Art of Holiday Partying

Tips for ushering in the season with cool appetizers and sweets

The holidays inevitably mean parties and get-togethers with friends and family. Make your next party one to remember with some easy tips that will add a little something special.
Cinnamon sticks add that Christmassy scent to your home. But you can get a lot more use out of them than that. Get a gift tag. Write the name of each guest in calligraphy (for an extra elegant touch) and then punch a hole through the upper right corner. Thread it through a green, gold or red ribbon and tie it firmly into place at the top of each cinnamon stick. Then fill a basket with each of these personalized cinnamon sticks, and place in the centre of your coffee table. The sticks can be used for hot apple cider drinks. Pour hot apple cider in a punch bowl. Add some brandy to taste, and garnish with grated candy cane.
Speaking of drinks, how about a champagne and cherry delight? Fill a champagne glass halfway with bubbly. (This concoction is not suited for fluted glasses. If you do use fluted glasses, the liquid will have longer to travel and will not separate as easily. Wine glasses are a good option). Once half of the glass has been filled with champagne, insert a funnel so that the end is touching the bottom of the glass. Pour some cherry or raspberry liqueur. Then gently remove funnel. The result: the red liquid will remain at the bottom of the glass while the golden bubbly remains at the top half.
For a fun conversation piece, make an edible Christmas tree. You'll need a Styrofoam cone, which you can find at most craft supply stores. Shred several pieces of romaine lettuce or any other lettuce you like. With a toothpick, pin the shreds of green all around until the cone is covered in green. Then pin cherry red tomatoes or any other fruit or veggies you like around the cone so that they resemble Christmas tree ornaments. Place on a large platter and cover the plate with more fruit.
Serving platters could also get a festive makeover with the help of some dessert sprinkles and cookie cutters. Buy some dessert sprinkles in red, green and gold. Get a large serving platter (one in white is the best since it will better show off the designs). Dab some butter or oil on various areas of the plate, or wherever you want to make a design (the butter and oil acts like an adhesive to keep the sprinkles in place). Then take a holiday cookie cutter of your choice and place firmly down where you have dabbed the butter or oil. Drop the sprinkles through the cookie cutter until you have a nice, colourful design (careful not to make it too thick or else the sprinkles won't stay in place). Do this throughout the length and edge of the platter. Once complete, place desserts on the platter.
Brandy and rum chocolate cherries look great and taste even better. After the cherries have been marinated in your choice of rum or brandy for over a week in the fridge, cover them with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Then refrigerate in a Tupperware bowl. When your guests arrive, take the cherries out of the fridge and set on the counter for about one minute. Then serve.
Figs with orange rind and walnuts will add a heavenly scent to your home. You'll need dried figs, orange rind (cut in pieces), honey, walnuts, cinnamon and icing sugar. Cut the figs in half, spread a thin layer of honey on the bottom half. Then top with small pieces of orange rind, a walnut half, a sprinkling of cinnamon powder and close firmly in place. Place on an oiled pan. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 300F. Once done, let the figs cool down. Then sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
Pecan Rum Snowballs are a fun treat, and they are easy and quick to make. You'll need pecans, butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, all purpose flour and salt.
For the perfect party loot, fill sturdy plastic plates with a mountain of treats. Wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon and a candy cane. Attach with a gift tag, and print out your guest's name.

Publication Date: 2004-12-19
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4725