Easy and Tasty - Christmas Cookie/Bar/Treat

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Started your Christmas baking yet? So far I’ve got the peanut butter/hershey kiss ones done and lemon bars. Soon to do 7-layer bars and either a pineapple/pecan one or the oatmeal/cranberry/white chocolate ones. The last one done is always the dreaded, but well-loved cut-outs (they take SOOOO much time it seems!!!)</p>

<p>But I’ll admit I’m a big fan of extremely fast, easy and tasty - and still homemade!</p>

<p>Got a recipe/link to share that meets all those requirements?</p>

<p>Here’s one that my kids and husband all snarf up - you can make LOTS fast, they are very easy, are bite size and taste good!</p>

<p>It’s the pretzel, hershey kiss, m and m combo!</p>

<p>[Holiday</a> Pretzel Treats Recipe | Christmas Appetizers & Snacks | FamilyFun](<a href=“http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/holiday-pretzel-treats-685006/]Holiday”>http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/holiday-pretzel-treats-685006/)</p>

2

<p>I love it, ingredients from three different major food manufacturers… Hershey’s, Mars, and whoever makes the pretzels.</p>

3

<p>Necessary ingredients going on the next shopping list. I think this is a perfect match for my culinary skills. :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

<p>I might even throw caution to the wind and try peanut M&Ms. :D</p>

4

<p>Apricot Cream Cheese Bars</p>

<p>Crust: </p>

<p>1 pkg Golden Butter or French Vanilla cake mix - Pillsbury
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 egg</p>

<p>Filling:</p>

<p>1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 (12 oz jar) apricot preserves (or other flavor)
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously grease 13 by 9 inch cake pan.
In large bowl, combine cake mix, margarine and egg; mix with fork until crumbly. Gently spoon 1 1/2 cups and set aside for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg; beat until smooth. Set aside.
Spread preserves evenly over hot crust.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over preserves.
Sprinkle reserved topping mixture over cream cheese.
Bake 28-30 minutes or until topping is a light golden brown
Chill before serving. Keep in refrigerator.</p>

5

<p>I love my great aunt’s almond ice box cookies. You make a log which will keep for weeks in the fridge. I love being able to make fresh tasty warm cookies weeks after I’ve assembled the dough.</p>

<p>2 sticks of butter (room temp)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2.5 cups white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 pound of chopped almonds (I’ve used slivers and slices with no problems too)</p>

<p>Cream butter and sugar then add egg yolks and mix. Add flour, soda and cinnamon and mix and finally add the almonds. Form into rolls - diameter about an inch - and refrigerate as long as you can bear to wait. (The recipe says overnight, but I do one batch the same day.) Slice into thin rounds 1/8" or so. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-11 minutes. My aunt said the secret to her cookies was that they were so small.</p>

6

<p>Date/Nut Balls…these were a Christmas tradition in my mother’s home for as long as I can remember. Now S1 demands them every year.</p>

<p>1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1 egg
8 oz. chopped dates
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chopped pecans</p>

<p>Cook ( on stovetop) first four ingredients stirring constantly for 8 minutes (to soft paste consistency)
Put the rice krispies and nuts in a bowl. Pour mixture over it.
Stir and let cool (until you are able to handle it with out burning your fingers)
Roll into balls and dust with powdered sugar.</p>

7

<p>Yes, abasket!</p>

<p>It’s a tradition for my DD to make mass quantities of pretzel/kisses/m+m thingys for her important people…friends, counselors, etc.
She’s learning disabled but this recipe is perfect for her. The end result is soooo much more delicious than the ingredients would predict.</p>

<p>This year, I found these gorgeous ‘food network’ little red glass star bowls at Kohls for a few dollars apiece. DD is filling these with the treats and wrapping them for gifts… Perfect!</p>

8

<p>abasket-</p>

<p>My MIL makes these with Rollos in place of the Kisses and almonds or pecans in place of the M&Ms. Delicious! These ones you suggested look more festive for the holidays!</p>

9

<p>For years I have been making my fruit foldover cookies using a box of Betty Crocker pie crust mix - mix it with 3 oz of cream cheese, 2T sugar, and 1t lemon extract. Stir with a fork until mixture forms a ball. </p>

<p>Divide the dough in half - roll each half into a 10" square, cut each large square into 16 smaller squares. Spoon 1/2 t of any kind of preserves on each. Moisten two opposite corners and pinch to seal over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool, then sift powdered sugar over the cookies.</p>

<p>YUM!! I know people shy from the rolling pin but it is really easier than it looks!</p>

<p>Then if you want real easy there are the Oreo truffles - just process package of Oreos in a food processor, mix in an 8 oz package of cream cheese, roll into balls and dip in chocolate, just heavenly!</p>

<p>Please post the pineapple pecan recipe - that sounds great!</p>

10

<p>boiled egg, that’s what I was thinking. Do you heat the rolos, too? Doesn’t the caramel squish out if you push the pecan on it while warm?</p>

