Christmas Goodies

Use top half of 1 small gumdrop for hat. Trim 2 oblong candies for arms. Use candy-coated seeds for buttons and pom-pom. Poke candy where facial features will go with a skewer; use sticky tip to pick up and place nonpareils for eyes and nose.

Use 1 flattened gumdrop for base of tree. Use 1 small gumdrop for trunk. Cut sides from 1 gumdrop; press sides around top of stick, for treetop. Flatten 1 gumdrop; using an aspic cutter, cut out star. Insert sprinkles for lights.

Trim top of head; top with 1 candy wafer and half of 1 small gumdrop for hat. Using a skewer (see "For Santa"), place nonpareils for eyes, mouth, and buttons. Insert sprinkle for nose.

Use halves of small gumdrops for berries.

Use 1 small gumdrop for stem. Use sequin sprinkles for dots.

Just the right shape for mailing (or hand-delivering) cookies, bright-colored cardboard tubes look even more festive when outfitted in red and white to mimic the season's best candy canes.

Cut strips of adhesive paper in different widths with a utility knife and straightedge and adhere them around bright mailing tubes from office-supply stores.

Choose sturdy cookies, and gently but securely wrap decorative tissue paper around them before slipping them into the tube.

Dip these Christmas standbys in white chocolate and nonpareils for something extra-sweet. For 50 peppermint sticks, you'll need 8 ounces of white chocolate and 1 1/2 cups of white nonpareils.

Candy Sticks How-To
1. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.

2. Dip peppermint sticks in chocolate; spoon nonpareils over chocolate. Stand candy, coated end up, in a loaf pan filled with dried beans; refrigerate until set.

3. Package candy in cellophane bags. Cut rectangles out of card stock the width of the bags.

4. Fold them over the tops of the bags; staple shut. Affix labels over staples.

Ingredients

Makes about 3 quarts

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, (about 2 lemons)
* 5 1/2 pounds Seckel pears, (about 20)
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 3 cups brandy

Directions

1. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water, and add lemon juice. Peel pears as carefully and smoothly as possible, leaving stems attached. Place pears in water as they are peeled.

2. Combine sugar, cinnamon sticks, and 3 quarts water in a large stockpot. Drain pears, and add to pot. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on size and ripeness.

3. Remove pears from liquid with a slotted spoon, and divide evenly among three quart jars.

4. Raise heat under pot to high, and cook liquid until reduced to 2 cups, about 50 minutes. Remove from heat; strain liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. Divide the liquid evenly among the jars, and add about 1 cup brandy, or enough to cover pears, to each. Allow jars to cool, and screw on lids. Refrigerate for several weeks before eating to allow flavors to develop.

Spread cheer with batches of homemade cocktail mixers for Bloody Marys, cranberry cocktails, and apricot-ginger fizzes. Decant them into decorative bottles, available at home stores, and add a label with drink recipes and storage instructions. They'll keep for up to a week and must be refrigerated, so plan ahead.

BLOODY MARY MIXER
For each drink, combine 3 ounces of mixer with 1 ounce of vodka, and pour into a glass filled with ice.

Ingredients

Makes enough for 8 drinks

* 3 cups store-bought tomato juice
* 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

1. Stir ingredients; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

CRANBERRY COCKTAIL MIXER
For each drink, combine 4 ounces of mixer with 2 ounces of vodka in a cocktail shaker with ice; strain into a chilled martini glass.

Ingredients

Makes enough for 6 drinks

* Finely grated zest of 1 orange
* Finely grated zest of 1 lime
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice

Directions

1. Bring zests, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Put juice into a large container; stir in zest mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or overnight. Strain; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

APRICOT-GINGER FIZZ MIXER
For each drink, pour three ounces of mixer into a glass; add three ounces of sparkling wine.

Ingredients

Makes enough for 6 drinks

* 1 peeled (1 inch) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 1/2 cups apricot nectar

Directions

1. Bring ginger, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Put apricot nectar into a large container; stir in ginger mixture. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. Strain; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.