What The Best Christmas Treats Are For Your Party

1. Christmas Tree Cupcakes 

These Christmas tree cupcakes will be the highlight of your festive celebration! With the help of the Morphy Richards MixStar, they’re perfectly baked using a simple yet delicious Christmas cupcakes recipe. Their charming design and delightful flavours make them an ideal Christmas baking idea for your party. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a beginner, these festive treats will add a touch of magic to your Christmas cupcakes spread!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 

Ingredients: 

• 150g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 175g self-raising flour
• 100g gold or white fondant
• edible gold lustre dust
  or spray (if using white fondant)
• edible sugar balls
  mini chocolate, beans, or multicoloured sprinkles (for baubles)

For the buttercream 

• 300g unsalted butter
  softened
• 500g icing sugar
  sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• green food colouring, preferably oil-based 

Method: 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. In the Morphy Richards MixStar, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and 1 tbsp of flour (to help prevent the mixture from splitting), then beat again. 

Step 2: Sift the remaining flour into the batter and gently mix until fully combined, ensuring no flour streaks remain, but taking care not to overbeat. Divide the batter evenly between the cases, making sure each is at least half full. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Step 3: Roll out the fondant and use mini biscuit cutters to stamp out 12 stars or flowers. Leave them to dry on a sheet of baking parchment. If you've used white fondant, allow the shapes to dry for 5-10 minutes before spraying or brushing them with gold lustre. 

Step 4: To make the buttercream, gradually mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl using the Morphy Richards MixStar. Once combined, beat for at least 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the green food colouring a little at a time, until you reach your desired shade. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe swirls of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes, building them up into a cone shape. Top the ‘trees’ with the fondant stars, then decorate with sugar balls, sprinkles, or chocolate beans to create baubles. 

2. Chocolate orange & cranberry red velvet bombe 

These Chocolate Orange & Cranberry Red Velvet Bombes will be an absolute showstopper at your Christmas party! With the help of the Morphy Richards MixStar, the baking process is effortless, ensuring perfectly mixed ingredients for a delicious, festive treat. The rich chocolate and zesty orange flavours, paired with a hint of cranberry, make this a fun Christmas baking creation everyone will love. These indulgent bombes are sure to impress your guests and add a special touch to your Christmas celebration!

Preparation time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 15 

Ingredients: 

• 175g butter, very soft, plus extra for greasing
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 75g buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 x 10g tubes red food colouring(make sure it’s a bake-safe variety – we used Dr. Oetker)
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

For the ganache and filling 

• 450ml double cream
• zest 2 oranges
• 100g bar white chocolate, finely chopped
• 100g bar dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 200g bar milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 180g tub cream cheese
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 50g dried cranberries, plus extra to serve
• sprinkles and edible glitter (optional), to decorate 

Method: 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease two 16cm hemisphere cake tins, then dust with flour and shake off the excess. Place the tins on two ramekins set on a baking tray to keep them steady. Put the cake ingredients into the Morphy Richards MixStar, add a pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth and evenly coloured bright red. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 

Step 2: Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate-orange ganache and the filling. Pour the cream into a saucepan, add the orange zest, and heat until just steaming. Place half of the white chocolate in one bowl, and the dark and milk chocolates in another. Pour 50ml of the hot cream over the white chocolate (strain it if the orange zest is in large strands), and the remaining cream over the dark and milk chocolates. Leave the bowls for 1-2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Place the cream cheese in a bowl and whisk gently to loosen. Add the icing sugar and the cooled white chocolate and cream mixture, then blend until smooth. Stir in the cranberries and refrigerate. 

Step 4: Once the cakes have cooled, you can begin assembling. With the cakes flat-side up, use a 7cm biscuit cutter to mark a circle in the centre of each. Gently scoop out a 4cm-deep dip in each cake using a spoon (save the crumbs for cake truffles – see tip, left). Remove the cream cheese mixture from the fridge and use it to fill the cavities in the cakes, spreading a little onto the flat surfaces to help them stick together. Invert one cake onto the other to form a sphere, then place it on a wire rack set over a baking tray to catch any chocolate drips.

