Holiday Party Ideas

Put Santa’s cookies on this candy platter and you might catch him licking the plate on Christmas morning. To make one, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Fill to the edges with hard candies (we used peppermint sticks), arranging them flush against one another. (If the candies don’t reach the edges of the pan, create a barrier with folded aluminum foil.) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the candies have just melted into each other. Let harden for about 30 minutes, then lift the parchment to remove the candy platter from the sheet. Use it to serve treats like cookies and brownies; hot or wet stuff will create a sticky situation.

Get a booklet of “transfer leaf” edible gold (about $40 for 25 three-inch-square sheets; lagoldleaf.com), then brush the top of already-baked brownies with warm honey and, starting in one corner, place a sheet gold-side down on top. Gently rub the paper until the gold transfers onto the brownies.

Use your holiday cookie cutters to make fun tree-shaped crackers: Just punch out shapes from wonton wrappers (usually found in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle). Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with pesto and season with salt; bake at 350 degrees F until golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Improve on the usual cheese ball appetizer and serve these fun bite-size ones instead.