Here are some ways to dress up the “traditional” favorites at your Christmas dinner. 1. Make your usual pie crust, 2-crust version. Line the pie tin, put in the filling, and now it’s time to play. Roll out the second crust and start cutting shapes – using cooky cutters or free form with a knife. At Thanksgiving, for instance, up at my son’s house I was stuck without the “necessary’ equipment so I improvised, just carving out a leaf using one nearby as a model. First one doesn’t work? Pie dough is very forgiving. Roll it up and start again. Your “second chances” are infinite. You could also use something from a child’s coloring book for a pattern.

One idea – cut out 3 rounds for holly berries (use bottle cap or such if you don’t have small round cutter). Then use knife to cut out spiky holly leaves. Or use a Santa Claus cooky cutter. Place these on top of the pie filling and bake away.

2. If you have the time and inclination, when the pie is baked and cooled, then use frosting to decorate your crust decoration. To save time, use those little tubes from the grocery; no one cares how it tastes. The gels are neat.

3. Or decorate with white frosting and candy -- licorice for Santa’s belt, gum drops for eyes, various colored sprinkles, cut up tiny marshmallows, candied fruit, non-pareils, cinnamon drops, etc.

4. Using whatever you have for the top crust – shapes, lattice or solid – apply egg yolk and then sprinkle w/ red or green colored sugar.

5. Do the usual only very different, i.e., make a pumpkin chiffon pie. At serving time, crumble candy canes and sprinkle on top.

6. Add a layer of marzipan or almond paste to the pie. Roll it out into a circle, place it on top of the bottom crust, then add filling. Good with mince meat, apple, pumpkin, etc.

7. For Beef Wellington, encase it in pie dough, then cut out shapes and apply them on top.

8. Make an apple pie or something compatible with cheese and then cut out stars from cheese and apply on top. Sprinkle a few cinnamon drops around.

9. Make a meringue topping (would work for most pies) and then when it’s baked and cooled, sprinkle the top with large white fluffy sugar flakes, like snow. Or colored sprinkles.

10. Sprinkle crushed candy cane chips on top of the pie after it’s baked.

11. After it’s baked and cooled, stick miniature candy canes around the rim. 12. Most fruit pies are compatible with cranberries. Dip cranberries in egg white and then coat with sugar and place on top; they look frosted. You can also use candied fruit – put green citron around red candied cherries like holly berries.

There are lots of ways to dress-up the traditional favorites, and this should give you a good start!

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