<p>lol, I’m sure I’m overthinking this.</p>

11

<p>YDS- You just don’t squish it that hard. I do it on parchment paper, so if it does squish out a tiny bit (remarkably, they really don’t totally collapse), once they cool, it peels right off!</p>

12

<ol>
<li>Small box of Ritz crackers, crushed.
One can of condensed milk
One package of Skor bits</li>
</ol>

<p>Combine ingredients and shape into an 8" pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.</p>

<ol>
<li>2 cups of graham cracker crumbs.
One can of condensed milk
One package of chocolate chips</li>
</ol>

<p>Combine ingredients and press into an 8" pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.</p>

<p>Both are easy and good but #1 is always a huge hit and disappears quickly.</p>

13

<p>Everything sounds good! </p>

<p>Packmom, that recipe describes the date balls my mother-in-law used to make - I loved them! Should make a few even if I’m the only one who eats them!</p>

14

<p>Here’s the Pineapple Pecan Cookie (even though it doesn’t meet the criteria I established above!)</p>

<p>1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. shortening or butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
4 c. flour
1.5 tsp. baking soda
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1 c. crushed pineapple, well -drained
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Your favorite vanilla buttercream frosting
Pecan halves</p>

<p>Beat sugars and shortening and add eggs and salt. Sift dry ingredients and add to first mixture. Mix in pineapple and chopped nuts. Cover and refrigerate a couple of hours or overnight. Form into balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Slightly press balls with a damp bottom of juice glass. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375. Cool. Dollop some frosting on top of cookie, top w/pecan half. </p>

<p>Eat. :)</p>

15

<p>People LOVE these- my aunt’s recipe from Krafts.
Friend made these for bridge group, and was called the next day for the recipe.
Also, someone made for family Christmas treats last year, and there are many traditional great treats, and she is making these again, because they were requested. </p>

<p>Caramel Nut Brownies - (made with Betty Crocker German Chocolate Cake mix- the one with the pudding in the mix)</p>

<p>Aunt Adge’s Christmas Time Caramel Nut Brownies</p>

<p>Ingredients
· 14 ounces caramels (48)
· 5 OZ CAN Evaporated Milk - divided as recipe states below)
· 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix (with pudding mix inside)
· 1/2 cup butter, melted
· 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans walnuts
· 1 cup semi-sweet milk chocolate chips
Directions
Peel caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl.
Stir in 1/3 cup evaporated milk.
Heat and stir until all caramels are melted. (Stir every minute until melted-approximately 3 minutes or so ) Set aside.</p>

<p>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F<br>
Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
(Suggestion use parchment paper, which makes getting them cut and out much, much, much easier)</p>

<p>In a large mixing bowl, mix together remaining milk (1/3 cup)-
cake mix, melted butter,</p>

<p>Press 1/2 of mixture in prepared baking pan.
(This will be a very thin layer-it will rise when cooked don’t worry)
Bake for 8 minutes.</p>

<p>Sprinkle 1 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of chips Top with Caramel
Using a teaspoon, make small balls with the batter and smash flat. Very carefully, place on top of the caramel sauce until the top is completely covered.
(note this is thin layer, and you will pinch the sections together- not to worry if there are small gaps, it will cook together)</p>

<p>Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup chips on top of cake layer.
Bake for an additional 18 minutes.</p>

<p>Remove and let cool.
Then cut.</p>

16

<p>Abasket you wrote -I’ll admit I’m a big fan of extremely fast, easy and tasty - and still homemade!</p>

<p>Aunt Adge’s Easiest Chocolate covered peanut candies</p>

<p>In double boiler-
melt- one bag of butterscotch morsels
with one bag of semi sweet chocolate morsels </p>

<p>Remove from heat, and stir in 3 cups of peanuts (salted, roasted, unsalted- any kind work) </p>

<p>drop by spoonfuls onto to foil lined cookie sheet
put in refrigerator to cool.</p>

<p>can be frozen and taken out when needed for gifts, for dessert, for anytime treats.</p>

17

<p>I just made this–
[Winter</a> Dried Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark Recipe at Epicurious.com](<a href=“http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Winter-Dried-Fruit-and-Nut-Chocolate-Bark-240687]Winter”>http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Winter-Dried-Fruit-and-Nut-Chocolate-Bark-240687)
Easy and fairly sophisticated with the candied ginger and fleur de sel.</p>

18

<p>I cheated today and bought a container of Costco’s Peppermint Bark. Wow, very good and fits all my criteria (easy, tasty, fast) except homemade!!!</p>

<p>I’ve been curious about it, but today they had samples - and one landed in my cart. :)</p>

19

<p>Now all you have to to is repackage it in some nice cellophane bags. ;)</p>

20

<p>abasket, ds said jsut today he wants to make peppermint bark. Off to the store I’ll go at some point.</p>