(NAPSA)—Theholiday season is a beautiful and busy time of year. From shopping to decorating to baking, it seems the “To Do”list is never ending—especially when you are hosting a holiday party of your own. As the party hostess, making the meal can feel like a daunting job—especially dessert, which is often the culmination of the party’s success. However, with some good planning and smart shortcuts, you can take the stress out of holiday desserts. Here are some tried and true tips for making holiday dessert preparation easier—without sacri- ficing any of the delicious flavor andpresentation: Select the dessert recipe carefully. If you choose a recipe requiring a lot of complicated preparations, it can add a lot of stress to the meal service. Avoid last minute holiday baking emergencies. Before the holiday craze begins, stock the pantry well with bakingstaples, such as flour, sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie filling, chocolate morsels, vanilla, baking powder and baking soda. Take advantage of shortcuts! Save time by using pre-packaged cake mixes and refrigerated cookie doughs—and then add your own personal touch with decorations. Remember that there are many excellent online resources for last minute questions or problems such as VeryBestBak ing.com. Recipes that can be prepared in advance help to reduce partyprep stress as well, like this one for Individual Pumpkin Custards. Without a crust, these single-serve treats are delightfully easy to make—and lower in calories* too! In addition, the filling can be made and frozen for up to one month before the event. * See VeryBestBaking.com for nutritional analysis. er iy) Celebrate the holidays with delicious stress-free holiday desserts. Individual Pumpkin Custards (Makes8 servings) % cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon % teaspoon ground ginger % teaspoonsalt 4’ teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin . 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLE CARNATION Evaporated Fat Free Milk PREHEATovento 300 F. MIX sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugarspice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. If desired, cover and freezefilling for up to one month. When ready to bake, simply defrost, mix well and proceed with recipe. POUR into eight 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins on bakingsheet. BAKEfor 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in custard halfway between center and edge of ramekin comes out almost clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with dollop of light whipped cream, if desired. Look for the LIBBY’S Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe and other delicious holiday desserts on VeryBestBaking.com.
