Come on in and sample some treats

If you haven't figured it out yet, I like to bake! And Christmas time is one of those times I go all out! So come and take a trip over to the Bacon's house, and have a sample or two of each (and Sis bacon I know you're reading, you might want to bring the Benadryl, there are nuts involved!)

What type of candies would you like? Perhaps some cheater turtles?

These are super easy to make, even if you hate going into the kitchen!

Round pretzels (any kind of small pretzel works, at the holiday time you can find these though!)
1 bag of Rolo's Candy unwrapped
halved Pecans

Line pan with parchment paper. Set pretzels on the pan, place unwrapped Rolo in center of each pretzel. Place in 350* oven for 5 minutes until rolo starts to soften and the chocolate looks glossy. Remove from oven carefully. Press a pecan into the center of each while still hot. Let cool on pan. Remove and store in fridge. You can also do this with Hershey's kisses in the centers, and press a M&M into them once warmed too! These are great treats the kids can help with.

Those are quite yummy, but you're looking for something else? Perhaps something rich like fudge!?! Fudge is always a Christmas favorite here. Of course once Mr. Bacon and the kids find the container I hid them in, I usually have to make a second batch (like this year!).

Grandma Bacon's Fudge:

3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Melt chocolate chips and milk in microwave safe bowl until melted (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla and salt (if you're curious what a pinch of salt is, it's less than 1/8 tsp) and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a parchment or wax paper lined 8x8 pan. Spread evenly and place in fridge until firm- about 30 min. Remove from pan and paper, cut into small squares. Store in fridge.

Hey now, I said only a sample of the candies! There are more to try. But Fudge is always good! Now maybe you're looking for something a little sugary sweet. Try this recipe from my friend Nancy for Christmas Crack. Her recipe has been tried and true and tastes wonderful! Its made with crackers, sugar, butter and chocolate it's delicious.

Christmas Crack:

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Single layer of club brand crackers on parchment. If you don't have Club crackers, you can use saltines too.

Melt together:
1 c. brown sugar
2 sticks butter

Boil for exactly 3 minutes.
Pour over crackers and bake at 350 for exactly 8 minutes.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle one bag milk chocolate chips on top. (Semisweet is yummy too!)
Spread them as they start to melt. You can sprinkle chopped walnuts or
pecans on top if you want. CHILL COMPLETELY! ( Nancy says In subzero weather, the front step works nicely for this step, and she's right! It's freezing in Minnesota, colder than my freezer.) Cut up or break apart with your hand and store in airtight container.

Yeah, it's THAT good! Go ahead, make a pan for yourself and see how long it lasts. No Christmas treat sampling is complete without some puppy chow. No I'm not talking about food for your dog, I'm talking about this delicious stuff. It's super easy to make for the holidays and another easy recipe the kids can help with.

Puppy Chow:
8 cups Crispex cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
powdered sugar

In microwave safe bowl or double boiler melt the peanut butter, chocolate & butter. Place cereal in big bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and coat well. Here's the fun part- Place 1 cup powdered sugar in brown paper grocery bag. Pour in coated cereal. fold over bag and shake it around to coat all the cereal. Open the bag and see if it's coated well. If not keep adding in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until all the cereal is coated.

This treat not only is great to munch on at Christmas time, but all year long. I always wondered why we keep some of our favorite recipes to make only at Christmas time. Nothing beats a good pan of fudge or some puppy chow in the July heat either! And they are cheaper than buying candy bars or other treats for in your kids lunch box.

Well do you still have room to sample one more? Just one more teeny tiny TRUFFLE?! It's just not Christmas without over indulging with truffles. These are incredible fluffy and have just enough richness to tame your sweet tooth.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles:

8oz chocolate chips (1 cup)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1- 8oz tub cool whip thawed

1/4 cup each
*powdered sugar
*instant coffee
*ground nuts

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Let cool for 5-10 min. Gently fold in the cool whip. Don't mix a lot with this or they truffles won't have a fluffy consistency. Place in the fridge for at least one hour to chill. Place your 1/4 cup of toppings in individual bowls. Take 1/2- 1 tsp of the truffle mix and roll into a ball with your hands. This is a messy process so don't worry if your hands get dirty. Roll truffle ball in topping choice and place in mini muffin or candy paper. Place in fridge to chill. Store in air tight container in fridge.

Well I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Bacon's. I'm glad you stopped by for some treats. I hope they helped with that sweet tooth for a little bit. No you say. Well get baking some treats of your own. The best part is none of these recipes are overly hard or take long to make. But they taste like you've been spending weeks in the kitchen.

I'm off to keep baking. The kids are eager to decorate sugar cookies. So off to dig out the recipe. Oh remember a few weeks ago I mentioned how bad my recipe book was getting... Well I think I know what I'm going to ask Santa for- Time to get a new recipe holder!