Christmas Goodies

Every year the boys and I spend a whole day baking goodies for our neighbors, letter carriers and garbage collectors.

We made three recipes this year. Three of my favorite holiday recipes.

First we made these easy-peasy caramel pecan turtles. This is my favorite kind of dessert to bake... few ingredients... quick... and easy. All you need are three ingredients. Rolos (we used caramel dove candies this time because I could not find rolos any where... they worked fine, but I prefer the rolos), pecans, and mini pretzels.

The boys fill the baking sheet with pretzels and then put a rolo (or dove candy) on each pretzel. Put baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 10mins at 350 degrees. Just long enough for the chocolate to get slightly melted. Quickly pull sheet from the oven and carefully place one pecan on each pretzel. Gently press the pecan into the chocolate. Then place the baking sheet into the freezer until the chocolate has hardened again. Make sure you test at least one to see if they are ready.... YUM, YUM!!!

The second recipe we made was Amish Ginger Cookies. A lot more complicated than the first recipe, but definitely worth the trouble. My mouth is watering just thinking about these yummy cookies! Here is the recipe...

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cloves
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and molasses and beat until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar until coated well. Place balls on baking sheet and slightly flatten with a spatula. Bake for 5-7 mins. or until they are barely turning brown. Allow to cool for 1 min. on baking sheet and then remove to cool further. I didn't get any pictures of us making these cookies... I think that is when someone asked if they could take a turn at taking pictures....

Hmmmm, wonder who that could've been?


Now you understand why there are no pictures of the cookies!

Okay, now on to the 3rd and hardest recipe. Gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats! They are yummy... that is true, but lets just say I would be locked away somewhere,... somewhere far far away if I had to make these more than once a year!

It starts out like any other recipe...

1 stick butter
2 T. molasses
1 1/2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. salt
1 (10.5 oz) bags mini-marshmallows
12 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Grease a 9x13 baking pan well. (with butter) In large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir in marshmallows and cook, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted.

everything seems to be going well...



Add cereal to marshmallow mixture and fold in quickly to coat.

FOLD in quickly? uh oh... here's where the trouble (insanity!) always begins.

Scrape cereal mixture into prepared pan and let cool for a few minutes. Lightly coat hands with butter and press Rice Krispies into the pan.

they make it sound sooo simple... Sheesh!

Cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

you better enjoy them 'cause i'm never making those beast bars again! ...or at least not til next Christmas!