HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Give the elves a special treat all their own with these peanut butter and mini chocolate chip "no bake" cookies. Mom can prep the mixture in the food processor and then the kids can roll this yummy dough into balls.
- 1 Cup peanut butter chips
- 2 cups vanilla wafer cookies
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 Cup water
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 Cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- Grind together peanut butter chips and vanilla wafers in a food processor. Add powdered sugar and process until combined. Add the water and corn syrup and process until crumbs form a mass. Spoon mixture out of food processor into a bowl and stir in mini chocolate chips.
- TIPS: Add more water if mixture seems too dry and will not hold its shape when rolled into a ball. Add more powdered sugar if mixture seems to moist to hold its shape.
- Form 1-inch balls. Place sugar in a shallow bowl and roll balls in sugar. Store in wax paper lined airtight container in a cool dry place. Let balls sit for a few days before eating for best results.Makes about 48 balls
Make Santa festive gingerbread cookies in his likeness to munch on as he places presents under the tree on Christmas Eve.
- 1 Cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 Cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 Cup black strap molasses
- 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 Teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Add butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and molasses. Sift together dry ingredients and beat into mixture until thoroughly combined. You may have to knead in final cup of flour if mixture is too thick. Cover dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. Roll out dough on a heavily floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out gingerbread men with cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done. Remove cookies from oven and cool thoroughly.
- Use decorator's icing in red, white, and green to make the cookies look like Santa! Add Christmas sprinkles and candies to give his outfit some pizzazz.
Makes about 20 gingerbread man cookies
Everyone knows that elves need a snack while they're on the sleigh with Santa. Whip up a batch of caramel corn with red and green M&M's to give it the sweetness of Christmas.
- 3 cups popcorn, salted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup red and green M&M's
- Add sugar into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Pour water over sugar (add a bit more water if sugar isn't completely covered and saturated).
- Cook over medium-high heat - watching the pot constantly - until the sugar begins to caramelize into a golden color. Remove from heat and immediately stir in popcorn.
- Pour popcorn mixture onto a heavily buttered cookie sheet and break up into pieces using a buttered spoon (not your fingers as the mixture may be a bit too hot). When the popcorn is cool and the caramel has set, transfer into a bowl and sprinkle M&M's into the mix.Makes about 3 cups
Reindeers get hungry too! Mix up some oats, coconut, cranberries, and almonds as a healthy snack for Rudolph and the gang. Come on, he can only eat so many carrots!
- 2 cups uncooked, rolled oats
- 1/2 Cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 Cup honey
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 Cup sweetened, flaked coconut
- 1/4 Cup slivered almonds
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray foil with a non-stick cooking spray. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together until thoroughly combined.
- Spread a thin layer of mixture on prepared sheet. Bake 10 minutes until oats or a golden brown. Cool to room temperature to allow oats to harden. Break into bits and enjoy.Makes 3 cups
There are many variations of "Reindeer Food." This non-edible version comes with a little instructional poem to sprinkle the glittery, oaten mixture on the front lawn as a sparkling signal for Santa to stop!
Reindeer Food Poem
Sprinkle this mix on the lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright,
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,
The sparkles will guide them to your home!
- Materials
- 2 cups uncooked oatmeal
- 1 cup red and green glitter
- 4 plastic closable sandwich bags
- Gluestick
- 4 index card size pieces of white paper decorated with Christmas stickers with the "Reindeer Food Poem" above printed on it.
- 4 index card size pieces of red or green cardstock
- Hole punch
- Ribbon
- Pour equal amounts of oatmeal and glitter into each baggie. Close baggie.
- Use the gluestick to attach the white decorated paper to the cardstock.
- Punch a hole in the corner of the cardstock and a top corner of the bag and use the ribbon to affix the card to the bag.
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