Christmas is the perfect time of year for whipping up some mouth-watering snacks and throwing the diet out the window. It’s all about having fun and allowing yourself to indulge, especially if there are little ones to share some tasty treats with. Here are some really easy recipes for wowing your guests this Christmas!
1 – Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Mini brown M&Ms
Regular-sized red M&Ms
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.
Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer’s antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color… some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.).
Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.
Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.
2 – Santa Hat Brownies
3 – Marshmallow Snowmen
For this one you’ll need some wooden skewers, a pack of marshmallows, Oreos, pretzel sticks, tic tacs, some chocolate frosting and Rolos and some red liquorice.
This one is so easy to do, only takes a couple of minutes and you can get the little ones to help you every step of the way. Start off by skewering three marshmallows together and then pop in the pretzel sticks as arms. Use an orange tic tac for the nose and some chocolate frosting to draw on the rest of the face and and some buttons.
Next up, half an Oreo and pop a Rolo on top to make the snowman’s hat. You can hold it in place with a little frosting. Finally, slice some red liquorice into thin strips and use to make a decorative scarf. All done! Very easy, quick and they look great at a party!
4 – Reindeer Cupcakes
5 – Hot Chocolate On A Stick!!
This one is for the more creative among you, and really adds a wow factor when you’re having friends over. There’s nothing better on a cold Christmas night than a cup of hot chocolate, and it’s surprisingly easy to make your own!
For this you’ll need 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 14oz can of sweetened, condensed milk, 3 cups of chocolate chips, 3/4 cup of chopped unsweetened chocolate and some lollipop sticks (the recipe makes about 25)
1 – Prepare an 8×8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chopped semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolates in a large heat-safe bowl.
2 – Pour the heavy cream and condensed milk into a medium saucepan and whisk until combined. Put the saucepan over medium heat.
3 – Bring the liquid to a simmer, whisking frequently so that the condensed milk does not scorch on the bottom of the pan.
4 – Once the liquid is simmering, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute to soften. Begin whisking the cream and chocolate together, until the chocolate is melted and you have a shiny, smooth mixture. It will be fairly thick.
5 – Pour the chocolate into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Allow it to sit and firm up overnight, or for 3-4 hours in the fridge.
6 – Once the fudge block is firm, use a large, sharp knife to cut it into 25 pieces. For the smoothest cuts, rinse the knife in hot water and dry between each cut. Skewer each block with a lollipop stick.
7 – To make hot chocolate, heat a mug of milk and add a chocolate block. Water doesn’t work as well, so be warned! Allow it to sit and soften for a minute, then vigorously stir until it is dissolved. The hot chocolate blocks will last for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature, or for 2 weeks in the fridge. That shouldn’t be much of a problem though…they’re delish!!
That’s it for our recipes for the festive season. Have you got any great snacks to share with us??
(Images and source – Pinterest, YouTube, Bakers AU, The Home Cook)
