This gingerbread butter popcorn is so addictive, you’ll need to make multiple batches to satisfy your party guests! It’s really easy to make, all you need is popcorn, butter, and spices. The popcorn is then thrown into the oven and you’re finished! The caramel syrup drizzled over the popcorn is just to die for, and it’ll become a holiday tradition in no time flat!

 Photos: Snap Creativity.

Is there anyone that doesn’t like cotton candy? We didn’t think so! If you’re craving this sugary treat, you’d be surprised to know that you can make it at home! Although the homemade cotton candy won’t be as fluffy as the carnival kind, it’s still delicious! This gold cotton candy would be an awesome treat to serve at your New Year’s party this year!

Homemade Gold Cotton Candy Supplies:

1) A whisk that you snipped with wire cutters. This is sometimes called a ‘decapitated whisk’. Take a look at the image below to see what it looks like.

2) Parchment paper

3) Candy thermometer (a must!)

4) 4 cups sugar

5) 1 cup corn syrup

6) 1 cup water

7) 1/4 tsp salt

8) 1 tsp raspberry extract

9) 2 drops pink food coloring

11) 4 tsp creme de cassis (this will give the cotton candy a gold color)

‘Decapitated’ Whisk:

Step #1:

In a large saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has melted. Take a damp pastry brush and wipe down the sides of the saucepan to prevent crystals from forming.

Step #2:

Clip a candy thermometer to your saucepan and keep stirring. Heat to 320 F and pour the hot liquid into a shallow heatproof container. Add in extract and food coloring. Stir.

Step #3:

Line work area with parchment paper.

Step #4:

Dip whisk into sugar syrup and hold it over the pot to allow the sugar to drip back into the container. Hold the whisk 1 foot above the parchment paper and swing it back and forth to create thin strands of sugar on the paper. Repeat multiple times until you have a nest of spun sugar.

Step #5:

Immediately wrap the spun sugar around large lollipop sticks. You can eat this straight away or seal it in an air-tight container. Moisture will make the candy soggy.

Photos: Cooking Books.

These gorgeous lanterns are easy to put together, and the best part is that they’re free! Scour your yard for various greens and drop a few cranberries in for a pop of color. This is an easy way to transform your front porch or yard into an instant winter wonderland!

Step #1:

Grab 2 different sized tupperware bowls. One has to be larger than the other.

Step #2:

Fill up the large bowl with water, stopping 1/3 of the way from the top. Add in your greens and cranberries .

Step #3:

Fill up the smaller bowl with water and place it inside the larger one. This will make room for your candle. Place the bowls into your freezer overnight.

Step #4:

When the lanterns are frozen, you can run the bowls under warm water to loosen them. Place a candle inside and put your new icy lanterns on your front porch or walkway!

Photos: Raised in Cotton.

Try these chocolate snowcap cookies this Christmas – you won’t regret it! They’re really easy and quick to make, which makes these perfect for any last-minute baking this Christmas! For a twist, you can also add in a teaspoon of espresso powder if you want the cookies to have a bit of a kick!

Easy Chocolate Snowcap Cookies

 Photos: Shaws, Buns in My Oven.

Let the adults have a little Christmas fun, too! We’re sure your friends and family will love these tasty jelly shots! They’re made with cherry and lime jello and have a very special ingredient – vanilla vodka! They may look complicated, but they’re so easy to make! Add some whipped cream and mint leaves on top and any red candy you like (we love red Skittles!) and you’re ready to party!

Ingredients:

1) 1 three ounce box cherry gelatin or jello

2) 1 three ounce box lime gelatin or jello

3) 3 packets unflavored gelatin

4) 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

5) 1 1/2 cups vanilla vodka

6) 36 dollops whipped cream

7) 36 mint leaves

8) 72 small red candies (try red Skittles!)

Step #1:

Coat a square dish lightly with cooking spray. Spread the cooking spray around with paper towel.

Step #2:

To make the cherry layer, add 1/2 a packet of gelatin over 1/4 cup of water. Leave it to soak for 1-2 minutes. Add in 1 box of cherry gelatin and 1 cup boiling water. Mix until it dissolves. Add 3/4 cup of vanilla vodka. Repeat this process to make the lime layer.

Step #3:

For the white layer, add 2 packets of gelatin to 1/2 cup of water and leave it to soak for 1-2 minutes. Add in 1 cup boiling water and 1 14 ounce can of condensed milk. Mix until the gelatin dissolves. This will make 3 cups of liquid. Leave it to cool to room temperature.

