10 Last-minute Christmas recipes that will take your holiday to the next level

Need some sweet snacks that get you and yours in the holiday spirit (or at least make the dark and cold more bearable)?

We found 10 simple, crafty, and clever food projects to make your spirits bright.

1. Marshmallow Penguins

How cute are these?

YouTube Screenshot - Deli Wow
Source:

YouTube Screenshot - Deli Wow

They might look like they take a lot of effort, but they’re actually pretty easy. All you need are the following ingredients:

Melted milk or dark chocolate
Jumbo marshmallows
Melted white chocolate
M&MS

Just start by grabbing your marshmallow and putting a toothpick or kabob stick in the bottom. Then dip the back and top into the milk or dark melted chocolate.

Put your white and brown chocolate into a frosting piper. Use the white chocolate to make big dots for the eyes and use the dark chocolate to make two little dots in the center.

See what we mean?

You just need 1 M&M for every two marshmallows because you’re going to use your finger to break them each in half.

Your last step is to put on their eyes and noses before the chocolate hardens completely.

So simple!

2. Marshmallow “hot chocolates”

These little snacks can keep the kiddies quiet for a bit as they figure out how to “drink” their little “mug” of goodness.

This one involves a few more specialized ingredients but the result is well worth it.

Grab the following:

Soft biscuit cookies
Mini candy canes
Edible gold paint (optional)
Chocolate frosting
Edible decor

First, take your marshmallow and break your candy cane at the curve. Then stick the candy cane handle into the marshmallow “cup.”

Now take your biscuit and paint it with your edible gold paint if you’re going all-in.

Then press your thumb into the middle of the cookie to make an indent and put a dab of chocolate frosting in the center so the marshmallow will stick to it.

Any decor you’ve chosen can also be stuck to the marshmallow using frosting.

And to top it off, you’ll just add some frosting and any other decor you want to the top to look like cocoa.

Bottoms up!

3. Marshmallow reindeer

If you want to make Dasher of Dancer or Donner or Blitzen, you’re going to have to choose another bit of edible decor, because here we’re making Rudolph!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Melted milk chocolate
Edible spray gold
Jumbo marshmallows
Decorative sticks
Edible decor such as small red hearts for a nose
Milk chocolate “eyes” from the Marshmallow Penguin recipe above

Note: These take a day to make because they need to cool in the fridge.

Start by putting your melted chocolate into a piping bag with a narrow hole at the end. Now use that to make what looks (at least passably) like pairs of reindeer antlers.

Now, spray them with your edible gold so they’re nice and shiny.

Chill them for a few hours.

And when you’re ready to return, you’ll grab your jumbo marshmallow, put it on a stick, dip it fully in the chocolate, and set it on the parchment paper under your chilled antlers.

A candy heart serves as the nose, while the chocolate “eyes” from the penguin recipe above now become reindeer eyes.

Now you need to chill them overnight so that all the chocolate hardens.

Because you’ll use parchment or wax paper, they should be easy to lift right off in one piece the next day!

4. Chocolate-stuffed Christmas tree

Hey, if you’re going to eat more carbs for Christmas, you might as well do it right! And isn’t this beautiful?

Source:

YouTube Screenshot - 5 Minute Crafts PLAY

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this masterpiece:

One sheet of puff pastry
Chocolate squares (you can break up a candy bar for this)
One egg
Edible decor

Start with a round piece of puff pastry, and begin adding your chocolate squares to the center in the shape of a Christmas tree.

Now take a knife and cut out a divot at the top.

Continue cutting the puff pastry in strips like the photo below (and make two side cuts at the tree “trunk” as well, as shown).

Continue by folding the puff pastry slices onto the chocolate, alternating sides to create a woven look.

When you’re all done, beat an egg and brush it lightly over the puff pastry so you get a nice golden coating.

The last step before cooking is to add your edible decor.

Now, simply bake it in the oven at 350-degrees for 10 minutes and you’ll end up with a delicious, warm, chocolate-filled treat!

