Orange Mandarins and Cookies
Hosting a Christmas open house can be such a joy—especially when everything is thoughtfully planned in advance. Keep it simple and don’t overthink it. The true goal is to spend meaningful time with friends and family, not to be tied up in the kitchen.
In our home, we like to divide the responsibilities: Klaus takes care of the food and beverages, while I handle everything else.
We have all been to countless gatherings were most likely a fruit platter from some grocery store was part of the food selection. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting some help, but here is an alternative. Baby mandarin oranges not only are seasonal in winter, they look cute, and taste so much better than a slice of half ripe melon.
If you have a glass bowl or one that has cut outs like ours, a string of fairy lights adds a festive touch to it. Then place the mandarins in the bowl. Leave some half wrapped to add some colour. And finally place a few clusters of wrapped chocolates as a finishing touch.
The cookies on this platter were all store bought. Of course they don’t taste as good as homemade ones but they disappear just as fast.
This platter showcases an array of German Christmas cookies. We buy them every year at the Christmas market in Vancouver.
Arranging the cookies in groups makes it look a bit more elegant. A couple of cookie cutters are added as an accent of fun.
2019/2026
