5. Do 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 pie. Roll it out into a circle, place it on top of 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 top with large white fluffy sugar flakes, like snow. Or colored sprinkles.

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

11. After it’s baked and cooled, stick miniature candy canes around 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.

13. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar, like snow.

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

At serving time you can add some decorations piping colored whipped cream, or using cherries and leaves again, but my favorite is to leave it elegantly white. “Boule de niege” is French for snowball!

BEEF WELLINGTON

Make a mixture of Dijon mustard and those colored peppercorns that are red, green and white - a "four-color mélange” is available here: http://www.happycookers.com/wc.dll/products/divulge/3-1918.html . Coat beef with this before you encrust it. You can also use this on turkey, Prime Rib, or Crown Roast. For a photo, go here: http://www.zinos.com/cool/zinos/author_area/preview_article?;AR008410 .

P.S. Be sure and put dough cut outs atop Beef Wellington, too!

INDIVIDUAL TRIFLES

Here are some really cute star-shaped Christmas bowls ( http://www.happycookers.com/wc.dll/products/divulge/1-21856.html ). Make trifle and put them in these dishes. Then smooth over top with whipped cream.

MASHED POTATOES

Mash them and put them in a serving bowl. Then sprinkle just enough cayenne and parsley flakes for color.

PARFAITS

Here’s a super easy, cheap, and very eye-appealing dessert.

Version 1: Fill fluted glasses with vanilla ice cream, or peppermint. Drizzle green crème de menthe and chocolate over it. Add maraschino cherry – red or green. If you use red cherry, add green mint leaf.

Version 2: Use vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce, and sprinkle crumbled candy cane over it.

TRIFLE

Trifle is, as I’m sure you know, a cold dessert made with liqueur-soaked sponge cake, layers of fruit, jelly, custard and whipped cream. It makes a great Christmas dessert because it can be made well ahead of time, it’s got cheap ingredients, it’s not familiar to a lot of people and they think it looks intricate to make, and … presentation!

For instance since ingredients are so cheap, why not buy Spode Christmas tree soup tureen – “just” $348.95 (instead of $535.00) at amazon.com kitchenware. j.k.

However, put trifle in a tureen and then put a layer of whipped cream on top smoothing it completely (use a warm wet flat spatula). What makes it special is people will keep trying to “pick up lid” which is whipped cream, and there are fingerprints all over it and lots of laughs and “oohs” and “aahs.”

VEGIES

Put chopped red peppers in among peas, Brussels sprouts or broccoli; chopped green pepper in with tomatoes. Cut stars out of cheese and place atop casserole.

Don’t do all of these things; that’s too much. Choose one or two.

AND DON’T FORGET TO DRESS THE HOSTESS

A Christmas apron is always fun. Here’s a Santa one with matching hat: http://avalonusa.com/christmas/aprons.htm , a sexy Santa girl apron ( http://www.incrediblegifts.com/sagichap .html ), and my personal favorites – affordable white cotton with ruffles, Christmas tree, gingerbread men, spoon and candy cane ( http://www.asianhomeandcrafts.org/apronbib.html ). For more sources, go here: http:/ opten.org/public/BI/BI324.html .