Santas Hat Food

SANTA HAT COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the whole egg and vanilla and peppermint extracts. Reduce the speed to low; beat in the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium high; beat until combined.
• Transfer 1/3 cup dough to a medium bowl and 1 cup dough to a separate bowl; leave the remaining dough (about 2 cups) in the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1 teaspoon white food coloring into the 1/3 cup dough. Fold 3/4 teaspoon red food coloring into the 1 cup dough. Fold 3/4 teaspoon green food coloring into the 2 cups dough. Transfer each color of dough to a separate piece of plastic wrap, flatten into disks and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the white dough and roll one-quarter of the dough into a 12-inch rope; shape the remaining white dough into a 1-by-12-inch rectangle. Place both on the prepared baking sheet; freeze until ready to use. Shape the red dough into a 1-by-12-inch rectangle (it will be thicker than the white one). Remove the white dough from the freezer, brush the top of the white rectangle with the beaten egg white and top with the red dough, pressing to adhere. Use your hands to shape the top of the red dough to make it triangular. Attach the white rope to the top of the red dough (it should look like a Santa hat from the side of the dough block). Freeze until firm, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll the green dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper into an 8-by-13-inch rectangle. Remove the red and white dough from the freezer and place on the green dough. Wrap the green dough around the hat, pressing into a triangular log. Roll the log in green sanding sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough; trim a thin slice off each end. Slice the dough 1/4 inch thick; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are firm but not browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans.

CHEERY CHEESECAKE SANTA HATS

Steps:

• For the red velvet crust: Adjust the oven racks to the middle and bottom of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place a double layer of parchment into the pan so that it overhangs the long sides; spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Add half of the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cookies resemble crumbs. Drizzle in half of the butter and half of the red dye, pulsing until it's all incorporated. Remove the first batch to a large bowl and repeat the with the remaining cookies, butter and dye. Combine both batches, then pour the cookie mixture into the prepared baking pan, using your hands to press the crust down to make one even layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla together in a stand mixer using a paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top.
• Put a large roasting pan with water on the bottom rack of the oven and put the pan with the cheesecake on the top rack. Bake until the cheesecake is set and no longer jiggly, about 45 minutes.
• Turn off the oven, open the oven door and allow the pan to sit in the open oven for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for at least 2 hours. Once cooled at room temperature, refrigerate to chill for another 2 hours.
• To assemble: Remove the cheesecake from the baking pan. Using a 2-inch round pastry cutter, carefully punch out 15 cheesecake circles. Remove them to a serving platter. Refrigerate while you make the mascarpone cream.
• For the whipped mascarpone cream: Add the cream to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip to stiff peaks. Add the mascarpone and confectioners' sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a number 12 pastry tip.
• For the Santa hats: Pipe a rim of the mascarpone cream around the top of each cheesecake circle. Put an inverted strawberry into the center of each and top with a tiny blob of the mascarpone cream. Chill to set.
• To assemble the snow scene: Arrange the Santa hats on a cake stand, place the miniature Christmas trees, reindeer and sleigh and cowboy Christmas figurines around and dust with confectioners' sugar snow.

SANTA HATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks; beat cream of tartar and vanilla extract into egg whites. Gradually beat white sugar into mixture until meringue forms stiff peaks. Transfer 1/4 of the meringue mixture into a separate bowl. Beat red food coloring into remaining 3/4 of meringue.
• Transfer colored meringue into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 20 Santa hat shaped triangles, about 1 1/2 inch tall and bending over at the tips, onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the hats with red sugar.
• Transfer remaining 1/4 uncolored meringue into a clean piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe little white pom-poms onto each hat tip and a small edging of fluffy white trim onto the bottom of each hat.
• Bake meringue cookies in the preheated oven until hard but not browned, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off oven and let cookies cool inside oven until crisp, 1 hour.

STRAWBERRY SANTAS

Steps:

• For the frosting: In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the mascarpone and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture is thick and smooth. Using a spatula, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star piping tip.
• For the Santas: Using a paring knife, cut off the leaf-end of each strawberry to make a flat surface. Cut a 1/2- to 3/4-inch piece from the pointed end of each strawberry and reserve as the hats.
• Place the strawberries, wide-side down, on a work surface. Pipe a 3/4-inch-high swirl of frosting on each strawberry. Place the hats on top and pipe a small ball of frosting on top of the hats. Press two chocolate chips, pointed-sides inward, into the swirl of frosting to make eyes.

SANTA'S HAT PEPPERMINT SCONES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• For the scone: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, crushed candy canes, sugar, baking power, salt and baking soda. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the butter is in small pieces but still visible. Stir in the buttermilk. Knead lightly just until the dough holds together.
• Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Form each piece into a disc about 8 inches wide and 5/8 inch thick. Cut each disc into 6 wedges and place on the prepared pan. Bake until light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
• For the ganache: In a pot, bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Add the white chocolate melts and peppermint oil and stir until completely melted. Transfer to a bowl if necessary for ease of dipping.
• Dip the scones in the ganache as desired, returning them to the parchment to collect any ganache that drips off. If decorating with sprinkles, sugar or candy, add them quickly before the ganache sets, decorating one at a time as each scone is dipped in the ganache.

SANTA'S HATS

Steps:

• Melt the almond bark in the microwave, small amounts at a time.
• Using a butter knife or teaspoon, fill the wide opening of the snack with almond bark.
• Stick an M&M into the almond bark while it is still soft.
• Place on waxed paper to cool, store in an airtight container.
• I like to use the multi colored candies as it adds a bit more color to a cookie tray rather than just red and green.
• I have done them at other holidays using the seasonal colored candies.

SANTA'S HAT

Steps:

• Mix together powdered sugar and water until smooth.
• Fold a paper towel into a 4-inch square and lay it on a saucer.
• Spread the powdered sugar mixture on top of the towel on the saucer.
• Spread coconut in a shallow layer on another saucer.
• Dip the rim of a Martini glass in the sugar mixture on the towel until the rim is coated.
• Then, dip the sugared rim into the coconut. Use a spoon to pack the coconut on to the sugar coating so it stays on the rim.
• Add the cranberry juice, Malibu rum and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Shake and strain into a prepared Martini glass and serve.
• Garnish with a candy cane. Break off the top hook of the candy cane if desired.