STOCKING STUFFER: Brownie Brittle

What a fun riff on conventional brownies. Brownie Brittle was invented by Sheila G. Mains, who liked the crispy, crunchy edges the brownies made in her bakery, decided to make things even crisper. She worked on the recipe until she had crispy square—the same rich chocolate taste as the brownies, but wafer-thin with an amazing…
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TIP: Christmas Pie Crust Cutters

Use pie crust cutters for a professional effect. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.   Make your holiday pies Christmas-special with decorative crust cutters. The cutters make it easy to add seasonal fun to your pies. Just press them into the dough to form appliqués to go atop the pie, or to create cut-out designs in a pie’s…
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RECIPES: Strawberry Santa Hats & Santa Hat Cheesecakes

Fun for kids and adults alike. Photo courtesy CandiQuik.   Here are two fun ideas for Christmas. The first, strawberries decorated as Santa hats, is from Sarah at the CandiQuik blog. Prep time is 30 minutes. For best results, prepare no more than 2 hours in advance of serving.   RECIPE: STRAWBERRY SANTA HATS Ingredients…
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GADGET: Customizable Cookie Stamp

Thanks to Hannah Kaminsky for tipping us off to this great cookie stamp. Whether for the experienced baker who’s looking for something new, or the newbie who wants to surprise friends, this little gadget rocks! Interchangeable letters, numbers, and symbols offer endless possibilities for personalized messages that you create within the frame of the stamp.…
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RECIPE: Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes

Here’s a cheesecake recipe developed for Christmas and New Year’s Eve: Eggnog Cheesecake! These mini cheesecakes with a gingersnap crust are from Driscolls.com. For a clean presentation, invest in a mini cheesecake pan (with removable bottoms); or bake the cheesecakes in festive paper baking cups (also known as cupcake or muffin papers) in a standard…
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