5. Cranberry-brie puff pastry pull-apart

Now for something sweet AND savory! Don’t you wish you were cutting into THIS right now?

It looks harder than it is, we promise.

Just gather the following ingredients:

Two round sheets of puff pastry
Cranberry jam
A wheel of brie
Olive oil
Rosemary
One egg

Set out one wheel of puff pastry and spread your cranberry jam in a circle around the outside.

Then, layer the second sheet of puff pastry on top.

Now, simply add your wheel of brie to the center.

Make slices around the outside of your wheel a few inches apart, as you see below.

Then take two pieces and fold them under, pressing the pastry together so they stay in place.

This is what it should look like when you’re done:

Now beat your egg and brush it on top of the puff pastry only.

Also, score the center of your brie with a sharp knife, not too deep.

Add a bit of olive oil to the top of the brie, sprinkle some fresh rosemary over your creation, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Finally, cut off the top of your brie wheel so that you can pull apart the doughy goodness and dip it in the gooey chese!

6. Lazy eggnog snowman

Back to the marshmallows! What can we say? They’re the kind of sugary goodness you can only justify at this time of year.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Jumbo marshmallows
Edible decor
Thin pretzel rods
Dark food coloring
A cup of eggnog (or hot chocolate)

This one is pretty simple!

Start but putting three marshmallows on a pretzel rod.

Now, break a few more rods in half and stick them in the sides to make arms and legs.

Then, using a toothpick, draw eyes and a mouth on your “snowman.”

Find a piece of edible decor for the nose. Anything orange will work!

Do the same thing to create the buttons.

Then, just lay him in your eggnog or cocoa and watch him melt like Frosty!

Cheers!

7. Holiday cookie pops

Rather than handing the kids a cookie and hearing them ask for another a minute later, give them something they can spend a little time admiring (and eating carefully).

All you need for this recipe is:

Oreo cookies
Melted white chocolate
Edible decor

This one certainly isn’t rocket science. In fact, you might as well let the kids help decorate their own.

Simply put a cookie on a stick and dip it into your melted chocolate.

Then place it on some wax or parchment paper and decorate to your heart’s delight!

They may need some time to harden (or you can stick them in the fridge) but that will just build suspense!

8. Puff pastry picks

For a good-looking but easy party snack, try this super-fast recipe that can be either sweet or savory, depending on your mood.

Just grab:

One rectangular sheet of puff pastry
One egg
Sugar and cinnamon (or something savory like poppy seeds and sea salt)

Start by taking a pizza roller and cutting your puff pastry into long slices.

Now fold the pastry on top of itself, creating this zig-zag pattern:

Now just put a stick through it:

Then baste it with your egg wash and sprinkle with your sweet or savory toppings.

Just 15-20 minutes in a 400-degree oven will produce a beautiful, easy, cheap, AND delicious snack!

9. Sledding cookie penguin

Here’s what you’ll need for this fun snack that only looks elaborate:

Oval biscuit cookies
Melted dark chocolate
Frosting, taffy, or cake mastic
Candy canes

You have to get a little crafty here, but it’s well worth it.

First, cover your biscuit in melted dark chocolate. Then allow it to cool down.

Using taffy or cake mastic, you can create eyes, a little belly, an orange nose, and red feet for your penguin and push it into the chocolate.

Now to get the penguin on his sled!

Take another biscuit and add more chocolate. Allow it to sit for a bit until you can place the penguin upright without having him fall over. Then allow everything to solidify.

Mini candy canes act as his sled rails and fit into the chocolate as well.

And now you’re just left to watch people try to eat it. (It should keep the kids busy for a while!)

10. Apple florets

We saved the best for last – a grown-up treat!

And look how pretty it is:

All you need for this beautiful recipe is:

A sheet of puff pastry
Thinly sliced apples
Powdered sugar

While it looks so elegant, it’s just slicing and rolling!

Start by layering your thinly sliced apples on the edge of a rectangular piece of puff pastry. (Use a mandoline so that the apples are thin enough to roll up later.)