In large bowl, stir pancake ingredients with whisk until well blended.
Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (375°F).
Brush griddle with vegetable oil if necessary (or spray with cooking spray before heating).
For each pancake, pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbles form on top and edges are dry.
Turn; cook other side until golden brown.
Using 3½- to 4-inch gingerbread boy or girl cookie cutter, cut one shape from each warm pancake.
Decorate as desired using icing, candies and sprinkles.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic
Get these cuties cooking in seconds when you prep everything the night before. Spoon the measured Bisquick mix and spices into a bowl. Measure the milk in a 2-cup measuring cup; stir in the apple butter and eggs until well blended. In the morning, simply dump the wet ingredients into the bowl and mix.
In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and 3 tablespoons milk with electric mixer on low speed until smooth.
Gradually beat in 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until topping is smooth.
Cover; set aside.
In large bowl, stir all pancake ingredients except powdered sugar with whisk until well blended.
Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (375°F).
Brush griddle with vegetable oil if necessary (or spray with cooking spray before heating).
For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle.
Cook until bubbles form on top and edges are dry.
Turn; cook other side until set.
Spoon topping into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag.
Cut off tiny corner of bag; squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pancakes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
*For the best results, liquid food color is not recommended for this recipe.
Make-Ahead Magic
To get a jump on breakfast, make the Cream Cheese Topping the night before. Spoon it into a resealable food-storage plastic bag; refrigerate. Let it stand at room temperature while preparing the pancakes. If the mixture is too stiff to drizzle, knead the bag.
Make-Ahead Magic
You can also prep the pancakes ahead. Measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl; cover. Add the food color and eggs to the milk in the measuring cup; cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to mix the batter.
In small bowl, mix icing ingredients with whisk; set aside.
In 2-quart saucepan, cook filling ingredients over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs with fork or whisk until blended.
Stir in raisins.
Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (375°F).
Brush griddle with vegetable oil if necessary (or spray with cooking spray before heating).
For each pancake, pour about 3 tablespoons batter onto hot griddle.
Cook until bubbles form on top and edges are dry.
Turn; cook other side until golden brown.
Serve pancakes stacked with filling between each pair; drizzle with icing.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic Cook the pancakes ahead of time so breakfast can be on the table in a snap. Let them cool in single layer on cooling rack. Place in resealable freezer plastic bag; freeze up to 1 month. To reheat, wrap frozen pancakes in foil. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, prepare the icing and filling.
In large bowl, stir pancake ingredients with whisk until well blended.
Heat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (375°F).
Brush griddle with vegetable oil if necessary (or spray with cooking spray before heating).
For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle.
Cook until bubbles form on top and edges are dry.
Turn; cook other side until golden brown.
Drizzle pancakes with chocolate syrup; top with whipped cream, marshmallows and sprinkles.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Festive Touch
For a little seasonal “snow,” dust plates or pancakes with powdered sugar. To control the amount, place a tablespoon of sugar in a small mesh strainer. Hold the strainer over the plate and tap the edge of it with a spoon.
1can14 oz sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
Instructies
Spray 9×5-inch glass loaf dish with cooking spray; wipe out excess.
In medium bowl, stir together sugar and 2 envelopes gelatin.
Add boiling water; stir 1 to 2 minutes or until gelatin and sugar are dissolved.
Stir in 1 cup cold water, the schnapps, vodka and enough food color to create bright red.
Pour gelatin mixture through fine-mesh strainer into 3- to 4-cup measuring cup.
Pour ¾ cup peppermint mixture into dish; freeze about 15 minutes or until firm.
(Keep remaining gelatin mixture at room temperature. )
Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, sprinkle 2 envelopes gelatin over ¼ cup cold water.
Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to soften.
Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin is dissolved.
Gradually stir in liqueur and condensed milk with whisk.
Pour through fine-mesh strainer into another 3- to 4-cup measuring cup or pitcher.
When red gelatin is firm, pour ¾ cup white gelatin over red layer; freeze 15 minutes or until firm.
(Keep remaining gelatin at room temperature. )
Continue alternating layers of red and white mixtures three times, freezing until firm before adding another layer.
