Betty Crocker's Holiday Baking Must-Haves + a #giveaway (2 winners) #sponsored

What makes a trend red hot? When it's exciting, fresh and popping up from coast to coast. Betty Crocker Kitchens experts share the 10 trends they can’t get enough of this holiday season—plus recipes to try out in your own kitchen!  The 2013 Red Hot Holiday Trends include various trendy takes on traditional favorites, like deconstructed desserts to unexpected mash-ups, copycat candy to cool cocktails, and even a fresh take on fruitcake. 

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

Ask Betty Holiday Help
 Novice or pro, everyone could use a little help when it comes to high-stakes holiday meals. Betty’s Kitchen experts are on standby to answer consumer’s urgent kitchen questions this holiday season. Submit questions via email and Facebook (responses guaranteed within 30 minutes) between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST daily, Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 20 -23. Test Kitchen experts will also be hosting a live Twitter chat Nov. 21 from 3 – 4 p.m. CST and Dec. 4 from 3 – 4 p.m. CST.

One recipe I love is Fruit Pizza, but at Christmas time it is all about making and giving cookies instead of a big pizza dessert.  Why not take a plate of Fruit Pizza Cookies to your next Christmas party!

Cookie Base

1 package of Betty Crocker Cookie mix and make according to package

Frosting

1 brick Cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp of Vanilla

Fruit (increase/decrease fruit based on preference)

Kiwi (1-2)  - Cut into slices and then in half
Strawberries (1 lb container) -  cut into thin slices
Blueberries  (1 pint container)  - just rinse and pat dry
Mandarin oranges (10 oz can drained and pat dry)

Instructions

•  Line cookie sheets with silicone liners.  Pre-heat oven to temperature on package.
• Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes.   Don't over cook.  
• Cool 10 minutes or until completely cooled.
• In a bowl mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla
• Spread each cooled cookies with cream cheese mixture. Arrange fruit on top of each. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours

I am really excited about making the popcorn!  Seems like a great item to package as a gift!   With my baking in full swing, I must admit I have never made Gingerbread cookies.  So I was super excited to get a package, I can not wait to  cut out little men and decorate them!

Two lucky readers (US only) will each win a gift box of “Betty’s Baking Essentials” including an oven mitt, mixing spoon, Betty Crocker cookie mixes, cookie cutters and iPad stand, valued at $30.  Please wait for the Rafflecopter to load:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


received the above to facilitate this review.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.  Full Disclosure Policy