Crockpot Peanut Butter Candy Clusters

1 bag peanut butter chips*

12 oz. white chocolate wafers

1 c. salted peanuts*

1 c. creamy peanut butter, crunchy can also be used

chocolate melting wafers

Place peanut butter chips, white chocolate, peanuts, and peanuts in lined crockpot. Turn to low and cook for 1 hour. Stir well at 30 minutes to keep the mixture from having hot spots that will scorch. Stir again to fully coat peanuts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or T. to drop the warm mixture onto sheets, leaving enough room so they don't spread into each other. Place chocolate wafers in bowl in microwave. Heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the clusters using a spoon or piping bag. Place sheet in refrigerator and allow them to cool about an hour to retain their shape.

*Butterscotch chips may be substituted, marshmallow bits may be added, peanuts can be omitted.

Chocolate Marshmallow Chubbies

1 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. cocoa

2 c. SR flour

2 c. milk chocolate chips

2 c. mini marshmallows, frozen,* or marshmallow bits

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine butter & sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully combined. Add cocoa. Stir in flour until dough comes together. Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows. Scoop 2 T. dough out and roll into a ball. Repeat until 24 balls are made. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. 

*Freezing marshmallows will keep them from spreading out and melting into the cookie too much. Pull them out of the freezer just before placing in cookies. Be sure to spread them out on a small tray to freeze, instead of freezing them all in one clump. 

Kathy's Candied "Popping" Cranberries

2 c. fresh, not frozen, cranberries (discard any limp ones, or use in another recipe)

1 c. powdered sugar (use a good brand name like Domino, generic doesn't stick as well)

2 c. simple syrup*

Soak cranberries in cooled syrup for 1 hour. Use a slotted spoon to remove berries from syrup and place them in a colander to drain. Drain well with a fine mesh strainer/colander, but do not rinse! or dry cranberries. They need to be wet, but not too wet (don't want them drippy) for the sugar coating to stick. Add cranberries to large ziploc bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag. Shake the bag until all cranberries are covered with a thick coating. Transfer to large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure none of them are on top of each other. Bake at 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Do not overbake. You don't want the cranberries to cook and the juice to leak out. Just enough to create a candy shell around the cranberries. Cool to room temperature & chill before serving, at least 1 hour. This recipe makes about 150 candies.

These are a nice refreshing & fun treat to eat that pop when you bite into them (be sure to have your mouth closed!) The crisp candy coating masks the sometimes bitter flavor of cranberries. These are best made the day of serving. The candy coating may start to flake off after that. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*some people use orange juice or sprite, but Kathy says the simple syrup works best for her.

Simple Syrup:

1 c. sugar

1 c. water

Combine in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Avoid rapid boiling. Remove from heat when sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature before using. May be stored in a clear airtight bottle in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Simple Syrup

1 c. sugar

1 c. water

Bring water to a boil over medium heat before adding sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear. Avoid rapid boiling. Remove from heat when sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature before using. May be stored in a clear airtight bottle in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Use to coat fruits such as candied cranberries or as a base to make icing for donuts/cookies.

Festive Christmas Jello Balls

1 can Eaglebrand milk, divided

3 oz. pkg red jello

3 oz. pkg green jello

4 c. shredded or grated coconut, divided

Edible dusting glitter, optional

Pour half the condensed milk in bowl, add red jello powder. Stir until mixture is smooth and vibrant. (Red food coloring may be added if not bright enough). Stir in 1 1/2 c. coconut until combined. Scoop out tablespoonful size balls and roll in 1/2 c. coconut. Roll in edible glitter for a finished touch. Repeat with green jello. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

1st pic: before rolling in coconut & edible glitter. 2nd pic: after rolling in coconut and glitter, Ready to serve. These were a big hit at a Christmas party at church.

Peanut Butter Meltaways

1 c. white chocolate melting wafers (I use member's mark--Sam's)

1 c. milk or dark chocolate melting wafers  

1 c. smooth peanut butter

Place white and chocolate wafers in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir. Repeat. Add peanut butter and stir until fully combined. May need to be microwaved a few seconds. Place silicone molds on baking sheets for stability. Use a small spoon to fill molds 2/3 full. Do not overfill. Lift the baking sheet about an inch and drop it so that it taps down. This will help get the air bubbles out. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until set. Remove from molds. May be stored on the counter or in the refrigerator for several days. This recipe made 46 1-2" pieces. See picture below.

