5 Candy Cane Ideas for your Holiday Party!

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The Candy Cane. It’s one of the most iconic representations of the Holidays, with out it, no Holiday party is complete. Here’s a list of 5 great ways to include the Candy Cane into your Holiday party!

#1

Candy Cane Invitations

Using a box of candy canes, some white or red card stock, and ribbon. Cut out squares 3 x 4 inches wide and write all of your party details on the inside. Hole punch the card in the top left-hand corner and string ribbon through to attach to your candy cane.

#2

Candy Cane Decorations

Go full red and white for everything, including tablecloths, plates, flatware and cups. Use red and white balloons, and if your parties location has any white columns, wrap them in some red ribbon!

Candy Cane Candles

Supplies

Pillar candles

Double-stick carpet tape

Candy canes

Instructions

1.Wrap the candle base with tape.

2.Press the candy canes onto the tape, continuing around the diameter of the candle.

#3

Candy Cane Cocktail

Ingredients

1 candy cane, crushed, for garnish

2 ounces strawberry vodka

4 dashes white creme de menthe

2 1/2 ounces cranberry juice Ice cubes

Directions

1.  Place crushed candy canes on a small plate or saucer. Wet the outside rim of a chilled martini glass with water. Holding the glass by the stem, rotate the rim to coat with candy.

2.  In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, creme de menthe, cranberry juice, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into prepared glass; serve immediately.

#4

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and the sugar has mostly been dissolved. Stir in milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and peppermint extracts.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk just until batter is smooth. Measure out one cup of batter and place it back in the medium bowl.

Add red food coloring to this bowl and whisk to incorporate. Put a spoonful (approx 2-3 tsp) of the white batter into the center each cupcake paper and let it spread slightly on its own. Put a spoonful of red batter in the center of the white. It will push out the other batter and, as it sits for a moment, will also spread itself. Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters and trying to keep the amounts as even as possible (after the first layer, I used smaller amounts of red and white with each spoonful), repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

…with Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract Easy-Add clear vanilla extract Add to shopping list clear vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

2 tablespoons milk

5 crushed Candy Canes

Makes:

About 3 cups of icing.

Directions

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Ice cupcakes and then sprinkle crushed candy canes on top!

Try Amazon.com for Candy Cane Cupcake Cups!

#5

Candy Cane Games

Supplies

Wood Chopsticks

Candy Cane per team

Directions

Divide guest into teams.

Set up a two lines, one is the starting line and the other is the turn-around line.

Each team player is given a chop stick and they all line up behind each other at the start line.

The first team player is given the candy cane to hang on his chopstick.

The object of the game is to have each player walk to the turn around point and back to the start line while keeping the candy cane on their chopstick, using only one hand to hold the chop stick.

If the candy cane falls off the player must start again at the start line.

When the player returns successfully to the start line, they must slide the candy cane onto the next person’s chopstick.

Once a team player has completed they go to the back of the line and sit down.

The first team to have all players successfully go up and back with their candy cane wins!

Spider Brownie Bites

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Fudge Brownies for Spider Bites
Ingredients:
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Heat butter and chopped chocolate in microwave on low. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and smooth.
3. In a mixer, add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
4. Add the melted chocolate and butter to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
5. Add flour and mix until combined.
6. Spread the brownie batter in greased pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until done.
7. Let cool.

If you want, you can also use brownies from a box mix and just follow the decorating instructions below.

Makes 25 spider bites, more if your roll into smaller balls.

After the brownies are cooled, (they can be still be slightly warm) cut 25 equal brownie squares, trimming off the outside edges first. This will help when you start to roll them.

These brownies were so moist and moldable already, I decided to try rolling them without using any frosting. And it worked out just fine. The brownie balls in the photo above are all brownie and actually pretty easy to roll. The only hard part is trying not to pop them in your mouth before you get to the actual decorating.

To decorate:
1-2 16 oz. packages of chocolate candy coating (also called confectioner’s coating, candy melts or bark coating)
10 licorice wheels
50 raspberry gumdrops (you can also use m&m’s or other red candy)
Black non-nonpareils
Confetti color stick sprinkles

Prepare the licorice legs first. Unroll one licorice wheel at a time and cut it into as many 2 3/4 inch sections as you can. See how the strand is doubled up in the picture above. You can separate each strand of licorice by pulling apart the two pieces. Start on one end and pull the two pieces apart, leaving them attached at the other end.

Repeat until you have four pairs of legs for each spider body. (totaling eight licorice legs each.) Set them aside until ready to use.

Prepare the raspberry gumdrop eyes second. All you do for these is cut small pieces of the leftover licorice and press directly into the tops of these raspberry candies. The candies are soft, so don’t be afraid to press down firmly to get the licorice pieces to stay.

Start dipping! Place the candy coating in a small, deep microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on low in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Repeat until melted and smooth. Don’t overheat the chocolate.

Drop the ball in the bowl of chocolate coating. Don’t stir or move it around. Then cover it by spooning more melted chocolate over the top, completely covering the brownie ball.
Then, using the same spoon, lift it out of the chocolate and tap the handle of the spoon on the edge of the bowl. This will force any excess chocolate off the ball and back into the bowl. When most of the excess has fallen off, transfer the ball to a wax paper covered cookie sheet and immediately sprinkle a few black non-nonpareils on top. Repeat with remaining brownie balls.

Let the spider bodies dry completely before applying the rest of the decorations.

Use the remaining chocolate candy coating to attach the licorice legs and candy eyes. You won’t need much, so just reheat what is left in the bowl that you used for dipping. Place the top (attached) part of the licorice leg pair in the coating and then attach it to the side of the spider body. Hold in place for a few seconds while the chocolate sets. Repeat with remaining legs. Don’t move the spiders until the coating has completely set with the legs attached.

Then, use more candy coating to attach the raspberry candy eyes and let dry.

For the finishing frightening, touch, insert two sprinkles for fangs (I used white confetti color stick sprinkles). Just push them right in and have a frightfully Happy Halloween!

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Pumpkin Bars

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Ingredients

Bars:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 15-ounce can pumpkin
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

  • 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

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Happy National S’mores Day!

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S’mores are a great summer treat. They are very delicious and bring everyone together around the campfire. Rise and Shine Catering loves s’mores! They are easy to make and yummy to eat. There are many different ways to make s’mores, but the easiest way is with a graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow, and fire. You can also put peanut butter on your s’more to add a new taste. S’mores can also be made into cookies or brownies. Yum! Celebrate your National S’mores Day right by eating one of these delicious little treats.

Easter Treats? We got it in the basket!

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Easter Treats?

We got it in the basket!

You are just in time to add a few sugary treats to your Easter celebration. Whether you are having an extravagant Easter Event or an intimate dinner with your immediate family, these little morsels are sure to make your celebration one to be remembered. Our favorites at Rise & Shine are: Giant Easter Egg Sugar Cookies, Tuxedo Peeps, Pink Bunny Cupcakes, Cracked Egg Cookies and Sorbet, and Robins Egg Meringue Nests. Children and Adults alike will sing your praises after trying one of these yummy treats!