Merry Christmas ladies! Here is a great idea for some festive family fun, hot cider, and a decadent dessert!
Silhouette Garland
To make each silhouette, start with a piece of felt (available off the bolt at fabric stores) a bit wider and longer than your child posed with her arm raised. Tape it to the wall (use painter’s masking tape to avoid wall damage). Have a child pose against the felt as if holding the garland. With a helper holding a flashlight a few feet away to create a shadow, use chalk to trace the silhouette. Remove the felt from the wall, cut out the figure, and tape it back onto the wall. (I suggest sticking pieces of duct tape to the back of the felt and loops of painter’s masking tape to the duct tape). Create a paper chain to reach from one felt kid to the other, with the names of family and friends written on the links, and tape it in place. To adapt the garland for an only child, have the child pose twice; for bigger families, add more silhouettes to hold up the center of the chain.
Christmas Cinnamon Cider
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
Ingredients:
- 1 quart pasteurized apple cider or juice
- ¼ cup cinnamon flavor hard candies
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon or 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- Cinnamon sticks and orange slices for garnish
In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider or juice and candies. Cook the cider over medium heat until the candies dissolve. Stir in the vanilla extract and spice. Serve warm in mugs garnished with a cinnamon stick and orange slice.
Decadent Chocolate Truffles
(Makes 3½ dozen 1-inch round candy truffles)
- 3 cups (18-oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 (14-oz.) can Eagle® brand original or creamy chocolate sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, colored sugars.
1. Melt chips with sweetened, condensed milk, remove from heat; stir in vanilla
2. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in any of the listed coatings.
3. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Store tightly covered.
4. Serve on festive platter in holiday mini paper cups.
