Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.Last night I attended our homeschool groups annual “Moms Night In” – Mother / Daughter Christmas Tea! We always have the best time together, we end up with a plethora of finger foods and the yummiest of desserts! Imagine a bunch of homeschool moms slaving away in the kitchen baking all day… the possibilities really are limitless!
I think each of us looks forward to the time of fellowship and conversation sans children. It gives us all a chance to visit and relax in way that is not possible when you have little ones underfoot.
After filling up on lots of dangerous goodies, we gather together for a group picture. After pictures, that have us all in stitches, (we all get the giggles during picture time) we sit around the fireplace in the living room for a “White Elephant” ornament exchange! We can go in circles with this game all the while laughing and cheering each other on as we “steal” each others ornaments. A white elephant gift exchange is a popular holiday party game. Generally, white elephant parties need a minimum of six participants. With a larger group, game play may be more protracted. White elephant parties have been known to result in playful rivalries between players trying to get sought after gifts, in our case ornament! The goal of a white elephant party is usually to entertain rather than to gain. We love this game and have a blast with it every year.
The next big get-together we will for Christmas! Where did the time go? I will have these precious ornament cupcakes set out for our guests on Christmas Eve…
Ingredients- 8 Duncan Hines Red Velvet cupcakes baked in red paper liners
- 8 Duncan Hines Red Velvet cupcakes baked in green paper liners
- 8 Duncan Hines Red Velvet cupcakes baked in white paper liners
- 2 cans (16 ounces each) Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
- 1/2 cup each green, light green, red, yellow and white decorating sugars
- 24 yellow spice drops
- Black licorice laces, cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
- 24 thin pretzel sticks
- 1 cup mini candy coated chocolates (e.g. Mini M&M’s)
- Red hots or candy decors
- Red licorice laces (e.g. Strawberry Peel n’ Pull)
- Assortment of colored fruit chews and fruit leather (e.g. Laffy Taffy, Air Heads, Starburst, Fruit by the Foot)
Baking Instructions
- Spoon 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag; set aside.
- Place the colored sugars into separate small bowls. Spread the tops of cupcakes with the vanilla frosting to mound slightly. Roll the tops of the cupcakes into one of the different colored sugars and coat completely.
- Cut the black licorice laces into twenty four 1 1/2″ pieces. Poke a hole on either end of the spice drops with a toothpick. Bend the licorice laces in half and insert the ends into the flat side of the spice drop to make a loop. Insert an end of the pretzel stick in the rounded end of the spice drop. Press the spice drop assembly, inserting the pretzel stick all the way into the sugared cupcakes to make the top of the ornament.
- Flatten the fruit chews on a piece of wax paper with a rolling pin to a 1/8 thickness. Use clean craft scissors or regular scissors and cut the fruit chews and leather into decorative pieces. Arrange candy pieces on top of the cupcakes to make stripes and lines. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting and pipe dots randomly over the cupcakes and on top of the fruit chews. Press the candy coated chocolates into the frosting to secure.
- Place cupcakes in another paper liner and place into small boxes or serving platter.
Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.
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