Christmas Cookies/candy/bread?

Cake Balls.... always a huge hit. Make a box cake (my favorite is german chocolate). When it's done & cooled - put it in a big bowl and break it into bits and mix together with a can of frosting (coconut pecan--yummy). Smoosh it all together and scoop into 1" balls and put on wax paper. I usually put these in the freezer for a bit-- and then melt chocolate almond bark (found in the baking section). Dip the chilled balls into the melted chocolate and put on the wax paper and let the chocolae harden. I wear disposable gloves for this part b/c it's really messy. These are like really fancy truffles but are super simple to make. I do up tons for gifts at Christmas and they're always a hit.

These are delish and really cute. Use chopped pecans for your nuts:

PECAN TOSSIES

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 c. flour

FILLING:

1 egg
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

For Dough: Mix thoroughly dough ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make into 24 balls, press into buttered muffin tins (make a shell).
For Filling: Beat ingredients together well, fill shells 3/4 full, top with chopped nuts.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

An assortment of cookies would be a great idea. I always make my neighbor who is a bit older and lives alone cookies during the holidays. You can buy really cute cookie wrapping bags with ties a places like Michaels.

Some of my favorite holiday cookies to make because they are beautiful and easy are below:

1. Dried fruit cookies - Think of fruit cake only so much better! These cookies are easy to make and look beautiful...they taste great too!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/dried-fruit...

2. French Chocolate Bark - This is also a super easy and pretty recipe, who doesn't love chocolate! She melts the chocolate in a double boiler in this recipe but in her book she uses an easy microwave technique. That technique I found in her white chocolate recipe, both are below:

Dark Chocolate
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/french-choc...

White Chocolate
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/white-choco...

3. Coconut Macaroons - I just made these and was shocked how easy they were.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-mac...

For other great recipe ideas check out my site below

http://www.ittakesavillagedallas.com/It_takes_a_village/M...

Happy Cooking!
VillageMom
www.ittakesavillagedallas.com

We have a recipe for really easy, yummy peppermint chocolates on our blog, http://welcomingkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/ridiculously.... They look especially festive if you use the colorful candy papers you can get at Joann or Michael's.

I have a friend who one year made some cute little things that I thought were simple and interesting and great for kids to get involved with. She just took plastic spoons and dipped them in white chocolate or dark chocolate and some were dipped with both, and then she pressed them into some sprinkles or crushed nuts, also left some plain. She wrapped 4 of them with colored colored cellophane and put them in coffee mugs. The dont have to be put into mugs tho.... they are an easy treat that isnt too fattening because it only has the coating of dipped chocolate, so it's good for people that want a sweet but don't want too much.

These pecan sandies are divine.. The secret is to totally chill the dough. also I add a pinch more salt.. I love the sweet and salty..

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pecan-sandies

And the classic Hershey's chocolate crinkle cookies.. again make sure the cookie dough is totally chilled..
Title: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Categories: Hershey’s, Cookies, L.
Yield: 48 Servings

2 c Sugar
3/4 c Vegetable oil
3/4 c Hershey’s cocoa
4 Eggs
2 t Vanilla extract
2 1/3 c All-purpose flour
2 t Baking powder
1/2 t Salt
Confectioners' sugar

In large mixer bo2wl combine sugar and oil. Add cocoa; blend well.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking power and salt; add
to cocoa mixture blending well. Cover; chill at least 6 hours. Heat
oven to 350F.
Shape dough into 1″ balls. Roll in confectioners' sugar. Place 2″
apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until almost
no indentation remains when touched. Remove from cookie sheet; cool
on wire rack.

Try food networks 12 days of cookies. They do it every christmas and last year I tried them. The gingerbread cookies were great.

peppermint bark! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peppermint-Bark/Detail.aspx
and this chocolate-chip banana bread was a hit with my kids and their teachers - you can also bake it in muffin tins http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Chip-Banana-Bread-...

my favorites are verybestbaking.com and tasteofhome.com

If you want quick and easy go with banana nut bread, chocoate chip cookies and or chocolate fudge. You should easily be able to find recipes online for these. There's a recipe for fudge on the side of a "Jet-Puffed" marshmallow creme jar. If you don't want to bake from scratch you can buy bake and serve cookies at most grocery stores. I get a lot of good recipes from pillsbury.com.

My favorite candy it chocolate covered pretzels. All you need is a bag of small pretzels (even the tree shaped ones), a block of almond bark (I like the vanilla more than the chocolate), waxed paper, a fork, & a double boiler or a pot & a metal bowl.
Fill the bottom of the double boiler (or the pot) half full with water & set the solid part of double boiler on top (or a metal bowl). Heat the water on the stove. Chop up the almond bark with the fork (or carefully with a knife) & put it into the top of the double boiler (or in the metal bowl). Stir it until it is completely melted without any clumps. Lay out your waxed paper on a flat surface. Put a hand full of pretzels in the melted almond bark & use your fork to move them around until they are completely covered. Then use your fork & scoop out one pretzel at a time & tap it on the edge of the double boiler top (or the metal bowl) so the almond bark on the pretzels is not really thick. Then lay the pretzel on the waxed paper & scoop out another pretzel. Keep doing this until you are either out of pretzels or almond bark.
You can even drizzel some dark chocolate on top of the pretzels by melting some dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips (by the directions on the bag), putting it in a sandwich baggie, clip a tiny corner of the baggie & use it like a pipeing bag.
Package them (after the almond bark has hardened) in Christmas sandwich baggies or in a nice tin. They last for quite a while. I'm not sure how long, b/c they are adictively good & get eaten very quickly around here!

God bless!

You can use the Quick bread mixes available at the store (Cranberry, Banana Nut, etc) and make it all about the presentation! Beautifully wrapped in holiday foils or paper and raffia bows in a cute bag/box, etc.

you can trust almost every single recipe in Better Homes & Gardens ....& Southern Living's archives. Haven't had one fail yet!

One of my favorite recipes is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf. It's super easy and YUMMY!

1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking powder
dash of salt
2 eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup chocolate chips

recipe yields: 1 bundt cake, 2 large loaves, or 24 muffins

Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Set aside. In small bowl, blend eggs, then add pumpkin and butter. Whisk together. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together. Pour into greased baking pans and fill 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees: 1 hour and 15 minutes for bundt cake; 40-45 minutes for loaves; 20-25 minutes for muffins. Cool completely.

I'm really a very average cook and this bread is so easy!! Everyone always asks for the recipe

Go to northpole.com To the right you'll see a box that says "Most Viewed Recipes". Click on more at the bottom of that box. There you will find whatever you are looking for!