Easy and Beautiful Christmas treat

Yesterday, I was in a rush and trying to come up with a quick yet beautiful "back up" treat for an event I went to. I thought brownies would be good, but wanted it to look great. I made brownies from a mix in a 13x9 pan (I've vowed not to do this often, but have a couple of boxes on hand) and 4 c. of cream cheese frosting (my favorite is in the Betty Crocker Cookbook, pg. 88). Then I asked for design help from my most artistic child. I had just gone grocery shopping and purchased all sorts of candies for a homemade gingerbread house. After looking through a wide assortment (not usually available in our home), we came up with something simple and (dare I say) elegant. See photo.
The Boston Baked beans look exactly like raspberries and hold up so much better. The brownish looking leaves are honey roasted sunflower seeds.  Have a wonderful and stress free Christmas season!

For more recipes, check out the breakfast casseroles, Christmas treats (posted March 2012) and sauces for homemade fun. Some are simple and some are time consuming - whatever fits your schedule and talent level.