Holiday Treats Thanks to Pinterest

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I enjoyed the time with my family and am still coming down from all the food consumed over the weekend.

I was such a slacker when it has come to this blog over the last couple of months.

I was an even bigger slacker when it came to my holiday baking.

I only made a few treats and helped my mom and sister make a few more. On top of that, I didn't even take photos of the goodies I DID make!

However, most of the treats I made came from Pinterest so I thought I would feature them on here in case you are looking for a quick, sweet treat for any upcoming holiday gatherings.

Here we go...

These Rolo cookies are super easy (4 ingredients) and are quite yummy. I'm wondering what they would taste like with Reese's Cups instead of Rolos...I do have a cake mix in the pantry!

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

I even used Pinterest to find my OWN recipes, like these Sweet and Saltines candies! My sister and I made two trays of these treats - one with saltines and one with graham crackers. The saltine variety is the perfect combo of sweet and salty!

Source: galinthemiddle.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

This white chocolate-coated candy mix is my FAVORITE holiday treat EVER. It is super simple and delicious.

Source: galinthemiddle.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

I blame a co-worker for this next treat. We were sitting at our office holiday pitch-in lunch enjoying some of my white chocolate-coated candy mix when she mentioned that while she enjoyed the treat, puppy chow was her favorite snack mix.

So for days after that conversation, I had puppy chow on my mind. I also had a box of Rice Chex in my pantry so I poked around on Pinterest for different variations on the classic treat. I found this...

Source: redbuddynotes.blogspot.com via Rebekah on Pinterest

It looks like an ordinary bowl of puppy chow, right?

Wrong! It is made with Nutella...the world's best spread!

Better than that? It only had 6 ingredients and can be done in the microwave. There were other recipes on Pinterest for this mix but they were much more complicated and had ingredients that I didn't have on hand.

I took the batch into work and shared. I took what was left to my family Christmas celebrations. I had to get it out of the house!

Unfortunately, I had Rice Chex cereal leftover and just enough Nutella to make a half batch today.

I may or may not be typing this post with powdered sugar on my fingers and a container of the stuff beside me on the couch. I'll never tell!

Holiday Baking...Spanish Peanut Crisps

I know what you are thinking...the holidays they are over. Well, technically we are in the midst of the 12 days of Christmas and New Year's Eve is just around the corner, so we can totally continue to bake under the guise of the holidays!

Thanks to the Great Cookie Exchange of 2010, I have several more cookie recipes to share with you, my friends!

Mrs. C joined our rag-tag group of cookie lovers at the Exchange. Now, I've known Mrs. C since I was a little girl. She taught school with my mom and continues to be a very good friend of the family. Mrs. C is known for her delicious Christmas candy and we were all expecting her Exchange offering would be chocolate covered confections. Much to our surprise (and delight) she included some cookies with her plate of candy!

One of the best parts of the Exchange was hearing the stories behind some of the cookies made. Mrs. C decided to pay homage to her Granny and bake some of the cookies she remembered enjoying as a child.

This butter cookie was as yummy as it was beautiful.

She decorated each of our snowflake cookies differently because no two snowflakes are alike!


Her other plate included a date roll cookies and a Spanish Peanut Crisp.
 

It's the Spanish Peanut Crisp recipe that I am going to share with you today. It's a crispy cookie...hence the name...that has corn flakes, oats AND Spanish peanuts - those ones with the redskin!

Mrs. C only brought one recipe card to the Exchange and I've already been notified by my aunt that I can't be hogging it much longer.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe for Mrs. C's (well, her Granny's) Spanish Peanut Crisps.

Spanish Peanut Crisps
1 c. butter
1 c. packed lt. brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 1/4 c. quick oats
1/2 c. finely crushed corn flakes
1 c. salted Spanish peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well.

Sift dry ingredients in separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mix. Mix in oats and corn flakes. Stir in peanuts.

Shape dough into quarter-inch balls and place on greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Holiday Baking...Dainty Logs

I don't know exactly why I love these cookies so much.

Could be the butter.

Could be that there are chocolate chips on the inside and outside.

Could be any number of factors.

The fact remains...I LOVE a cookie named Dainty Logs...I'd marry it if I could, maybe not but I'd totally live with it for a while.

I'm not sure where my mom got this recipe but it normally is only baked around the holidays (though I've been trying to make it a year round cookie...check out its appearance at a baby shower this summer). I have NOT made any of these yet, but these delicious and easy cookies were my mom's contribution to the Great Cookie Exchange of 2010.

Go ahead and try them. I dare you NOT to like them!

Dainty Logs

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 egg

2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

1 T. butter

2 c. finely chopped nuts (we use pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 3/4 cup butter, sugar & vanilla; beat well. Add egg and beat thoroughly. Stir in flour and salt. Mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips (maybe just a few more than that, just sayin').

