Sweet Holiday Treats
Tasty decorations from BrightIdeas.com

Christmas Tummy Yummies
Holly Jolly Snowmen
Christmas Wish Pie
Holiday Ornament Dessert
Christmas Chocolate Drops

(Family Features) - Invite everyone to join the fun and celebrate the season, by hosting a holiday party to:

• Create take-home edible crafts.
• Make edible decorations; donate to a local shelter.
• Trim the tree while nibbling on sweet treats.
• Go caroling; return home to enjoy holiday sweets.
• Create plates of "Santa's treats" to share.

Download more holiday family fun activities, along with party invitations, recipes and creative ideas for celebrating all year long at www.BrightIdeas.com.

Christmas Tummy Yummies
Makes 15 trees
Prep time: 15 minutes
Decoration time: 15 minutes
Refrigeration time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

2 bags DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate
1 1/4 cups finely crushed candy canes or peppermints
2 cookie sheet pans

1. Line the cookie sheet pans with foil; set aside.
2. Melt the DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, then remove and stir the chocolate. Return to microwave for another minute, or until all remaining pieces have melted. Fold in 1/4 cup of the crushed candy canes. Spread the mixture onto prepared sheet pans with a spatula or back of a spoon. Tap the pan lightly on a counter to remove any air bubbles from the chocolate.
3. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over the top of the chocolate. Refrigerate until set, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Use a warm knife or a warm tree shaped cookie cutter to press-out the tree shapes. Transfer to a wax paper lined pan and refrigerate until ready to serve. Chop the scraps and use as a topping for ice cream or cake.

Holly Jolly Snowmen
Makes 4 snowmen (approximately 4 servings)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Decoration time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate

20 cups popped popcorn (1 cup unpopped)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 bag M&M'S® Brand MINIS Milk Chocolate Candies
4 DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate
4 chocolate wafer cookies
1 tube white decorating frosting

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Spread popcorn on 2 sheet pans and place in oven to keep warm.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup and salt in medium saucepan. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat and cook until sugar is dissolved and mixture becomes thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
3. Transfer popcorn to very large bowl and toss with sugar mixture until completely coated. Stir in M&M'S® Brand MINIS Milk Chocolate Candies, leaving a handful aside for decoration.
4. With well-buttered hands, shape popcorn mixture into 3 different size balls: 2-inch, 3-inch and 5-inch.
5. Stack popcorn balls in descending sizes, using a wooden skewer pressed through center as support. For variation, make some snowmen using three different size balls and others with only two different size balls.
6. Use decorating frosting to attach M&M'S® Brand MINIS Milk Chocolate Candies for scarves, buttons and faces. To make hat, stack 1 DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate on top of 1 chocolate wafer and attach with frosting.

Christmas Wish Pie - For this tasty holiday recipe, go to www.BrightIdeas.com.	Holiday Ornament Dessert - For this creative holiday recipe, go to www.BrightIdeas.com.

Christmas Chocolate Drops
Makes 36 cookies
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

1 bag DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate
8 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups chopped nuts: such as walnuts, pecans or toasted almonds

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 sheet pans with foil and set aside.
2. Melt half of DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate with butter in top of double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, roughly chop remaining chocolates and set aside.
3. To make batter, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in small bowl; set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and light yellow, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour mixture and cooled chocolate and beat 1 minute. Fold in remaining chopped DOVE® Brand Miniatures Dark Chocolate.
4. Drop tablespoons of batter onto prepared cookie sheet pans about 2 inches apart. Bake approximately 10 minutes, or until just firm. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before removing from pans.

SOURCE: BrightIdeas.com