December 15th is National Cupcake Day (there are 8 more cupcake holidays).

When a holiday like this falls right before Christmas, there’s only one way to go: Christmas eat cupcakes.

Below:

> Yummy Christmas cupcake ideas.

> The history of cupcakes.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of cake.

> The different types of cake: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 55 cake holidays.
 
 
CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE IDEAS

You can turn thi food holiday into a seasonal holiday party, with a DYO (decorate your own) cupcake party, with holiday flavors and garnishes.

Whether you bake them from scratch or buy plain cupcakes to decorate, here are 10 easy approaches:

[2] Snowman cupcakes © CreatedByDiane.com.

[3] Rudolph cupcake at Trophy Cupcakes. The kids can help make this design!

Before the advent of muffin tins, cupcakes were baked in individual tea cups (hence “cup” cakes) or ramekins. The first reference to these miniature cakes dates to 1796 when a recipe for “cake to be baked in small cups” appeared in the cookbook, “American Cookery.” The earliest documentation of the term “cupcake” was in Eliza Leslie’s Receipts cookbook in 1828 (receipt is an earlier term for recipe). [Source]

Back then, cupcakes were easier to make than cakes because they cooked much faster. It took a long time to bake a cake in a hearth oven; cupcakes were ready in a fraction of the time. [Source]
The cupcake was once known as the 1-2-3-4 cake because the recipe called for 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs—plus 1 cup of milk and 1 spoonful of baking soda.

Muffin tins (doing double duty as cupcake tins) became widely available around the turn of the 20th century and offered a new convenience to bakers of muffins and cupcakes. But the next convenience took a while longer: For easier removal of cupcakes from the pan, paper and foil cupcake pan liners were created after World War II.

An artillery manufacturer, the James River Corporation, began to manufacture cupcake liners when its military markets diminished. By 1969, they left artillery manufacturing behind and became a paper manufacturer. During the 1950s, the new paper baking cup gained popularity with U.S. housewives. Its popularity grew, even more, when bakers realized that they could bake muffins as well as cupcakes in the baking cups [source].

Cupcakes evolved into children’s party fare, but in the last decade, they have taken a more sophisticated turn. First, some younger couples began to choose “cupcake trees” instead of conventional wedding cakes. This prompted a flurry of cupcake articles and recipes, and ultimately the opening of boutique cupcake bakeries nationwide, offering what has become an everyday treat.

 
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*Both receipt and recipe derive from the Latin recipere, to receive or take. Receipt was originally used in medieval English to designate a formula or prescription for a medicinal preparation, and the symbol Rx emerged in medieval times. The sense of receipt as a written statement that money or goods have been received emerged later, at the beginning of the 17th century. In terms of cooking instructions, recipe became an alternative to receipt in the 18th century, gradually replacing it over time. Here’s more.
 

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A fun mocktail is a treat for non-drinkers. Top photo courtesy Ocean Spray. Bottom photo courtesy ASweetPeaChef.com.

Most hosts address the need with soft drinks and mineral water. But special occasions merit an extra step: a holiday mocktail.

It’s easy to make it look and taste interesting, and those who can’t drink will feel special.

For your Christmas mocktail, we suggest something red and green: a red- or rosy-hued drink with a green garnish.

 
CHRISTMAS MOCKTAIL #1: CRANBERRY GINGER

Ingredients

 
CHRISTMAS MOCKTAIL #2: CRANBERRY ORANGE

Ingredients

†The best maraschino cherries by far are the all-natural (and kosher-certified) Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino Cherries. They are “maraschino red” in color but taste great—nothing like the traditional varieties. The company also makes Bada Bing Cherries, with the deep burgundy hue of bing cherries. If you buy multiple packs online, use the extras as stocking stuffers.

‡San Pellegrino Aranciata (orange) and Aranciata Rossa (blood orange), and Boylan’s Orange, are the only ones we’ve found that use sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. San Pellegrino is less sweet and more elegant; Boylan’s is conventionally sweet.
  

You don’t need to buy mistletoe to encourage people at holiday get-togethers to kiss. Instead, substitute this “holiday kissing ball” from Ocean Spray.

First head to the crafts store, then pick up fresh whole cranberries. You can pick up an extra bag or two for a Valentine Kissing Ball (and if you prefer, a foam heart instead of a ball).

DIY CRANBERRY KISSING BALL

Ingredients

 
Preparation

A kissing ball, mistletoe optional. Photo courtesy Ocean Spray.

2. CUT an 18″ piece of wire and fold it in half. Push the folded wire all the way through the center of the ball, leaving a 1″ wire loop extending at bottom of ball and 3″ of wire extending at top.

3. ATTACH the cranberries to ball with a hot glue gun or toothpicks, covering the ball completely. Spray with shellac for longevity (otherwise, the berries soften after 5 days or so, and the appearance will diminish). NOTE: The glue gun is a better choice. If you don’t have one, you can pick one up when you buy the foam ball at the crafts store.

