcake, frost the bottom first; then use a fork stuck into the bottom to hold the cupcake while you frost the rest of it.

Light-colored cupcakes, 1 regular and 3 mini White frosting Shredded coconut 3 large and 2 small white gumdrops 1 Junior Mint candy

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Roll the cupcakes in shredded coconut; then, working on waxed paper, set the cupcakes on their sides with the top of the smaller cupcake stuck to the bottom of the larger one to form the bear's head. Add 2 horizontal slices from a large white gumdrop for ears, a Junior Mint candy for a nose, and 2 chocolate chips for eyes. For each cub, frost a mini cupcake and a large gumdrop, then roll them in coconut and arrange them on their sides as shown. Add 2 horizontal slices from a small white gumdrop for ears, a chocolate chip nose, and 2 mini chocolate chip eyes.

Claus Cupcakes

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Heading down the chimney? Be careful how many of these tempting Santa cupcakes you eat! Ingredients

Red candy XInstructions 1. 2. Frost the cupcake with a layer of white icing. Add the red frosting hat, curving it around the side of Santa's face, and a marshmallow pom-pom. Sprinkle on a ring of coconut to make Santa's beard and hair. Draw on his eyes and cheeks with gel icing, then top it all off with a red candy nose.

Cupcake White and red icing Mini marshmallow Shredded coconut Blue and pink gel icing

Chocolate Cherry Mice

by Alexandra Kennedy

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For a really special gift, package these little guys with a mouse-related holiday book, such as "The Night Before Christmas," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!," or "The Nutcracker." Ingredients

3 plastic sandwich bags XInstructions 1. 2. 3. Drain the cherries and pat them dry with paper towels. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them until smooth, working in 15-second intervals, stirring between each. Holding a cherry by its stem, dip it into the chocolate and swirl it around to completely cover the fruit. Set it on its side on the waxed paper and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss onto the cherry for the head. For the ears, gently wedge two almond slices between the Kiss and the cherry. Repeat to make 24 mice. Make a thick icing by mixing 1 cup of confectioners' sugar with a teaspoon of water. If the mixture is too dry, stir in more water, a few drops at a time, until you have a thick, smooth icing. Divide the icing among three small bowls. Tint one bowl of icing black and one pink. Spoon each of the three icings into a plastic bag and snip a tiny corner from each. Pipe white eye dots on the mice, then refrigerate them until set, about 10 minutes. Add black pupils and pink noses. Keep the mice in the fridge until you're ready to serve them or give them away.

24 maraschino cherries with stems Waxed paper 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 24 milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped 48 almond slices FOR THE ICING: 1 cup confectioners' sugar Black paste food coloring Red food coloring

4. 5.

Valentine Raspberry Brownie Cupcakes

by Smuckers

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Serves: 14 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ready In Time:1 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

Pillsbury Easy Frost Valentine's Vanilla Flavored No-Fuss Frosting XInstructions 1. 2. 3. HEAT oven to 350F. Line 14 muffins cups with foil or paper bake cups. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions using oil, water and eggs, reserving packet of candy coated chips for later use. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups. BAKE 23 to 27 minutes or until centers are set. Immediately press one milk chocolate candy, top side up, into center of each brownie cupcake. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. PIPE frosting onto top of each brownie cupcake. Sprinkle with reserved candy coated chips.

1 (19.4 oz.) pkg. Pillsbury Funfetti Valentine's Premium Brownie Mix 1/2 cup Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup water 2 large eggs 14 unwrapped miniature milk chocolate candies with a raspberry meltaway center

 Holiday Brownie Cones

by Smuckers

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Serves: 16 Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ready In Time: 1 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 (13.5 oz.) can Pillsbury Easy Frost Holiday Vanilla Flavored No-Fuss Frosting XInstructions 1. HEAT oven to 350F. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions, using oil, water and 3 eggs, reserving packet of candy coated chips for later use. Spoon 3 tablespoons batter into each cone. (Do not overfill or cones will overflow during baking.) Stand cones upright in muffin cups.

16 ice cream cake cones (about 2 3/4-inches tall with flat bottoms) 1 (19.4 oz.) pkg. Pillsbury Funfetti Holiday Premium Brownie Mix 1/2 cup Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup water 3 large eggs

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BAKE 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. PIPE a decorative swirl of frosting on top of each brownie cone. Sprinkle with reserved candy coated chips.