It’s the holiday season, and no matter what you celebrate, the holiday spirit is infectious. Whether you’re in New York City, or in the middle of suburbia, seeing the Christmas lights, decorated window displays, and hearing holiday songs puts a little bit of cheer in everyone’s step. Don’t fight me on this: it’s fact.
My family takes their decorations pretty seriously. Our house looks like the North Pole exploded, and constantly smells like a forest – it’s amazing.
However, decking the halls and trimming the trees don’t have to stop at fake snow and glass ornaments. Because of course, the best decorations are obviously edible. Ranging from Christmas tree ornaments to centerpieces, these five easy, edible arrangements (literally), will have both you and your guests eating for all 12 days of Christmas.
Let’s start off super easy.
Marshmallow Ornaments
Ingredients
Instructions
Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Stir in the hot chocolate mix until smooth, and pour over chocolate chips. Stir until a thick ganache forms.
Push a mini candy cane through each marshmallow, coat in chocolate, and roll in crushed candy canes.
Save excess ganache for ~more~ decorations.
This next recipe is a twist on the classic peppermint bark. This chocolate bark is rich and just as festive as the original red and white favorite, and can be easily gifted or left on the mantle for Santa to enjoy.
Rustic Red & Green Chocolate Bark
Ingredients
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt dark chocolate and spread using a spreading knife on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure not to spread too thin! Let set for 5 minutes.
While the dark chocolate sets, melt the white chocolate.
Gently spread most of the white chocolate on top of the dark using a spreading knife.
Immediately top the white chocolate with pistachios, cranberries, and pink Himalayan salt.
Drizzle the remaining white chocolate on top of the pistachio and cranberry layer, and then top with more nuts, berries, and salt.
Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before breaking by hand.
Meringues are the most terrifying five-ingredient cookie to make. If you beat the egg whites too much, you’ll have dry cookies, if you don’t beat them enough, they’ll fall flat. If you make them when it’s raining or there’s too much humidity, they’ll be tough and stale. The anxiety of making meringues is slightly lifted when you know the finished product will be elegant, white wreaths.
Meringue Wreaths
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a pencil, trace three circles of varying sizes onto the parchment.
Beat the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until combined.
Gradually add the sugar, and beat for about 8 minutes, until soft peaks form and fall.
Gently scoop the batter into a piping bag with a drop flower decorating tip on the end.
Gently squeeze quarter-sized drops onto the traced parchment paper, allowing each drop to touch.
Gently sprinkle the sanding sugar onto the meringue wreaths.
Baking for 25 minutes, and allow to cool completely on the rack before gently removing.
GENTLY tie a ribbon or twine around the wreaths and hang! (Small wreath shown in picture above, large wreath below.)
This wouldn’t be an easy edible holiday decorations article without the classic cake pop (turned ornament.)
Peppermint Cake Pop Ornaments
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line an 8-inch square cake pan.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until combined. Gradually add the oil, vanilla, and peppermint and mix just until combined.
Slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the buttermilk, followed by the remaining flour mixture, and continue to beat just until combined.
Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan.
While the cake bakes, prepare the buttercream. Beat the butter for a few minutes, until it gets light and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar and beat until the sugar incorporates with the butter. Add the peppermint, vanilla, and heavy cream, beat on medium speed for until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy.
Once the cake has cooled, begin breaking it up in the pan. Add the crumble to the buttercream and mix until it becomes a dough.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and roll the dough into balls about an inch and a half big.
Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, and prepare the glaze.
Roll each ball in glaze, and then roll in sanding sugar or nonpareils. Place the rolled balls onto a cookie sheet and allow excess glaze and sugar to fall off. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes.
*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute it with milk and vinegar.*
And finally, everyone’s favorite drink in the winter time. (or the summer, if you’re crazy.) Hot chocolate.
Hot Chocolate Cups
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º.
Combine all of the cookie ingredients using a hand mixer until a dough forms.
Scoop a ball of dough into greased mini muffin tins and mold to the insides of the pan.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then using a spoon or a circular cookie scoop, push the center of the cookies down into the pan to deepen the cookie cups. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool.
If you run out of muffin pans and don’t feel like waiting for the pan to cool, scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and top with sanding sugar to make sandwich cookies too.
While your cookie cups and sandwich cookies cool, follow the steps above in ‘Marshmallow Ornaments’ to make the hot chocolate ganache.
Once the cookies have cooled, fill the cookie cups with a small scoop of the ganache.
Garnish the cookie cups with pretzel handles, marshmallows, or candy canes to resemble mini mugs of hot chocolate.
For the sandwich cookies, place a small dollop of ganache on one cookie, and sandwich with another. Don’t add too much ganache, or the cookies will slide.