Step #4:

Add 1/2 of the cherry mixture into the pan. Place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes for the gelatin to set. Once it has set, add 1/3 of the white mixture on top of the cherry mixture. If any air bubbles surface, pop them before placing the pan back in the fridge for 20 minutes. Repeat this process for the lime mixture. Add white over the lime, then cherry, then white, then finish with the lime. Leave the finished pan to set in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Step #5:

When you’re ready to serve the jelly shots, gently pull the edges away from the pan. Invert the jelly onto a cutting board and cut into squares.

Step #6:

Place your jelly shots on a serving tray and top them with a bit of whipped cream. Top the whipped cream with a mint leaf and 2 red candies (to make a holly leaf). Enjoy!

Photos: Tablespoon.

This beautiful pinecone wreath is so easy and cheap to make, which is perfect for those low on time and on a budget! You only need a few basic supplies, along with a bunch of pinecones! Hang it up on your mantle or front door and don’t forget to decorate it with a big bow!

What You Will Need:

1) Pinecones

2) Wire hanger

3) Pony beads (or any regular white plastic beads)

4) Hot glue gun and glue sticks

5) Ribbon or fabric

6) White spray paint (optional)

Step #1:

Shape the wire hanger into a circle, leaving the hook part on top of the circle. You’ll use the hook to hang up your wreath.

Step #2:

Glue one pony bead to the bottom of each pinecone.

Step #3:

String the pinecones onto the wire and adjust them to make them fit together without leaving any gaps.

Step #4:

If you want your wreath to have a snowy look, you can give it a very light coat of white spray paint. Allow the paint to dry and decorate your wreath with a large bow or any decorations you like!

Photos and idea: Do it Yourself Divas.

These reindeer cupcakes are so easy to make, and we’re sure your kids would love to help out with making them and eating them of course! You can use a boxed Devil’s Food cake mix to save on time, which means the cupcakes will be on the table in no time flat! The reindeer antlers are made from chocolate-covered pretzels, the cupcakes are topped with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes.

Devil’s Food Reindeer Cupcakes With Peppermint Buttercream Topped With Crushed Candy Canes

Instructions

Photos: Love Swah.

These snowy cupcakes are a must for your dessert tray this Christmas! They’re really easy to make since you can use cake mix and ready-made frosting. Give them a try and we’re sure that you’ll have the most unique cupcakes on the block!

What You’ll Need:

1) A box of white cake mix

2) 2 containers white frosting

3) Cupcake liners

4) 2 bags of cocoa candy melts

5) 1 bag white candy melts (you can also use white chocolate)

6) Sparkling sugar

7) Granulated sugar

8) Ziploc bags

9) Sheet protectors

10) Tree clip art (there’s tonnes on Google!)

11) Cooking spray

Step #1:

Print out your tree clip art, making several copies of it on one page before printing. Insert your printed clip art into a sheet protector. Grease with a spritz of cooking spray.

Step #2:

Melt the brown candy melts in the microwave. Place the melted candy melts in a Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Pipe the candy melts along the tree design until the image is filled. Don’t worry about it being perfect!

Step #3:

Leave the trees to harden. During this time, bake your cupcakes according to package directions.

Step #4:

When the trees have hardened, it’s time to add the snow! Melt the white candy melts and place them in a Ziploc bag, snipping off the corner. Pipe the candy melts randomly on the branches.

Step #5:

Before the candy melts have hardened, sprinkle the white areas with sparkling sugar. Allow the candy melts to harden completely.

Step #6:

Frost your cooled cupcakes with white frosting and dip them into the sparkling sugar and granulated sugar mixed in a small bowl.

Step #7:

Remove the chocolate tree carefully from the sheet protector. Insert the tree into the frosting on the cupcake. If the tree needs extra support, you can insert a toothpick into the cupcake to hold it up.

Photos: Not Your Momma’s Cookie.

This easy Christmas DIY is cheap to make, and great for those on a budget! You can find everything you need at your local Dollar Store, and it takes minutes to put this fun Christmas tree together! Let’s get started!

Supplies:

1) Cardboard cone

2) Tinsel garland

3) Ornaments

4) Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Step #1:

Start at the top of the cardboard cone and add a bit of hot glue on the pointy end. Attach one end of the garland.

Step #2:

Wrap the tinsel around the cone, adding dabs of hot glue as you go.

Step #3:

If you like, you can add ornaments to your mini tree. Use the hot glue to add ornaments in any way you like to the tree.