Shape dough into 2-inch logs. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Chocolate Coating:

Melt remaining 1 T. butter and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (can also use semi-sweet baking squares) over hot water (or in microwave). Stir until smooth and blended.

Dip each end of baked (cooled) cookie into chocolate mix and roll into nuts. If you don't like nuts, skip the last step and stick with just the chocolate cover.

Holiday Baking, Take 3: White Chocolate Snack Mix

One of my all-time favorite holiday treats to make AND to eat is my version of a white chocolate-covered mix. I just love a sweet and salty treat (as you can probably tell by the other items I've been featuring lately).

I found this recipe in a great cookbook put out by our local Extension Homemaker's Club several years ago. It features favorite recipes from local women and 4-H members and there is a great variety of easy dishes. A good 4-H recipe is golden around here and my family (with four girls) had our "fair" share. Someday I may share some of the Grand Champion recipes from my youth!

Now, back to the regularly scheduled post...

I made this mix as the third component of my offering to the Great Cookie Exchange of 2010. Remember how I told you that I got the recipe from that great cookbook? Well, said cookbook is a binder that allows you to take pages in and out. The page with this recipe was "out" so I made the mix from memory and Baby Sister and I did some improvising! I've since found the page so I'll share the recipe as written and let you know where I substitute.

Darn, got some white chocolate crumbs on my keyboard...friends, don't snack on this mix and blog at the same time. It only leads to trouble.

First, find the BIGGEST mixing bowl you have. I made this mix at my mom's and she has the BEST mixing bowls. I'm not sure where she keeps finding them (I think auctions) but they just keep getting bigger and prettier. This mix usually feels up my large mixing bowl...see the photo below, this bowl is HUGE.

Mix together 6 c. of Cripix cereal (I used Golden Grahams. Feel free to experiment), 3 c. of Cheerios (I used the multi-grain ones this time. It was either those or the chocolate ones!), 2 c. stick pretzels, 2 c. peanuts (I use dry roasted.), and 1 lb. M&Ms candies (I've used milk chocolate, peanut, mint, dark chocolate M&Ms, go with what feels right. I usually just use a little over a cup - I can't believe I'm saying this but the M&Ms are my least fav ingredient in this.).

Set that aside and melt 1 tray almond bark. I do this in the microwave and it's easy!

Pour the melted chocolate over the dry ingredients and stir. If your bowl is small, you can split the mix and chocolate into two bowls. Stir to coat.

Spread the mix on foil or wax paper to set. You may find some clumps of chocolate, just mix it around right there on the paper.

Be sure to sample it as it dries...the M&Ms are kind of melty (this is the only time I really like the M&Ms in this mix)...delicious. Once it's dry, break it up in manageable pieces and enjoy.

That concludes the look into my contributions to the cookie exchange. While at Mom's making my candy, my sister was baking her molasses cookies. We had a bounty of goodies on mom's table...

Stay tuned for a rundown of all the cookies I received in the exchange, plus a couple of recipes and stories attached to the treats!

White Chocolate-Coated Mix
6 c. Crispix cereal (or Golden Grahams)
3 c. Cheerios
2 c. stick pretzels
2 c. peanuts
1 lb. M&Ms candies
1 tray almond bark

Mix cereal, M&Ms, pretzels and nuts together. Melt the almond bark and pour over dry mix. Stir to coat. Spread on foil or wax paper to set.

Check out Holiday Baking, Take 1: Simple Pretzel Kiss Candies and Holiday Baking, Take 2: Sweet & Saltines Candy.

Linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Balancing Beauty & Bedlam!

Holiday Baking, Take 2: Sweet & Saltines Candy

The Great Cookie Exchange of 2010 is supposed to happen later today at my mom's house. Unfortunately, it rained all day yesterday, temperatures dropped and snow is moving in. So, we'll see who shows up!

Party or not, I am prepared. Yesterday, Baby Sister and I finished up our contributions at my mom's house while she and my dad went to the Purdue men's basketball game (Go Boilers!). Kind of funny that two of her grown children were in her kitchen baking without her!

I love baking at my mom's house. She has good counter space and a big table to work on. It also brings back lots of memories from my childhood...lots of cookies (and rolls and bread and cakes) have been made in that kitchen over the years.

As I noted in my first holiday baking post, I decided on candy instead of cookies as my contribution to the exchange. I wanted to try Trisha Yearwood's Crockpot Candy after seeing it in a magazine but it takes three hours in the crockpot and that's time I just didn't have this week!

While researching the crockpot recipe, I stumbled upon another recipe from her Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends cookbook that got good reviews on several sites - Sweet and Saltines. So that became my second candy offering!

