If you’re like me, you love to eat. I absolutely love this time of year because there’s so much great food! Here are a few delicious holiday recipes that are sure to be a hit wherever you are.
Peppermint Crunch Puppy Chow
Makes 5 cups
Ingredients:
5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
10 oz. melting white chocolate OR vanilla flavored Almond Bark
1 cup crushed candy canes
1 cup powdered sugar
Pour 5 cups of Chex Cereal into a large bowl. Melt the white chocolate/almost bark according to the package directions. Pout melted chocolate over cereal, stirring and folding until the cereal is completely covered. Fold in crushed candy canes. In a large zipped top bag or covered container, add the powdered sugar. Pour the chocolate/candy cane covered cereal into the large back or container. Seal and shake until the cereal is coated with powdered sugar.
Discard excess powder and enjoy! Can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
White Chocolate Cinnamon Pretzels
Ingredients:
1 bag of pretzels (16-18 oz.)
2/3 cup oil1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
1 cup white chocolate chips
Whisk together oil, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Pout pretzels into a microwave safe bowl and pour oil mixture in. Stir until coated.
Microwave for one minute, remove and stir. Microwave for 45 seconds more.
Spread pretzels evenly onto two cookie sheets covered in parchment paper.
While still warm, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on generously.
Melt white chocolate, being careful not to burn, and drizzle over cooled pretzels.
Store in airtight container.
Gingerbread Cake
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
Topping
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 cup store-bought lemon curd
Finely grated lemon zest
An 8″ square metal cake pan
Cake
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; spray paper. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Place butter in a large bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; whisk until melted. Whisk in sugar and next 3 ingredients. Add dry ingredients; whisk to blend. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack; let cool. Remove parchment.
Topping
Beat cream and sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold in curd, leaving swirls. Spread over cake. Garnish with zest.
Peppermint Crumble Bars
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups white chocolate peppermint candy (like Andes peppermint bits)
1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º.
Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter, sugar, and flour together until crumbly.
Press a little more than half of the crumble mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 lined baking dish.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, mix 1 cup of the white chocolate peppermint candy and the sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Pour over the crumb crust in the dish.
Sprinkle the remaining crumble and white chocolate peppermint candy evenly over top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until edges begin to just barely brown.
Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
**If you can’t find white chocolate peppermint candy, you can substitute white chocolate (cup for cup) and crushed up peppermint candy (as much or as little and you’d like.)