Step 5: To ice the cake, the chocolate ganache should be the right consistency – pourable, but not too runny. If it’s become too thick, microwave it for 10-20 seconds and stir until smooth; if it’s too runny, chill it until it firms up slightly. Pour half the ganache over the cake, allowing it to cover the sides and drip onto the tray below (the drips can be saved for cake truffles – see Tip). Use a palette knife to spread the ganache evenly over the surface. This is just the first layer, so it won’t fill the gap between the sponges. Chill the cake for 20 minutes or until the ganache has set slightly. 

Step 6: Remove the cake from the fridge and use the remaining ganache to cover the gap around the middle, smoothing it evenly with a palette knife. Return the cake to the fridge for another 20 minutes, or until firm, then transfer it to a serving plate. 

Step 7: Melt the remaining white chocolate in the microwave in short 10-second bursts. Drizzle it over the top of the cake, then scatter with dried cranberries, sprinkles, and edible glitter, if desired. If not served immediately, chill the cake – it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Be sure to remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. 

3. Reindeer Cupcakes

These Reindeer Cupcakes will be the perfect festive treat for your Christmas party! With the help of the Morphy Richards MixStar, they’re easy to bake and come out perfectly every time. These adorable reindeer cupcakes are not only fun to make but also make a delightful addition to your festive spread. Whether you're hosting a large gathering or a cosy get-together, these fun Christmas baking creations are sure to bring smiles to your guests’ faces! 

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 

Ingredients: 

• 200g butter 
• 200g plain chocolate 
• 200g light soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g self-raising flour

For the icing

• 200g plain chocolate 
• 100ml double cream 
• 50g icing sugar

For the reindeers

• 12 large milk chocolate buttons(we used Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons)
• 24 white chocolate buttons
• 12 red sugar-coated chocolate buttons
• black icing pens
• mini pretzels carefully cut in half horizontally 

Method: 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. In a large saucepan, gently melt the butter, chocolate, sugar, and 100 ml of hot water, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly while you weigh the remaining ingredients. 

Step 2: Using the MixStar, stir the eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Add the flour to the Morphy Richards MixStar and mix in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Spoon the batter into the cases, filling them just over three-quarters full. Bake on a low shelf in the oven for 20-22 minutes. Leave to cool. 

Step 3: To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat, stir in the double cream, sift in the icing sugar, and mix until smooth. Once the icing is spreadable, top each cake with a generous layer. 

Step 4: Place a milk chocolate button on top of each cake, followed by two white chocolate buttons above it. Use a small amount of icing to attach a red chocolate button onto the milk chocolate button for the nose. Then, use your icing pens to draw black dots on the white buttons for eyes. Insert the top halves of two pretzels into the top of each cake for antlers, and place the bottom halves of the pretzels beneath the rednosed to form a mouth. 

4. Christmas Crinkle Cookies

These Christmas Crinkle Cookies will be a festive hit at your Christmas party! Thanks to the Morphy Richards MixStar, the baking process is quick and easy, giving you perfectly mixed dough every time. These crinkle cookies are not only delicious but also a fun Christmas baking project to get into the Christmas spirit. Their sweet, cracked texture and festive flavours make them a must-have addition to your holiday cookie spread! 

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 30 cookies 

Ingredients: 

• 60g cocoa powder, sieved
• 200g caster sugar
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 180g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 oranges, zested
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 50g icing sugar 

Method: 

Step 1: Combine the cocoa, caster sugar, and oil together. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until fully combined, using the Morphy Richards MixStar. 

Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, orange zest, mixed spice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add this mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels too soft, chill it in the fridge for 1 hour. 

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 190°C and place the icing sugar in a shallow dish. Roll heaped teaspoons of the dough into balls (approximately 20g each), then coat them in the icing sugar. Arrange the balls on one large or two medium baking trays lined with baking parchment, ensuring they are evenly spaced apart. 

Step 4: Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. They will firm up as they cool, but will remain fudgy in the centre. 

Why not elevate your Christmas party with a selection of festive cocktails? After all your hard work in the kitchen, these delightful drinks will add the perfect finishing touch. They’re sure to be a hit with your guests—everyone will love the deliciously festive flavours! 

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