One of my favourite seasons is nearly upon us! Christmas! I love most everything about the season: the music (Meghan Smith's "It Snowed Last Night" - new favourite song!!!), the decorations, the reflecting upon Jesus' birthday, visits to Santa, and watching the kids anticipation and delight as we visit with friends and family. One thing that seems to find its way into all our Christmas traditions and celebrations is Christmas treats!
Around the middle of November I start to ponder my "list" of goodies that I want to make for the Christmas celebrations. My list has a few "must haves" and then I like to try some treats every year. It really is the only time of year when you can never have too much chocolate and sugar!
This year's list:
Dave's Icebox Cherry cookies: sugar shortbread with glazed cherries
Gingerbread men: classic with lots of icing
Chocolate Fudge: no nuts, just the pure chocolate goodness
Mocha Biscotti: pecans, chocolate chunks in a coffee flavoured biscuit, dipped in...more chocolate!
Monkey Munch: fun peanut butter and chocolate covered cereal with icing sugar! Boys love it!
Cranberry Slice: a take on the Starbucks special - cranberry, orange, white chocolate brownies with a frosting.
Butter Tarts: The only thing I like cooked raisins in
Salt Caramels: dip caramels in chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt
Sounds like a lot, maybe it is. But it so much fun to make. But I am a bit of a Christmas baking hoarder. I bake it and keep most of it away from my family until right before Christmas. I do this not to be mean but to make sure I have enough (never have enough :)) and to watch our waist lines a bit before the big feast!!
I bet many of you are making your Christmas favourites this coming week as well. I would love to hear what you like to make to celebrate Jesus' birthday! Here is a recipe for Monkey Munch. Your kids will thank you!!
9 cups Crispix, Life, Chex type cereal (9 cups TOTAL) I do a mix.
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup smooth Peanut Butter
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups of icing sugar
1. Put cereal in a large bowl and put aside
2. Put choco chips, peanut butter and margarine into microwavable bowl. Microwave one minute on high and stir. Continue to microwave in 30 sec intervals and stir for a bit after each time until mixture mixes smoothly.
3. Add vanilla and stir. Mix chocolate mixture into cereal carefully. Try not to crush cereal to much. Coat nicely.
4. In a large ziploc bag add icing sugar. Add cereal/chocolate mixture. Close and shake until distributed.
5. Spread onto wax paper and cool and dry. Resist eating!!! But you can't!
Sounds like a feast! Our Two favorite things to make are Rum Balls and Welsh Tarts. Tony makes the best Pastry EVER! Even better then my Mom's (Sh don't tell her) and better than his Mom and it's her recipe (don't tell her either)! Welsh tarts are tart shells with a large tsp of home-made Raspberry jam covered with a cake batter, baked then iced with almond icing! Very, very yummy!
ReplyDeleteChocolate cherry balls: a no-bake recipe that is a family tradition. Roll the balls, hiding a glace cherry in every 5th or 6th one. Whoever finds a cherry gets to have an extra cherry ball! We had so much fun eating these for dessert almost every night in December! MUST be eaten straight out of the freezer!
ReplyDeletewow. Both sound so good!!!
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