All finished! How easy was that?!

Photos: DIY Show Off.

We just love roast duck, but unfortunately it’s one of those dishes people get insecure about when preparing. Have no fear, we’re going to show you the whole process, and you’ll be roasting your own in no time! Serve this duck with roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes, and you’ve got a meal fit for a king! Take a look at the recipe below and make it for your Christmas dinner this year!

To roast the perfect duck it does take a few hours, but it’s incredibly easy to do. This method ensures a duck with crispy skin, moist meat, and no grease. If you’re wondering what to do with all the duck fat that will be leftover, here is a list of things you can use it for:

1) Duck fat goes great with potatoes. Add the duck fat to mashed potatoes instead of butter.

2) Rub it on chicken skin before roasting. It will give your chicken a bolder flavor.

3) Add it to roasted root vegetables, along with garlic, pepper, and salt.

Roasting the Duck

What you will need:

1) A whole Pekin duck that’s 5-6 lbs.

2) Salt

If you like, you can add a glaze to your duck. This one is sweet and spicy:

Sweet and Spicy Hot Roasted Duck Glaze:

1) 1/4 cup honey

2) 1/4 cup molasses

3) 3 tbsp orange juice

4) 1 tbsp soy sauce

5) 1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce

Step #1:

Take the duck out of it’s packaging and take out the innards. The innards will usually be wrapped in paper.

You can freeze all the innards except the liver, and add them to the stock. The liver can be made into a pate by frying it with a little bit of butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mash the liver and spread it onto buttered toast. Yummy! If you aren’t sure which is the liver, it’s the brown thing on the top left of the photo below.

Step #2:

Preheat your oven to 300 F. Rinse your duck under cold water and pat it dry using paper towels. Place a rack in a deep roasting pan and place the duck on top. Sprinkle salt inside the cavity.

Step #3:

Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the duck’s skin on the breast. The key is to cut through most of the fat and not cut into the meat.

Your duck should end up looking like this:

Step #4:

Your duck won’t have any quills, but sometimes there might be a few left. Take those out.

Step #5:

Cut off any excess skin that’s around your duck’s cavity. You can toss the skin, or you can keep it on if you want to get out as much fat out of your duck as possible.

Step #6:

Prick the duck with a sharp knife all over. This will allow the fat to drain easily. The more fat the duck drains, the crispier the skin will be. When you’re pricking the skin, take care not to prick the meat.

Step #7:

Tie the legs together using butcher’s twine.

Step #8:

Fold the wings under the duck.

Step #9:

Sprinkle salt over the duck and place it into the oven.

Step #10:

Allow the duck to roast for 1 hour. When the hour is up, take the duck out of the oven. The skin will still be pale, and only slightly crisp. Pierce the skin again with a knife and you should see more fat drip out. Make sure to poke extra well around the legs, since that’s where a lot of the fat is. Flip the duck over, so that it’s breast-side down. Place the duck back into the oven and roast it for another hour.

Step #11:

When the second hour is up, take the duck out of the oven again. The skin will be more brown this time. Prick the skin all over again and flip the duck so that it’s breast-side up. Place the duck back into the oven and roast it for another hour.

Step #12:

When the third hour is up, take the duck out of the oven. The duck should be browner, and the skin crispy. Prick the skin and flip the duck so that it’s breast side down.

Step #13:

In the last hour while the duck is roasting, it’s time to make the glaze. In a saucepan, add honey, molasses, orange juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Whisk the mixture constantly on medium-high heat. It will become thick. Set your glaze aside until your duck is finished.

Step #14:

When the fourth hour is up, take the duck out of the oven and turn up the heat on your oven to 400 F. The duck should look like this:

Step #15:

If you want to save the duck fat, take it out of the pan now. Take the duck rack out and pour the duck fat into a container. Do this before glazing the duck.

Step #16:

Put the duck rack back in the pan. Flip the duck over so that it’s breast-side up. When the oven heats up to 400 F, place the duck back into the oven for around 10 minutes. This will help the skin crisp up more.

Step #17:

When the 10 minutes are up, take the pan out of the oven. The skin of the duck should be crisp and brown like this:

Step #18:

Brush the glaze onto the duck until it’s covered completely. Place the duck back into the oven for 5-7 minutes.

When the duck is finished, it should look like this:

Step #19:

Allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. Enjoy!

Photos: Jemma Watts, Citrus and Candy, The Hungry Mouse.