These were a big hit! Everyone loved them and thought they were so cute!

Whipped Shortbread Cookies with Cherries

1 c. butter, room temperature

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 c. plain flour

1/4 c. cornstarch, for chewier cookie

24 maraschino cherries, drained, pat dry

1 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whip butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Mix together flour and cornstarch. Gradually add flour mixture in at low speed. When all the flour is added, turn the mixer speed to high and whip for 8 more minutes. Add almond extract. Fill piping bag or ziploc bag with batter. Snip off corner of bag and squeeze out cookies unto baking sheet. Top each cookie with maraschino cherry. Bake 15-17 minutes. Cool completely. Store in refrigerator to firm up the cookies if they are too crumbly.

Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 c. plain flour

3/4 c. maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

1/2 t. almond extract

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t. salt*, omit if using salted butter

4 oz. white chocolate, optional, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet. Cream softened butter and powdered sugar. Add extracts and mix well. Combine flour and salt*. Gradually add to butter mixture until clumps form. Fold in chopped cherries. Shape into balls and flatten. Place on baking sheet and bake 11-13 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, and transfer to wire rack. Drizzle with melted white chocolate, if desired. Store cooled cookies in airtight container.

*This recipe makes classic, buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. These are not a super sweet cookie. Adding some of the maraschino juice might help or use the juice to make a glaze for them. 

Cake Mix Donuts and Frosting

cake mix, any flavor

1/3 c. oil

1 egg

1 c. water

Frosting:

1 T. butter, melted

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

1/2 t. vanilla or almond extract (or others depending on cake flavor)

1-2 drops food coloring

sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease metal donut pans, but not silicone ones. Whisk oil, egg, and water. Add cake mix and stir until combined. Pour batter into piping bag or ziploc bag. Snip off corner and pipe into pan, fill 3/4 full. Bake 13-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pan 5-10 minutes. Carefully remove to a cooling rack. (Silicone pans are much easier to release.) After donuts are completely cooled, whisk together butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add additional milk if needed to make pourable, but not runny. Stir in food coloring if using. Dip donuts into icing and place on a cooling rack to set, (with parchment paper underneath to catch drips), add sprinkles or decorating sugar, if desired. 

Muffin Mix Donuts and Glaze

Store bought muffin mix, any flavor, made as directed on package. Preheat oven to 350. Fill donut pan 3/4 full. Bake 10 minutes until done. Flip out of pan to serve. Icing can be added if desired.

Icing flavors:

Vanilla/Almond: 

4 c. powdered sugar

1/8 t. salt

2 t. vanilla or almond extract

10-12 T. milk or cream, about 3/4 c.

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Place parchment paper under wire racks to catch any drips from the icing. Coat the donut one at a time by holding near the top and dunking until half submerged in the glaze. Place on wire rack until set. This recipe makes enough to glaze 12-15 donuts. 

Simple Glaze:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2-3 T. milk

2 t. vanilla

Combine all ingredients, whisk until smooth. Dip donuts one at a time until donut is half submerged. If you want thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar. If you want it thinner, add more milk. For extra thick glaze, dip once, allow to set and then dip again. After dipping, place on wire rack to dry. Glaze can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for 2 weeks. Sprinkles can also be added to glaze before it sets up.

Chocolate Glaze:

to simple glaze recipe, add 1/4 c. cocoa and 1 more T. milk.

Maple Glaze:

to simple glaze recipe, add 1/4 c. maple syrup + more for taste if needed

substitute maple extract for vanilla

Pumpkin Glaze:

 to simple glaze recipe, add 1 t. pumpkin spice, substitute pumpkin extract for vanilla

Lemon Glaze:

to simple glaze, substitute 1 t. lemon extract, for vanilla extract, add more lemon extract 

if needed. Yellow food coloring can also be added if desired.

Orange Glaze:

to simple glaze, substitute 1 t. orange extract for vanilla extract.

Funfetti Glaze:

to simple glaze add 1 drop pink food coloring (how to make pink? Some stores actually carry pink!) and sprinkles.