Chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods
Choose your favorites: mini donutsmini brownies, mini cinnamon buns, shortbread cookies, chocolate-dipped cookies, ginger cookies, pretzels, Oreos, pound cake, fresh fruits for dipping like strawberries, and Christmas candies.
Instructions
In a medium bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla extract on high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Separate the buttercream frosting into four separate bowls. You'll need about one tablespoon to color black, two tablespoons of frosting for white, and ¼ cup of frosting for the color red. The remainder of the frosting can be colored brown.
Place all frostings into tipless piping bags – one color per bag.
On a large charcuterie board (pictured here is a 12" x 20" board), start by making two large overlapping brown circles. The bottom circle should be in the middle of the board. I make this bottom circle (the nose and mouth area) a double layer of frosting, so it is thicker than the top circle (eyes area).
Then take the red frosting and make a large circle for the nose. Use the white frosting to make the eyes. Then use the black frosting for the pupils and a smile.
Use chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods to make antlers at the top of the head.
Fill the rest of the board with the cookies and other sweets you have to dip into the buttercream.
Notes
Equipment: measuring cups and spoons of various sizes medium mixing bowl small mixing bowls spatula electric mixer tipless piping bags charcuterie board (suggested size 12" x 20")