4. TWIST the two wires at top of ball into a simple hook for hanging. Use ribbon to tie the desired holiday trim to wire above and below ball, and hang with a hook.

5. FIND someone to kiss and guide him/her underneath the ball.
  

TOP PHOTO: Homemade cheese straws, made in advance, frozen and heated in the oven. Photo courtesy Cabot Cheese. BOTTOM PHOTO: Stuffed mushrooms. Photo courtesy GoodCook.com.

Make fancy appetizers in advance, freeze them and simply heat them when guests arrive.

Just about every hot hors d’oeuvre can be made up to six weeks in advance and popped into the freezer. Then when the first guests arrive, just pop a baking sheet in the oven.

What can you make? For starters, these 10 crowd favorites:

 
Another time saver: These frozen bites can generally be heated at the same oven temperature for about the same amount of time, so you don’t have to babysit the oven.
 
HOW TO FREEZE YOUR HORS D’OEUVRE

As with anything you stick in the freezer, use airtight containers or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags.

 
WHAT DOES “HORS D’OEUVRE” MEAN?

Hors d’oeuvre (pronounced or-DERV and spelled without an “s” at the end in French, whether singular or plural) are one- or two-bite tidbits served with cocktails. They can be placed on a table for self-service, or passed on trays by the host or a server.

Hors d’oeuvre is French for “outside the [main] work,” referring to foods served outside of the main meal. From the late 17th century through the mid-19th century, popular hors d’oeuvre for the affluent French included clams and oysters on the half shell, stuffed eggs, slices of beef tongue and quail tidbits. [Source]

Talk about excess: In the 19th century, extending into the 20th century, salted nuts, olives, and crudités—the “relish tray” of raw carrots, celery, radishes and the like–would be on the table throughout the meal so people could fill in between courses.

Technically, the term hors d’oeuvre refers to small, individual food items that have been prepared by a cook. Thus, a cheese plate is not an hors d’oeuvre, nor is a crudité tray with dip, even though someone has cut the vegetables and made the dip.

Canapés—small crustless pieces of bread† or pastry with a savory topping—arose in France in the 18th century, with Britain adopting the practice in the 19th century.

Canapés have been joined in modern times by hot options such as baby lamb chops, brochettes (skewers), cheese puffs, crab cakes, mini quiches and many other options. A more modern approach is the mixed appetizer plate, several pieces plated and served as an appetizer (first course). [Source]

Classic French canapé trays. TOP PHOTO: Caviar Russe serves them on a silver tray. BOTTOM PHOTO: Payard sells canapeés that you serve on your own fancy tray.

*A 17th century English idiom, “groaning board” refers to a dining table laden or buffet with a large amount of food. In old literature, we see it referred to regularly by characters staying or supping at a tavern. The “groan” refers to the purported creaking and groaning noises produced by the wood of the table under the weight of the food. At the time, “board” was another word for “table” (and is the genesis of “room and board” and “boarding house”). At major feasts, the large table required was often a long board held up by trestles—think sawhorse held up by wooden legs.

†Stale bread was often used as a base for the toppings, as it had hardened into the consistency of toast. The crusts were always removed to make them more elegant.
  

TOP PHOTOS: Minty marshmallow marvels for Christmas snacking. BOTTOM PHOTO: Buying peppermint candy crunch saves you the time of trying to evenly crush whole peppermints or candy canes. Photo courtesy King Arthur Flour. Photos courtesy King Arthur Flour.

To bring to a party or for homemade gifts, marshmallows are a delightful alternative to cookies. This holiday, from King Arthur Flour, pack lots of peppermint in every bite.

For a milder peppermint flavor, simply omit the optional peppermint oil. (Personally, we love lots of mintiness. We also recommend the optional red gel paste to get the beautiful color in the photo.)

Prep time is 20 minutes to 30 minutes, cook time is 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Marshmallows are best made a day in advance, so they can set in the pan before cutting. Here are step-by-step photos.

Here’s another recipe for no-crunch Green Peppermint Marshmallows.
 
 
RECIPE: PEPPERMINT CRUNCH MARSHMALLOWS

Ingredients For 24 Marshmallows

 
Ingredients

1. COMBINE the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the cool water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Set the bowl aside. Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan (glass or ceramic is best) and a dough scraper, and set both aside.

2. COMBINE the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup cool water in a small, deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 238°F to 240°F on a candy or digital thermometer. Remove from the heat.

4. ADD the peppermint crunch and red gel paste, and mix just until you can see swirls of red and white. Spread the marshmallow into the greased pan with the greased dough scraper.

5. WET your fingers and use them to smooth and flatten the marshmallow in the pan. Sprinkle the glazing sugar or confectioners’ sugar over the top, and let sit for several hours (or overnight) before cutting.

6. USE a greased knife or cookie cutters to make squares or other shapes. You can cut about two dozen 2″ marshmallows or eight dozen 1″ marshmallows (we prefer the larger size for visual impact).

7. WRAP the marshmallows airtight in plastic. They can be stored for several days at room temperature.