Not every winter day looks like a wonderland. For every perfect, powdery snow day, we'll have many more gray, rainy or slushy ones. But with these recipes, you can turn every day into a day meant for building snowmen — just in the kitchen, instead of outside.
Photography by Matt Armendariz
Snowman Hand Pies
These smiley treats have tons of homemade flavor, but store-bought pastry crust means they are super-easy to make. Marmalade filling and lemon juice cut the icing's sweetness, and a touch of chocolate brings it all together.
Give this comforting drink some extra personality with whipped cream, a few chocolate chips and a dried apricot. We challenge anyone not to grin at these rotund characters — the chubbier the glass, the cuter the snowman.
With just a few extra ingredients (bacon, whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate chips) your regular snow-day pancakes morph into an even more cheerful, on-theme breakfast.
Pillowy Swiss meringue is perfect for making an army of teeny snowmen. It's very stable, the texture is smooth, and the snowmen bake up crisp, light and pale white. They're tasty alone, but also make cute cupcake toppers.
The olive-slice eyes and mouths and the bell pepper noses give personal pizzas happy faces while the creamy ricotta and fresh garlic pack in the flavor. Serve these to your family for a fun weeknight dinner or to your guests as a party dish they'll devour.
A classic cheese ball is transformed into a festive holiday hors d'oeuvre with a few simple additions, like a carrot nose and black-olive eyes. Serve with crackers for a silly (and, of course, delicious) party snack.
Turn your weekend morning into a mini celebration by dunking a snowman dipper into a warm mug of chocolate-flavored coffee (or hot chocolate for the kids).
