In adorning our sideboard for this year’s Christmas luncheons and dinners I was inspired  by that wonderful line in Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ “while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads“.

I gathered all the apothecary jars and pedestal cake plates in my pantry and filled them with delicious Christmas treats: German Stollen, mandarin oranges, variety of chocolates, candy canes, licorice [red of course], an assortment of much loved cookies and a family favourite, shortbread.