First, start by lining a large jellyroll pan with foil and lining up your saltines. The recipe also said you could substitute graham crackers for a sweeter treat, so I made a pan of each!

Next I melted one cup (2 sticks) of butter and a cup of light brown sugar.

And brought it to a boil for 5 minutes.

Then pour it over the crackers and spread evenly.

Pop it in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until it just bubbles. Take out of the oven and sprinkle one 12-oz. bag of chocolate chips evenly over the pan (the recipe said 8 ounces of chips but go crazy).

Once the chips start to melt, spread them evenly.

Pop the pan in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes until completely cool and chocolate has set. Break apart and enjoy! I cut mine in smaller pieces because I had small containers to put them in...and they are rich so a small bite is just right, in my opinion!

I do have one more treat to share with you tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek at part of my contribution to the cookie exchange! I will also share the other goodies I received.

Sweet and Saltines

Serves 20

40 saltine crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1¹⁄3 cups)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large jellyroll pan with alumi¬num foil and the saltine crackers.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the crackers, covering them evenly. Put the jellyroll pan into the oven and watch closely. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just bubbly. Remove from the oven and pour the chocolate chips over the crackers. When the chips melt a bit, spread them over the crackers with a knife. Transfer the pan to the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely cold. They will form one big sheet. Break up into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Substitute graham crackers for the saltines for a sweeter snack. Use 1 stick of butter instead of 2 for a crunchier, saltier cracker.

Use anywhere from 35 to 45 saltine crackers, depending on the size of your pan.

Recipe found at: http://blog.al.com/bn/2010/04/recipes_some_of_trisha_yearwoo.html

Holiday Baking, Take 1: Simple Pretzel Kiss Candies

One of my favorite activities around Christmas is baking Christmas cookies either by myself, with my mom or with my mom, sisters and nephews.

Growing up my mom made dozens and dozens of cookies in the weeks leading up to Christmas day. Our freezers - yes, I said freezers - were full of delicious treats all through December. My parents have two large freezers mainly to store the meat - pork and beef - that they used to get several times a year. Since Dad quit raising hogs several years ago, there's no more pork (sad face) so there's more room for cookies!

She would use these cookies as gifts for our teachers, for my dad's landlords, for our family and friends, and for dessert at holiday parties.

Now some of the cookies have endured...continually being made year after year, such as the Spritz cookies, Dainty Logs and Magic Bars. Some have been phased out as trends come and go. The butter cookies colored green and rolled out to look like wreaths with a cherry at the top (to look like the bow) haven't been made for years.

I'll be highlighting some of my favorite cookies as we start to make them this year.

However, I started with a newer addition to the Christmas cookie line-up that isn't a cookie at all, but a cute little candy-like treat. I have no clue what they are called, I certainly didn't come up with the idea myself, so I'm calling them Simple Pretzel Kiss Candies.

You need pretzels, Hershey's Kisses and M&Ms. That's it!

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You don't have to do this but I am lazy so I don't worry about chocolate sticking to the pan this way.

Lay out several rows of pretzels. You can use the mini twist or the waffle shaped pretzels. (Sorry for quality of the photos. All I had was my Blackberry.)

Unwrap some Hershey's Kisses and set them on top of the pretzels. I normally use the milk chocolate Kisses and M&Ms, but I thought I'd go crazy and try the dark chocolate Mint Truffle Kisses and mint M&Ms this time.

Put them in the oven for at least 3 minutes. Test if they are ready by pushing an M&M in the middle of one of the Kisses. If it doesn't go straight down as the Kiss collapses into itself, it's not ready. There's really no "baking time" for these, you just have to watch them.

Unfortunately, I forgot that dark chocolate melts differently than milk chocolate (a little more liquidy) and that the truffle Kisses have two layers so the middle part of the didn't melt at the same rate as the outside layer!

So I decided to NOT use the M&Ms with these and they turned out nicely without the extra touch.

Here's what the milk chocolate Kiss and M&M ones look like. Yummy!

These take a LONG time to harden back up so don't try to package them up too quickly!

The sweet and salty combination make these kind of addictive. If you want a different twist, substitute mini Rolos and pecans and you have a bite-sized turtle treat.

Baby Sister is hosting a Cookie Exchange this weekend and I decided to make several types of "candy" as my contribution and this was the first batch. I'm going to attempt a candy featuring Saltines - yes, the cracker - that was talked about at a recent meeting I attended, as well as some crockpot candy. I may whip up a batch of my favorite white chocolate covered snack mix if I have time.

Regardless of what I make, I have to have 10 dozen of SOMETHING by Sunday.

So, stay tuned!