Santas Snow Pie Food

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'S SNOWFLAKES

Steps:

• Divide dough in half. Roll out each half between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer each half to a baking sheet; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks on upper and lower thirds. Remove one sheet of dough from refrigerator, and let stand 1 minute. Using a 3-inch snowflakeshaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Place shapes 2 inches apart on parchment- lined baking sheets. Gather together scraps, and reroll as above; chill until firm, 10 to 15 minutes, then cut out more shapes. Repeat process with second sheet of dough.
• Decorate cookies with sanding sugar or sprinkles, as desired.
• Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets halfway through, until golden around the edges and slightly firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets 1 minute; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

MINI STRAWBERRY SANTAS

Steps:

• Cut the hulled-side strawberries so they can stand up on a plate. Slice the tip off each strawberry to make the 'hat'; set aside.
• Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a glass or metal bowl until soft peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream will form soft mounds.
• Spoon a large dollop of whipped cream on top of strawberry base for the 'face' and 'beard'. Set the 'hat' atop the 'face'. Add a dot of whipped cream, using a toothpick, on top of the 'hat' for the 'pom-pom' and 2 dots on the strawberry base for 'buttons'. Place 2 sprinkles on the 'face' for 'eyes'.

SNOW PIE

Steps:

• boil water coconut and sugar together reserving enough coconut to garnish.
• add cornstarch to thicken
• cool beat egg whites
• fold into cooled mixture
• fill crust
• beat whipping cream
• cover pie
• sift cocoa over pie
• sprinkle coconut
• chill.

SANTA'S SNOW PIE

Steps:

• In a saucepan with the boiling water slowly stir in the sugar and salt, cook until clear- set aside.
• With an electric mixer in a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff.
• Add sugar mixture to mixing bowl slowly, add vanilla and crushed candies blending well with mixer.
• Chill mixture about 1 hour.
• Pour into prepared crust.
• Top with whipped topping.
• Garnish with shaved chocolate.

WHITE CHRISTMAS PIE

Steps:

• Sprinkle gelatin over cold water; set aside to soften.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in softened gelatin. When partially set, beat with a rotary mixer until smooth. Blend in vanilla and 1 cup coconut.
• Whip the cream until stiff. Gently fold into coconut mixture.
• In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar and 1/2 cup sugar. Continue beating until egg whites form stiff peaks. Fold into coconut mixture. Pile filling into cooled pie shell. Sprinkle with additional coconut. Chill pie for at least 2 hours or overnight.