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Get in the holiday spirit with these creative and festive desserts

The holiday season is officially here, which means it's time for holiday desserts! Family Circle Magazine Food Director Regina Ragone joined TODAY to share some of the magazine's most creative Christmas desserts.Peanut Butter Cup TreesMakes 12 treesTree Ingredients:24 Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures (from a 12 oz bag)12 standard-size Reese's peanut butter cups (.75 oz each)12 snack-size Reese

The holiday season is officially here, which means it's time for holiday desserts! Family Circle Magazine Food Director Regina Ragone joined TODAY to share some of the magazine's most creative Christmas desserts.

Peanut Butter Cup Trees
Makes 12 trees

Tree Ingredients:

  • 24 Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures (from a 12 oz bag)
  • 12 standard-size Reese's peanut butter cups (.75 oz each)
  • 12 snack-size Reese's peanut butter cups (.55 oz each)
  • 12 Reese's peanut butter cup minis (from an 8 oz bag)
  • 12 small red or white candy stars (such as SweetWorks)
  • 1 tbsp assorted red or white sprinkles
  • 1 cup Royal Icing (see below recipe)

Refrigerate all peanut butter cups for 15 minutes to chill (this makes for easier handling and unwrapping).

Spoon Royal Icing into a zip-lock bag. Press out excess air and seal bag. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Unwrap peanut butter cups and place on prepared cookie sheet.

Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from bag with icing. Place a miniature peanut butter cup bottom side up on work surface. Pipe a dot of frosting on top and attach one standard-size peanut butter cup bottom side up. Pipe a wavy line of vanilla frosting around top edge, allowing it to hang over edge. Add a snack-size peanut butter cup and repeat with icing, stacking with a second miniature cup and finishing with a mini cup, to make a 4-layer (5 with the base) Christmas tree shape.

Add a star candy to top and scatter some sprinkles over tree. Repeat to create 11 more peanut butter cup trees.

Royal Icing:
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 box (16 oz) confectioners' sugar
  • 6 tbsp warm water
  • 3 tbsp powdered egg whites (such as Just Whites)

Combine confectioners' sugar, warm water and powdered egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Keep covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Reindeer Doughnuts
Makes 12 reindeer

Ingredients:

  • 12 mini (2-inch) chocolate glazed doughnuts 
  • 12 mini unsalted pretzels
  • 1/4 cup vanilla frosting
  • 12 red M&M's megas
  • 24 brown M&M's minis
  • 1 tbsp white nonpareils

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Lay doughnuts, smooth side up, on prepared cookie sheet. To make antlers, use a small serrated knife to cut 3/4 inch from each rounded side of a pretzel, removing center piece.

Spoon vanilla frosting into a zip-lock bag. Press out excess air and seal bag. Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from bag. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting into center of doughnut and attach a red candy, flat side down, into frosting as the nose. Pipe 2 dots of frosting on doughnut above nose and attach brown candies as the eyes.

Insert 2 pretzel pieces into top side of doughnut, cut sides facing each other and about 3/4 inch apart, to make the antlers. Pipe a few dots of frosting on pretzels and sprinkle with nonpareils. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

Marshmallow Santa Pops
Makes 12 pops

Ingredients:

  • 18 white marshmallows
  • 12 white lollipop sticks (available in craft stores)
  • 8 to 10 inches long
  • 12 pink marshmallows
  • 6 mini white marshmallows
  • 1 cup red candy melts (such as Wilton)
  • 1 cup vanilla frosting
  • 1 cup white pearlized sprinkles (such as Wilton)
  • 12 red M&M's minis
  • 1 tube (4.25 oz) brown or black decorating icing such as Cake Mate or Wilton)
  • 1 piece Styrofoam, for holding finished sticks Candies, to fill a container (optional)

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Cut 6 of the large white marshmallows in half crosswise with clean scissors. Insert a lollipop stick into center of uncut side of a marshmallow half and push it about 1 1/2 inches onto stick. Thread a pink and then a whole white marshmallow, flat side onto lollipop stick, pressing them to marshmallow half. Make sure end of stick remains covered with whole white marshmallow. Cut a corner from opposite sides of whole white marshmallow to create a triangle for Santa's hat. Transfer stick to prepared cookie sheet. Repeat to make 11 more sticks. Cut mini marshmallows in half crosswise; set aside.

Place red candy melts in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until smooth, about 1 minute. Dip top of a marshmallow assembly in red candy to cover just the white triangular marshmallow, allowing excess candy to drip back into bowl. Return stick to cookie sheet. Place a mini marshmallow half, cut side down, at top of coated marshmallow. Repeat with remaining marshmallows and candy. Transfer cookie sheet to refrigerator until set, about 5 minutes.

Spoon vanilla frosting into a zip-lock bag; press out excess air and seal bag. Place white sprinkles in a shallow bowl.

Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from bag with vanilla frosting. Working on one stick at a time, pipe a thin wavy line around edge of red candy and press sprinkles into frosting. Pipe Santa's beard, hair and mustache onto marshmallows and gently press sprinkles into frosting. Adjust any stray sprinkles with a toothpick, if necessary. Add a red M&M's for the nose and pipe 2 eyes with decorating icing. Press stick end into Styrofoam. Repeat with remaining sticks.

Arrange finished sticks in a cup filled with candy. Cover Styrofoam with candies, if using.

Peppermint Red Velvet Cake
Makes 12 servings

Cake ingredients:

  • 1 box (16.5 oz) red velvet cake mix
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Chocolate curls ingredients:

  • 8 oz white chocolate
  • 2 tsp vegetable shortening

Frosting ingredients:

  • 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with wax paper. Coat with nonstick cooking spray.

To prepare the cake:Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting buttermilk for water. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake at 350 degrees until firm and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Invert and let cool completely.

To prepare the curls: Chop 4 oz of the white chocolate. Place in a small microwavable bowl with shortening. Microwave, stirring frequently, until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour mixture into a small plastic-wrap-lined loaf pan. Tap on counter to smooth. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. (You will have more chocolate than needed for curls, but to get good curls you need a block.)

To prepare the frosting: Chop remaining 4 oz white chocolate. Microwave 1 minute, stirring frequently until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble the cake: Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add cooled chocolate, beating until smooth, making sure to scrape down sides of bowl. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and peppermint extract. Beat until smooth. Increase speed to high and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

With a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make even. Place one cake layer on a serving platter, trimmed side up. Spread a generous cup of frosting over top. Place another cake layer on top of frosting, trimmed side down, gently pressing into frosting to make level. Spread a generous cup of frosting over top. Place remaining cake layer on top of frosting, trimmed side down, pressing into frosting to make level. Spread a thin crumb coating of frosting all over cake. Place cake in freezer for 15 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, whip heavy cream until fluffy and smooth. Fold into remaining frosting. Transfer chilled cake to serving plate. Spread frosting over cake, making soft swirls with the tip of an offset spatula or a small spoon.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Remove chocolate block from loaf pan; peel away plastic. Holding chocolate with a piece of paper towel to prevent melting, make curls using a vegetable peeler. Place curls on prepared pan. If chocolate or curls become too soft, return chocolate to refrigerator.

Decorate top of cake with curls and peppermint candies.