Get inspired by Betty Crocker’s top 10 holiday trends and their accompanying recipes, perfect for any occasion, crowd or craving. A slideshow of the trends and the accompanying recipes can be found at www.BettyCrocker.com/redhot. I can't wait till we start our baking for Christmas this weekend. I am very excited to try out some of these recipes myself. We have family coming over on Christmas Eve and I'm really looking forward to trying out the "New Fruitcake" recipe on them!
1. Sweet & Savory Cookies
A biscuit-shortbread hybrid from France, sablés have been named the cookie of the year in our test kitchens. For a salty-sweet flavor contrast, we added an unusual savory element—Kalamata olives!—and dark chocolate chips. The result? Mind-blowing, melt-in-your mouth goodness.
• TRY Chocolate-Dipped Olive Sablés
2. The New Fruitcake
A modern take on a Christmastime classic, this luscious two-layer cake, studded with whiskey-soaked fruits and filled with sweetened mascarpone, will be the belle of any holiday ball.
• TRY Upside-Down Apple Cake with Whiskey-Soaked Fruit
3. Crafty Cookies for Kids
Bake your way to fun family memories with our super-easy DIY (Decorate-It-Yourself) Cookie Tree. With infinite possibilities for personalization, it’s as fun to make as it is to eat. (Almost!)
• TRY Decorate it Yourself (DIY) Cookie Tree
4. Global Flavor Flights
In search of a fresh holiday party staple? Look no further than our crowd-sized flight of mini cheese balls. With bases made from both cream cheese and goat cheese, it’s the globally inspired mix-ins that turn these small bites into something truly memorable.
• TRY “Around the World” Cheese Ball Flight
5. All-American Pastries
From doughnuts to shortcakes, our love for all-American pastries is a year-round affair that never gets old. For a quick upgrade to your brunch-bread basket, try these light-as-a-feather popovers, made easy with help from Bisquick.
• TRY Mini Popovers with Flavored Butter Trio
6. Popcorn Reinvented
From cupcake toppings to fro-yo mix-ins, bakers and bloggers have been adding popcorn to sweets in quite creative ways. This semi-homemade fudge features store-bought caramel corn, a thick layer of dulce de leche, a generous sprinkling of sea salt and – what else?—more crunchy caramel corn.
• TRY Triple-Caramel Popcorn Fudge
7. Jam Cocktails
No longer just toast-toppers, jams, jellies and preserves are making a splash in the craft-cocktail scene. For this interpretation of a classic Manhattan, shake up some bourbon, bitters, vermouth and your favorite cherry preserves with some ice, strain… and drink up.
• TRY Cherry Jam-hattan
8. Copycat Candy
A dead-ringer for our favorite chocolate peanut butter cup, these peanut butter cookie-filled brownies are poised to be the hit of the holiday baking season. Bonus? Made in a big batch, they freeze perfectly.
• TRY Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
9. Merry Mash-ups
Why settle for one dessert when you can have two? We combined rich blondies with a chewy macaroon topping to create a crowd-pleasing bar that epitomizes a modern dessert mash-up.
• TRY Brown Butter Blondies with Macaroon Topping
10. Communal Food
To us, the best part about party food is enjoying it with loved ones. Ideal for holiday open houses and impromptu gatherings, these fully loaded spicy pull-aparts can be baked in batches as company (or hunger) arrives.
• TRY Spicy Three-Cheese Bacon Bites
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