(Gently rewarm remaining gelatin mixture if it begins to firm up before being added to the layers. )
Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
To unmold, dip loaf dish in warm water a few seconds and gently loosen edges of gelatin with warm knife; turn out onto cutting board.
Cut gelatin into ¾-inch slices.
Cut each slice into five triangles or “trees” with 1-inch-wide bases.
Place on serving platter.
Cover; refrigerate until serving time.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic
Make these irresistible adult party bites up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator.
Festive Touch
Instead of cutting the gelatin into trees, use small Christmas-shaped cookie cutters to form bells, stockings or stars. “Scraps” can be stirred into whipped cream for a jelly shot mousse.
Festive Touch
Add a green tree trunk by cutting green gumdrops into small rectangles. Press one into base of each “tree.” For stars, roll yellow gumdrops with a rolling pin and cut stars with tiny cookie cutters or paring knife. Gently press onto top of trees.
In 2-quart saucepan, stir eggs, ½ cup syrup and the salt until well mixed.
Gradually stir in milk.
Cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture just coats a metal spoon; remove from heat.
Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Place saucepan in cold water until custard is cool.
(If custard curdles, beat vigorously with whisk or electric mixer until smooth.
) Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
Just before serving, in chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons syrup and ½ teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Gently stir 1 cup of the whipped cream and the bourbon into custard.
Store covered in refrigerator up to 2 days.
Pour custard mixture into small punch bowl.
Drop remaining whipped cream in mounds onto custard mixture.
Sprinkle each serving with bacon.
Serve immediately.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic
Get to the sipping part more quickly by making the custard portion of this recipe up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to top with whipped cream and serve.
1bottle1 liter ginger ale or club soda (4¼ cups), chilled
2cupslight rum16 oz, if desired
Instructies
In 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, arrange orange pieces, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and mint to look like a holiday wreath.
Carefully pour enough of the 1½ quarts water along edge of pan to touch at least part of all decorations without dislodging them.
Freeze about 1 hour or until firm.
Add enough water to completely cover decorations.
Freeze until completely frozen, about 3 hours.
Keep frozen until serving time.
Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix simple syrup ingredients.
Cook over medium-low heat about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until simmering, liquid is clear and spices are fragrant.
Cool to room temperature.
Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until cold.
Strain syrup; discard solids.
Refrigerate until serving time.
In medium microwavable bowl, heat 3 cups water until very hot but not boiling.
Add tea bags; let stand 5 minutes to steep.
Remove tea bags; discard.
Cool tea to room temperature.
Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until cold.
In large punch bowl, stir together tea, simple syrup, juices and lemonade concentrate.
Stir in ginger ale and rum.
Briefly run outside of cake pan under warm water; invert pan to remove ice wreath.
Gently slip ice wreath into punch.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic
The flavor of the Fragrant Simple Syrup improves if it rests overnight in the refrigerator. In fact, you can keep it in the fridge up to 1 week before making the punch. The Ice Wreath can also be made ahead and kept in the freezer up to 1 month.
Add cocoa, caramel topping and 2 tablespoons of the sugar to tea.
Heat to boiling over medium heat.
Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in milk; heat until hot (do not boil).
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Cover to keep warm.
In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream, cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Pour hot chocolate into mugs; top with dollops of whipped cream.
Decorate with sprinkles.
(Store remaining whipped cream for another use: Follow Make-Ahead Magic tip below, spooning remaining whipped cream into 8 dollops. Continue as directed. )
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic
To make whipped cream dollops ahead, line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spoon the whipped cream into 12 mounds on the cookie sheet. Top with candy sprinkles, if desired. Freeze about 15 minutes or until firm. Store leftover dollops in a resealable freezer plastic bag.
Festive Touch
Instead of plain dollops, you can make whipped cream decorations. On a waxed paper–lined cookie sheet, spread the whipped cream into a 4-inch square about 1 inch thick. Top with candy sprinkles, if desired. Freeze about 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm. Use 1½- to 2-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Save scraps from the cutouts to add to hot chocolate or coffee.
Kitchen Secrets
If you want to use all of the whipped cream, triple the hot chocolate ingredients to make 12 servings.
