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.

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 blueberry bread is so moist and delicious that we guarantee it will become a family favorite! The bread loaf is bursting with blueberries, and it’s topped with a lemony sugar glaze. Serve it for a special Sunday breakfast, or for a light snack. Pair it with some hot Arabica coffee and you’ve got yourself the perfect treat!

Blueberry Bread With Lemon Glaze

Serves 10

Blueberry bread topped with a sugary lemon glaze.

Ingredients

• 1½ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided use
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• ½ cup milk
• 1½ cup fresh blueberries
• 3 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F. Butter and sugar a 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2″ loaf pan. Set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and 1 cup sugar using an electric mixer until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add in lemon peel.
4. Mix in flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin with the flour mixture and end with the flour mixture.
5. Coat blueberries lightly with a small amount of flour and gently fold them into the batter.
6. Add batter to the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when it’s finished.
7. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
8. Remove the loaf from the oven and pierce the top with a toothpick several times. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the loaf.
9. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool completely.

Photos and recipe: A Muse in My Kitchen.

These caramel and chocolate pecan bars are so moist and delicious, we promise they’ll be gone in minutes! Sweet and with the perfect amount of crunch, these bars will set you right in the mood for fall!

Caramel and Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• pinch of salt

For the Filling

• 2 cups roasted salted pecans
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 8×8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray and set aside.
2. To make the crust, combine all the crust ingredients in a bowl and using a fork (or your hands), cut the butter into dry ingredients until evenly distributed and pea-sized lumps are formed.
3. Put the mixture into the prepared pan and pack it down with a spatula. Create an even, flat crust layer.
4. For the filling, evenly sprinkle the pecans onto the crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and set the pan aside.
5. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1/2 cup of butter, whipping cream, and brown sugar. Heat on high for 1 minute, or until melted.
6. Remove the bowl from the microwave and whisk mixture until smooth.
7. Return bowl to the microwave and heat again for 1 minute on high.
8. Remove the bowl and whisk again. Whisk in vanilla and salt.
9. Pour the caramel sauce over the chocolate chips and pecans evenly.
10. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until caramel is bubbling around the edges. Allow the bars to cool for at least 3 hours before slicing or serving.
11. Bars can be kept at room temperature for 1 week, or frozen for up to 6 months.

Photos and recipe: Averie Cooks.

This is the perfect punch for any summer party! With just the right amount of sweetness and fizz, this drink is sure to be a hit with your guests! Pineapple sherbet adds an unexpected twist and the raspberry lemonade Kool-Aid keeps it from being too sweet.

Blue Raspberry Lemonade Punch

Sweet and fizzy party punch perfect for any summer party or get-together. Quick to prepare, this punch will be the life of your party!

Ingredients

• 1 – 12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 – 2 litres of Sprite
• 1 tub pineapple sherbet
• 4 cans warm water (use lemonade can)
• 1 – 2 packets of Raspberry Lemonade Kool-Aid mix

Instructions

1. In a punch bowl, mix frozen lemonade with warm water.
2. Add Kool-Aid and stir until dissolved.
3. Add Sprite and stir.
4. Add a scoop of pineapple sherbet to each cup and pour punch over the sherbet.

Photos: Food Family Finds.

Sherbet is one of those things you can’t get enough of on hot summer days. It’s actually a cross between ice cream and sorbet. The raspberries give the sherbet a tart, but sweet flavor, and the milk gives it a delicious creamy texture. Try making it with blueberries, or mixing various berries together.

Raspberry Sherbet

Tasty raspberry sherbet made with whole milk. Creamy, sweet, and tart, this sherbet is great served as a dessert on a hot summer’s day.

Ingredients

• 3 cups raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/8 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Thaw raspberries until slightly soft. Add raspberries, sugar, and milk in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Over a bowl, strain the mixture to remove any seeds.
3. Stir in lemon juice.
4. Pour mixture in a metal pan (so it can freeze faster), cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until firm. Stir mixture every 45-60 minutes to keep ice crystals from forming.

Photos: The Galley Gourmet, Gourmet Getaways.