I want to put together some candy baskets for my co-workers and I’d love some help from you guys.
I’ve already got an Oreo Truffle, so I’m looking for a good bark or toffee sort of thing in particular, but anything easy will do.
Bonus points if you can find a way to help me use some Starbucks peppermint flavored Hot Cocoa since we received a tin and it won’t get used around here.
I used to have a book with a really easy chocolate base which could then be used for all sorts of different goodies rolled into them or outside of them, but I’ve misplaced the book. Anyone know of such a recipe? They were a big hit the one time I made them years ago. It was so easy and allowed for so much variety.
I just made peppermint bark - it’s ridiculously easy. Melt dark chocolate chips (you can even do this in the microwave if you don’t have a double boiler), and spread thinly on wax paper. Then melt some white chocolate chips, stir in a drop of peppermint extract, and pour it on top of the solidified dark chocolate. Sprinkle on some crushed candy canes (crushed salty pretzels on the dark side works nicely, too).
You can melt chocolate and dip or mix about near anything in it. I love making nut clusters (melt chocolate, drop in nuts, stir, place heaping tablespoons on wax paper and let cool), or coconut clusters (same as nuts, only using coconut) or even dried fruit (apricots are amazing in dark chocolate). You could also dip pretzel sticks in chocolate, or candy canes or peppermint sticks. Throw on some sugar glitter and it get’s pretty fancy, but is still super easy.
Forgot to add that I sometimes take plain sugar cookies from the grocery store and dip them into melted dark chocolate. People love them.
My aunt recommended an awesome combo to me along these lines; dark chocolate, dried tart cherries, finely diced candied ginger, and the nut of your choice (hazelnuts or toasted almonds are nice). Melt the chocolate, mix in your other stuff, pour onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or a silicon mat, and cool.
My mother is not known for her cooking abilities but she always has a huge hit with green Christmas wreath treats. They are like Rice Crispy treats except with cornflakes and died green with cinnamon candies on top. They are great from a novelty standpoint and they taste really good too. Few people can resist them. Making them is simple, fun and fast.
The quickest way to get mod attention is to report your own post- though I admit I checked out your thread to see what an “Xmas can’t” was, so I suppose that worked!
Melt one stick of butter in the microwave.
Melt 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Melt 6 ounces peanut butter chips.
Stir those three together with a teaspoon of vanilla.
Then stir in some broken up chow mein noodles.
You don’t want to crush them but you want them to ft nicely on the tablespoon without sticking out at all angles.
Drop by tablespoonful onto waxed paper. Chill in the fridge until set.
You can use different flavored chips than peanut butter, but you’ll probably need to use less butter or the ‘cookies’ will be a little greasy.
I recommend Crockpot Christmas Crack (recipe here). It’s delicious and makes a huge amount with almost no work. I wouldn’t call it pretty, but then it’s so tasty. I have to say that every single person to whom I have given some has asked for the recipe.
Pinterest is your Christmas goodies friend…but only if you’ve got a couple of hours to spare!
Couple of standouts for me…
Marshmallows dipped in chocolate, then crushed candy canes with a mini candy cane pushed into the middle…dipped stuff is on the bottom …then you hang it over a mug of hot chocolate.
Same idea with the marshmallows , only in addition to crushed candy canes, sprinkles too…dipped stuff on top
Bark…broken pretzels and Oreos on a pan, pour melted white chocolate over top and before it sets add mini Reece’s cups, mini m&ms, peanut m&ms, peanut butter chipits
My favourite … Make a Santa sleigh with two candy canes and a kit kat bar as a base. Put a Lindt Santa at the front of the sleigh and pile wrapped chocolates to look like presents and wrap with a ribbon. Probably need tape to hold it all together.
If I was a co-worker, I’d like to get stuff like that.
These candy ornaments aren’t super fancy, but I’ve been wanting to try them. Would be fun with kids. They’re simply melting hard candies like peppermints or butterscotch in cookie cutters:
That recipe reminds me of doing something similar years ago, sugar cookies with tiny cut-outs filled with crushed candy and melted. Here’sa similar recipe. That calls for using whole pieces of candy, but I think you get better results from crushing them so you can pour crushed bits into the cut outs and be sure you won’t have big holes in the ‘stained glass’ bits.
I wish I could KayT.