Here are a couple of recipes that I have tucked away in my cookbook. I did make marzipan one christmas to make minature fruits for decorating a cookie tray. It worked out well. Don't know about the total yeld, but think you could make a couple of batches.....or adjust the ingredients to suit your purpose. (Bought some marzipan once, but it did not have a good taste, so it was a waste of good money. That is when I decided to make my own!) ALMOND PASTE 100 g blanched almonds 100 g icing sugar egg white 2 ml almond extract Grate the almonds finely and mix with the sieved icing sugar in a bowl. Mix in egg white, little at a time, until you get a soft and kneadable mixture. Add the almond extract and continue kneading with your hands. Wrap the almond paste tightly in plastic. Use it to make candies, to cover cakes or to fill traditional Finnish shrove buns. Almond paste may be coloured and flavoured with food colourings, cocoa powder and various essences and extracts. There is enormous confusion about the difference between what we call "almond paste"and what some confectioners call "marzipan," and candy manuals are not much help. Some would say our recipe is one for marzipan, others would say, that it's almond paste. But whatever name, you can use the paste made by this recipe in pastry and cake fillings, as well as to make small candy shapes that you can tint, using a small brush and food coloring. The advantage of making your own, over most of the versions available in shops is the absence of inexpensive fillers and excessive bitter almond extract that compromise the delicacy of the flavor. Those with nineteenth century leanings might prefer rose water to the almond extract in the recipe. (Nice for wedding or special cakes.) Well wrapped and refrigerated, the paste will keep for many months. .1/2 pound whole, blanched Almonds 2 tablespoons Water (for processing almonds) 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup Water (for the syrup) 2 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract, or more to taste Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and spread the blanched almonds on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring frequently, until they are heated through but not browned. While the almonds are still hot, put them into the container of a blender or food processor and grind them as fine as possible, adding the 2 tablespoons water gradually and stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally. When you pinch a bit and feel no coarse grain, the nuts are fine enough. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup. Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in the flavoring. Start the blender (or food processor) and add the hot syrup in a thin stream through the feeder opening in the cover. Continue to process until the mixture is uniform. Cool the almond paste and pack it into a jar, or wrap it in plastic, allow it to ripen in the refrigerator for a week or so before using it. (If necessary to soften the almond paste after storage, heat it, wrapped in foil, in a steamer over boiling water, or put it unwrapped in the upper part of a double boiler over boiling water, just until it is pliable enough to use.)

I can tell you what my aunt, who was locally famous for these (even appeared on TV with a marzipan making demo) used to do. She would make decorative tree centerpieces with them. Get a small Styrofoam cone from a craft store. Green is good if they have them: she would spray paint hers gold. Set in into a decorative base. You can use something you have around, like a small candy dish, or even a small new clay flowerpot. I think she adhered the cone to the base with floral adhesive. Maybe trimming the cone at the bottom to fit closely inside the base. Then just stick the small fruits in with toothpicks, arranging so the Styrofoam surfaced is completely covered. If there were gaps she would put in tiny craft store picks with silk leaves on them. It takes more fruit then you think to cover a cone, so dont buy a large one. The fruits that look best for this purpose are uniform sizes; like citrus fruits, apples, and pears. Not bananas or potatoes. Makes a very pretty centerpiece for Christmas. You can have your guests help themselves to the candy fruit after dinner, or keep it indefinitely. The fruit will dry out eventually and become very hard. You can also make a wreath or candle ring with a Styrofoam wreath form.

It's just food, food, food all day! For breakfast, we always have an egg and sausage casserole, a jazzed up hashbrown casserole, ham biscuits and garlic cheese grits (with jalapenos -- Yum!) Fruit will be something very simple like cantaloupe wedges or fresh pineapple. I may or may not get around to making muffins or French toast fingers since sweets aren't a high priority with my crew, particularly early in the day. As some leave to go to 'the other' family's house, and others wander in for the first time, we sort of gradually segue into the brunch phase. I'll add their favorite Cajun crab spread with toasted garlic rounds and a dip or two to the buffet. Once the biscuits are gone, we'll bake some rolls for the ham. I make a super-spicy mustard sauce that my children adore and an herb-flavored mayonnaise so everybody can put together mini-sandwiches. There's always some sort of seafood -- usually poached shrimp with cocktail sauce since it's so easy to do ahead -- and a couple of salads (broccoli and pasta are the faves). Oh, and Bloody Marys to help the cook forget how bad her feet are hurting at this point... By the time everybody who had to leave has returned and we've all worked up a little bit of an appetite again, it's usually 7:30 or so. Our dinner menu varies a little, but this year we'll have Boston Clam Chowder as a starter. (Gift from a dear friend who feels sooo sorry for her poor, deprived Southern pal who didn't grow up eating this. lol) Spinach salad with poppy seed dressing. Beef tenderloin, if I can afford it. If many extras are going to turn up, it will be prime rib instead. A green vegetable TBD, and a potato gratin. Dessert will be Italian cheesecake with a strawberry/Grand Marnier topping -- not that anybody will have room for it, but you have to have one, right?

I think the toffee pieces would work just fine - not sure about the rice krispies though. Here's the recipe I'm going to be trying this year for something a little different. It's from www.joyofbaking.com. I've also seen recipes for marbled bark that intrigues me but I can't seem to put my hand on the recipe right now. White Chocolate Raspberry Brittle Recipe Ingredients: 8 ounces (200 grams) white chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons Raspberry Purée, at room temperature Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the white chocolate in a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of hot water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the pan. Stir until smooth. Watch carefully as white chocolate burns easily. Remove from heat, and using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into a 10 inch (25 cm) square on the prepared baking sheet. With a spoon evenly drizzle the raspberry purée over the surface of the white chocolate. Using toothpick or bamboo skewer swirl the raspberry purée through the chocolate to get the desired design. Let the chocolate brittle set at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours or until firm. Cut the brittle into the desired shape and size pieces and then peel the parchment paper off the brittle. The raspberry puree is slightly sticky, so handle carefully. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several days. Adapted from Four-Star Desserts by Emily Luchetti