<p>I bought the Costco Peppermint Bark yesterday, to make the cookies. I downloaded the recipe from Costco site, as I threw out the issue that mentioned it. Even for the cookies, you need 1 20-oz package of brownie mix, flour, butter, 2 eggs, and the candy. looks easy, so don’t forget to pick up the brownie mix when at Costco.</p>
<p>abasket, The pretzel/kiss/m&m treats were great! I did have trouble getting the regular kisses to melt adequately, but the Hugs melted great and looked very Christmas-y with the red/green M&Ms! This was just a small test batch. I will definitely add these to my normal ‘baking’ for next weekend.</p>
<p>thanks!!!</p>
<p>Last night I did a test batch of those, too, only with Rolos</p>
<p>Saw boxed Peppermint Bark today in Target, never heard of this before I read it on this thread. Love reading the posts of people who make the suggested recipes! Nothing like “tried and true” !</p>
<p>I haven’t tried it but have heard that Trader Joe’s peppermint bark is amazing.</p>
<p>Love the way this thread evolved from easy home made to what the heck, just buy them!</p>
<p>Hey, abasket. I just made a batch of the Pretzel/Kisses and they are beautiful! Thanks for the recipe.</p>
<p>Your welcome! We might make ours tonight!</p>
<p>I’ve made 3 batches of the Pretzel/Kisses now. I bought rollos, but my kids vetoed them, so I used hugs again. Tonight I made these and YUM! They did require the mixer, but were very easy.</p>
<p>[Chocolate</a> Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe : Paula Deen : Food Network](<a href=“http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-gooey-butter-cookies-recipe/index.html]Chocolate”>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-gooey-butter-cookies-recipe/index.html)</p>
<p>My mom has been making these since the early 70’s. When I was in high school we renamed them from whatever they were supposed to be called into “Hairy Ping-Pong Balls”
(bacause they are rolled in coconut, although I don’t do that anymore)</p>
<p>1 1 lb box vanilla wafers, crushed finely
1 1 lb bag powdered sugar
1 8oz stick of butter, melted
1 small can frozen orange juice concentrate</p>
<p>Mix, roll into balls and roll in toasted coconut or toasted chopped nuts or cocoa powder.
Keep chilled.</p>
<p>The tangy orange juice makes them different than most quick treats today.</p>
<p>If Paula Deen makes it, it must be sinfully good!</p>
<p>I don’t make any holiday goodies because I will eat them.</p>
<p>But–I had these at a friend’s house and they were very tasty. Small, traditionally shaped pretzels with about 3/4 of each dipped in melted white chocolate and then rolled in crushed candy canes. They looked easy to make, and my friend made them with her five-year-old nephew.</p>
<p>Alwaysamom - in your recipe with the ritz crackers (#12)…how small is a “small box”? One sleeve? 2? I might just have all ingredients on hand for this one!</p>
<p>Question for the learned: What kind of chocolate should be used for melting and drizzling?
I received some of the cutest chocolate-covered pretzel rods but my imitations failed miserably. They still tasted great, but just weren’t nearly as pretty–would’ve like a prettier presentation. On the ones I received, the chocolate (white with mint flavoring and milk, I think) had been very artfully drizzled onto the pretzel rod and topped with sprinkles. I melted white and semi-sweet choc. chips in my microwave and it wouldn’t drizzle, just kind of clumped. I ended up dipping them, which worked but not nearly as cute as the drizzled ones. </p>
<p>Any suggestions on what kind of chocolate to use or is there a way to make the melted chips ‘runnier’?</p>
<p>I always ( and actually am making the small pretzels with m & m’s right now) use chocolate and vanilla almond bark. It comes in a pound package with 12 compartments of bark. I use a double boiler to melt it and it drizzles great. It is usually sold with all the Christmas baking stuff this time of year.</p>
<p>I think the double boiler is the key! I could never make it work in a normal pan, but now I fill a small pot with water and sit inside it a metal bowl with rounded bottom. The bark melts nicely. I was doing oreo balls last night and it was my best-looking batch by far!</p>
<p>I have read that you can add a little Crisco to make it ‘runnier’ when needed. Good luck! If you find a better solution please report back!</p>
<p>A favorite that’s requested by my sons and friends every year is a concoction called:</p>
<p>White Trash
In large glass bowl, melt white chocolate discs in micro according to instructions. Toss in whatever ‘trash’ you have on hand…crushed up pretzels, potato chips (especially good), peanuts, walnuts, m&ms, jimmies, ANYthing you like. Spread out on large sheet of waxed paper, let cool and break up into pieces.</p>
<p>Fruit Loop candy/cookies</p>
<p>I think this is one of the most fun and tasty holiday treats …</p>
<p>2 lbs white choc chips melted over a double boiler… remove from heat</p>
<p>Then stir in…</p>
<p>2 cups cocktail p-nuts
box of fruit loops
1-2 cups pretzels…the thin straight type.</p>
<p>then spoon cookie-sized drops onto wax paper to cool</p>
<p>Store in air tight container.</p>
<p>Pretty and tasty!!! </p>
<p>Corn chex can be substituted for those with pnut allergies.</p>
<p>Found this in a magazine this year and have made tons to give as gifts - so easy!</p>
<p>Peppermint Bark Trees</p>
<p>Use silicone ice cube trays in the form of trees (found mine at a Dollar Tree - have also seen Santa and Snowman ones but the tree ones are best)</p>
<p>Crush peppermints or candy canes coarsely and sprinkle into ice cube trays</p>
<p>Melt white candy wafers and fill cubes about 2/3 full - let harden</p>
<p>Melt chocolate chips with just a little bit of oil (I used Hersheys Special Dark Chips) and fill the cubes the rest of the way, let harden</p>
<p>Pop out and enjoy!!</p>
<p>Best Easy Holiday Goodie</p>
<p>1 box of Ritz Bitz mini peanut butter sandwich crackers
1 package of almond bark (without the almonds), chocolate or white (or both)</p>
<p>Melt four or five squares of almond bark in a small deep bowl in the microwave at a time(following the directions on the almond bark package). Drop the mini Ritz Bitz sandwiches into the melted almond bark, then fish them out with a fork, and place on wax paper to cool. Eat!</p>
<p>I just made these little cuties. They were easy even for me.</p>
<p>Cocoa Wedding Cake Cookies</p>
<p>Ingredients
U.S. Metric Conversion chart
1 cup(s) pecans
1 3/4 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar
1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter, cold, cut up (no substitutions)
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup(s) semisweet chocolate mini-chips
Directions</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse pecans with 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar until pecans are finely ground. Add butter and vanilla and process until smooth, occasionally stopping processor to scrape side with rubber spatula. Add flour and cocoa and pulse until evenly mixed. Add chocolate chips; pulse just until combined.
With floured hands, shape dough by rounded measuring teaspoons into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
Bake cookies 16 to 18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool slightly.
Sift remaining 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar onto waxed paper. While cookies are still warm, roll in sugar to coat; return to wire rack to cool completely. When cool, gently roll cookies in sugar again. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months.</p>