I have been working hard the past couple of years on all the sweet treats I make (and eat) during every Christmas season. It's pretty easy to pass up that cookie or donut from the store, but when I'm home baking? Oh that's a whole other story. 🤦♀️ Anyone else??
So before I share some healthier versions of our holiday favorites, today I'll share the not-so-hearlthy versions. The versions my boys love better. The versions I've made for 20+ years.
💙 Once you read through these (and hopefully you make a few, if not all) I'd love to have you share some of your favorite Christmas recipes! 💙
CHOCOLATE FUDGE
I received this recipe years and years ago and it has been a part of our Christmas menu ever since. Do you have one of those recipes? Ones that never get old? The stirring of the marshmallows gets annoying and your arm will get stiff after a bit, but I promise it will be worth it.
Ingredients:
1 - 10oz pkg marshmallows
1 1/2 C sugar
2/3 C evaporated milk
1/4 C butter
1/4 tsp salt
12oz milk chocolate chips (or you can add whatever flavor chips you'd like!)
1 tsp vanilla
Optional - chopped nuts
Directions:
-Prepare an 8" square pan with aluminum foil
- In mediums saucepan, combine marshmallows, sugar, milk, butter and salt
- Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly
- Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly
- Remove from heart
- Add chocolate chips, nuts and vanilla
- Pour in prepared pan
- Chill in fridge until firm
- I cut up the fudge into tiny squares because they are so rich in taste!
Experiment with different flavors! use vanilla chips. use peanut butter chips. Add caramel and cashews for a turtle fudge. The skies the limit!
BUCKEYE BALLS
These started out as a joke years ago with a coworker, and now they have turned into one of my boys most favorite and requested Christmas treats. You may want to double the batch because they'll go fast. Make the balls smaller too, because they are very rich in taste.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C Creamy peanut butter (the original recipe calls for Jeff, but if you're making a lot, an off brand one works just as well)
1/2 C Butter (room temperature)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
16oz Powdered Sugar
6oz Chocolate Chips (I always use more)
1 Tb Shortening (is what the original recipe calls for, but I don't use shortening anymore, so I use Coconut Oil and it works just as well)
Directions:
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or aluminum foil
- In a medium sized bowl mix peanut butter, vanilla, butter, and sugar with your hands to form a smooth dough
- Mixture should be stiff
- Shape dough into balls (I use a smaller size, but my boys make larger ones)
- Place each ball on the baking sheet and put in the refrigerator
- In the top of a double broiler (I do not have one so I use 2 pans. The bottom one has water and the top one os for my ingredients). Do not heat the chocolate chips right in a pan with no water, or they'll burn
- Over simmering, not boiling, melt chocolate chips and the shortening together
- Remove peanut butter balls from refrigerator
- Insert a toothpick into a ball, dip into the melted chocolate mixture and coat as much of the ball as you can
- Return to baking sheet, chocolate side down
- Repeat with all the balls
- Refrigerate until firm, not sticky
- Store in air tight container and eat at your leisure.
SNICKERDOODLES
These cookies aren't tough at all, so I don't know why I only make these at Christmas 🤷♀️. I think they just started out as a tradition, and now that's what they have continued to be. Oh my goodness just typing up the recipe makes me picture pulling them from the oven and eating one hot and soft. Add a dollop of ice cream and YUM!
Ingredients:
1 C butter, softened
1 1/4 C sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 C flour
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Sugar/Cinnamon mixture for the coating
Directions:
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes
- Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined
- Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined
- Cover the bowl and chill for 30 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350
- Line 2 large baking pans with parchment paper (I use my pampered chef stones)
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and stir until all mixed
- Scoop about 2 T of dough and roll into a ball
- Roll each dough ball into the cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat
- Place the balls on the lined baking sheets, making sure to space them
- Bake for 9-11 minutes
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes (but make sure you do grab a couple while they're hot!)
- Store in airtight container
PUPPY CHOW (Muddy Buddies)
This is another favorite my boys request every year. Yes, I could probably make some of these things all year around, but having them only during Christmas time makes them all the more special. I've also gotten one of my boys to take over making this recipe each year. it's so simple and he feels important. 💙 Tip Time - Accidentally grab the flour container and use that instead of powdered sugar. Then your boys will want to take over 🤷♀️. So there you go.
Ingredients:
9 C Chex cereal (any brand honesty works great)
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips (We use more than a cup 🤷♀️)
1/2 C any brand creamy peanut butter
1/4 C butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
Directions:
-Measure cereal into a large bowl, with a lid, and set aside
-Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a microwave safe bowl, on High for 1 minute
-Stir
-microwave in 3o second increments until melted, stirring each time
-Stir in vanilla
-Pour chocolate mixture over cereal in the large bow-Stir until evenly coated
-Add powdered sugar
-Place lid on bowl, and make sure it's sealed
-Shake the bowl until the powdered sugar has coated the mixture
-Keep on your counter throughout the holidays (IF it lasts!)
**This recipe is for when my son makes it. You can melt the ingredients on a stovetop if you prefer. Heat everything in a saucepan that you would have melted in the microwave, saving the vanilla until melted. Stir in vanilla once removed from heat.
CHOCOLATE NO-BAKE COOKIES
I hope you have better luck than me with these cookies, because mine turn out as blobs. Every single time! I always say that ThIS is the year they look like the picture, but I guess I'm saying it again this year and hopefully not next year! In spite of that, my boys continue requesting them! Go figure.
Ingredients:
1/4 C Butter
1 C Sugar
2 tsp Cocoa
1/4 C Milk
1/4 C Peanut Butter
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 C Quick Oats
Directions:
-Melt butter
-Add sugar, cocoa, and milk
-Bring to a boil for 1 1/2 minutes
-Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanills
-Pour over oats and mix well
-Drop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet
-Put in refrigerator until firm
-Store in air tight container
Recipe makes about 15 cookies.
CANDY CANE LEMONS
A WHAT?? Candy cane lemon?? Ok, so it's nothing to bake, but I just had to share because it's a family favorite that, you guessed it, we have done for years!
- Grab a candy cane and a lemon
- Break off the curved part and bite a tiny piece off the opposite end
- Jab one end into the lemon and start to suck on your candy cane
- Before you know it, your candy cane will turn into a straw, and you'll start sucking up some of the lemon juice!
- Trust me. IT WORKS! And it tastes really good too 😁
Try it and let me know!!
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