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Candy Cane Popcorn
This recipe would be perfect for gift bags. Make up a batch, divide them into baggies and pass them out to children at church, school, or put them on the buffet at your Christmas party!
Candy Cane Popcorn
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
4 ounces vanilla-flavored confectioners’ coating, or as needed
6 peppermint candy canes, crushed
Using an air popper, pop the popcorn, place into a large bowl, and discard kernels that didn’t pop. Melt the confectioners’ coating according to the package directions. Pour the melted coating over the popcorn, and sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the mixture. Using your hands, work the candy coating and crushed candy canes all through the popcorn. Let the mixture cool, and break apart into bite-size pieces.
Lemon Cheesecake Squares
Lemon Cheesecake Squares
Crust:
3/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Combine the flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Press dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with jam.
For filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon juice and peel just until blended. Carefully spoon over jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
To cut into squares, dip knife in warm water and between each slice, cleaning as needed.
Best Ever Macaroons
These are so yummy! Truly the best macaroon ever!
Best Ever Macaroons
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In mixing bowl bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg whites, honey, and vanilla extract and rapidly whisk the batter until smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the coconut and toss with a fork, then use a wooden spoon to continue mixing until the coconut is evenly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 300 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray. Use heaping tablespoon or mixture to make loosley packed mounds on the baking sheet. Bake the macaroons on the center oven rack until they’re light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool them for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool for several hours.
Note: These could easily be made gluten free by substituting the flour for a gluten free flour, which I will be doing for the holidays!
Reindeer Cookie Treats
These would be so much fun for the kids to help make and enjoy! I found this recipe here.
Reindeer Cookie Treats
12 miniature pretzels, halved
12 fun-size Almond Joy candy bars
12 miniature marshmallows, halved
Black decorating gel
12 red M&M’s miniature baking bits
Insert an end from two pretzel halves into each candy bar to form antlers. Gently press the cut side of two marshmallow halves onto each candy bar for eyes; dot with decorating gel. For nose, attach an M&M to the top of each candy with decorating gel. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 1 dozen.
Cream Cheese Mints
Cream Cheese Mints
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
any color food coloring paste (optional)
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar. Mix in peppermint oil. Color as desired with food coloring paste, or leave white. If mixture is too sticky, add more powdered sugar. Roll mixture into small balls, and place on waxed paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners’ sugar. Let dry for about 2 hours on waxed paper, then freeze or refrigerate until ready to serve. If frozen, allow to thaw before serving.
Note: Try dipping in melted chocolate for a “peppermint patty.”
Pretzel Turtles
These little treats are so simple and yet taste soooo good!
Pretzel Turtles
20 small mini pretzels
20 Rolo Candies or Caramel Hershey Kisses
20 pecan halves
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Other Variations:
- Peppermint Hershey Kiss with M & M Candies
- Mint or Chocolate Hershey Kiss with M & M Candies
Oreo Truffles
I first had these when my sister-in-law brought them over for a holiday snack. I have made these several years in a row. Delicious!!!
Oreo Truffles
1 package regular size Oreo cookies, crushed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package white almond bark
1 package chocolate almond bark
Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together. Roll into walnut size balls. Chill for an hour in the freezer. Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark. Stick a toothpick (or gently use a fork) in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark. Allow to harden on wax paper. Takes about 15 min. While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark. I just use a sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner to drizzle the almond bark.
Note: Do not use Double Stuff Oreos. The truffles won’t turn out right.
Magic Cookie Bars
Magic Cookie Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or quick 1 minute oats)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13 inch pan pour in melted margarine. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the margarine. Next place the chopped nuts over the crumbs, and spread the chocolate and butterscotch chips over the nuts. Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool at least 20 minutes then cut into desired sized bars.
Coconut Popsicles
What better way to celebrate summer than with homemade delicious popsicles!
Coconut Popsicles
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups coconut milk
2 cups fresh or dried shredded coconut
6 – 8 wooden popsicle sticks
In a saucepan, combine milk and sugar and stir over low heat for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Be careful not to scald the milk. Stir in the vanilla extract and let cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, combine the coconut milk, shredded coconut, and the milk and vanilla mixture. Pour into popsicle molds. Insert the sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours.
Remove from freezer; let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing the popsicles from the molds.
Yields: six 8-ounce popsicles or eight 6-ounce popsicles.
Variation: Replace 1 cup of the shredded coconut with 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana.
Basic Crumb Pie Crust
This basic recipe for a crumb pie shell is perfect for any chilled or frozen pie.
Basic Crumb Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups fine crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cups butter, melted
Make crumbs in the food processor or crush in a zip top baggie. You can make crumbs from graham crackers, cereal, vanilla wafers, chocolate cookies, gingersnap cookies (or any other cookie). Mix crumbs and sugar together; stir in melted butter. Line pie plate with mixture, pressing firmly into place. Chill for 20 minutes or bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Makes 1 pie shell, 9-inch.
Variation: For a cinnamon crust, use graham cracker crumbs and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon along with sugar and butter.
