Ugly Christmas Sweater Pie Recipes

UGLY SWEATER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. In small bowl, place 1 1/4 cups of the batter; stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the green food color. In another small bowl, place 1 1/4 cups of the batter; stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the red food color. Pour remaining cake batter in bottom of pan. Drop tablespoonfuls of each colored batter in random pattern over top; pull table knife through batter to make swirls.
• Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place cooling rack upside down over cake. Turn upside down carefully so cake is on rack, and remove pan. Turn upside down onto another rack, and flip cake right side up. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium bowl, place 1 1/2 cups of the frosting; tint with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons green food color. In small bowl, place 1/3 cup of the frosting; tint with remaining 1/2 teaspoon red food color. Spoon into small resealable freezer plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut off small corner of bag; set aside. Spoon 2/3 cup untinted frosting into another small resealable freezer plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut off small corner of bag; set aside.
• Place cake, top side up, on serving platter. Spread green frosting on top and sides of cake. Using untinted frosting, pipe an upside-down triangle for the V-neck of the sweater in center of cake. Pipe 2 thick lines of untinted frosting lengthwise in center of cake. Pipe 2 red lines horizontally on either side of center line.
• Using photo as a guide, decorate as directed below: Buttons: Place 4 peppermint candies on center line for buttons. String of Lights: Pipe a line using cookie icing, place 2 of each color (blue, red, orange and yellow) chocolate candies on line. Candy Canes: Place 2 miniature candy canes crossed in center into frosting. Gumdrop Flowers: For each flower, place 6 halved pieces in a circle with 1 yellow chocolate candy placed in center. Santa Claus: Pipe a circle of untinted frosting for face, beard and brim of hat. Using red frosting, pipe a triangle for hat, and top with a small dab of untinted frosting for pom pom. Place 2 candy eyes in center of circle. Add a red cinnamon candy for a nose. Christmas Tree: Place 14 green chocolate candies to make a triangle, place 1 yellow chocolate candy on top of triangle for star, place 2 brown chocolate candies for trunk. Reindeer: Place Peanut Butter Cup top side down into frosting. Squeeze small amount of untinted frosting to attach 2 candy eyes and milk chocolate for nose, place halved pretzel for antlers.
• Cut cake in 4 rows by 3 rows. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

NOT-SO-UGLY SWEATER COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just combined. Divide the dough between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with more flour as needed. Cut out sweaters using a 3- to 3 1/2-inch cutter. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut out more cookies. (If the dough becomes too soft, refrigerate 15 minutes.) Arrange the cutouts 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚. Bake the cookies, switching the pans halfway through, until lightly browned around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then remove the cookies to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the icing: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Beat in 5 tablespoons water with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft, glossy peaks form, adding the remaining tablespoon water if needed. You'll need 2 consistencies of icing: a thicker icing for outlining and a thinner, runnier icing for filling (flooding). Adjust the consistency with water as needed. Tint with food coloring, if desired. Transfer to resealable plastic bags, snip the corners and decorate the cookies. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Let set, at least 1 hour.