Croquembouche — pate a choux puffs with a creamy filling, dipped in hot caramel, and stacked into a pyramid -- is one of my favorite special-occasion desserts. Sometimes I make a towering one and adorn it with spun sugar, but this year I kept it small, simple, and sweet. The cookie stars look like ornaments on a tree. Use small star cutters (ultimatebaker.com) and medium-size ones (coppergifts.com). Decorate with royal icing, and sprinkle the icing with fine sanding sugar; let stand until set.