Fruity Candy Popcorn

AKA: Jello Popcorn! An unusual fruity concoction which is easy to make and sweet to eat
You can certainly eat this un-baked as well and it’s just soft and gooey, but definitely bake it if you’re going to pack it up for giving, or serve it as party food so it will be light and crunchy.

8 cups popped popcorn
1/4 C butter (that’s half a stick)
3 T light corn syrup (honey is a good substitute)
1/2 C sugar
1 3.5oz box jello, any flavor (not the sugar free kind)

• Preheat oven to 300°F. 
• Line a jelly roll pan with foil or parchment. 
• If using foil, spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside. 
• Place popcorn in an extra large mixing bowl.
• Place butter and syrup in a sauce pan on medium heat. 
• Stir until butter is melted. 
• Add sugar and Jello and stir to combine.
• Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat so it just simmers. 
• Continue simmering for 5 minutes.
• After the sugar mixture simmers for 5 minutes, immediately pour over popcorn in bowl. Be careful, it’s super hot!! 
• Mix right away and keep stirring so everything gets well coated. 
• Spread mixture onto prepared pan and spread out evenly.
• Pop in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool to room temp. 
• Then break into pieces and enjoy! 

Recipe: Our Best Bites

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

This chocolate peppermint bark is super quick and easy to make. Don't pay a fortune for it in stores! Just make your own.

8 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate
8 ounces white chocolate
1/4 cup crushed peppermints, small and large pieces

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Fill two saucepans about 1/3 of the way full with water. 
• Bring to a rolling boil, then lower the temperature a bit so it's a low boil. 
• Place a heat safe glass bowl over top of each saucepan. 
• Be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the top of the water.
• Place one kind of chocolate in each of the two bowls. 
• Keep the water hot so the chocolate can melt. 
• Once each chocolate is smooth, spoon them alternately onto the cookie sheet
• Continue to spoon onto the cookie sheet until all the chocolate is gone. 
• Take a butter knife and drag it slowly though the colours to create the marble effect. 
• Toss the peppermints over top. 
• Place bark in the fridge for an hour or two to allow it to set up. 
• Snap the pieces by hand, or cut with a knife.

Recipe: Cravings of a Lunatic

Decorated Santa Cookies

Break out your star-shaped cookie cutter—it’s just what you need to make decorated Santa cookies!

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
cookie cutter star-shaped

16 oz container white icing ready-made
red sugar crystals
1 tube black gel icing
18 - 20 candies cinnamon or red mini candy-coated chocolate
1/2 cup mini marshmallows

• In a large mixing bowl, mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, almond extract and egg. 
• Stir flour and baking powder together and add to wet ingredients. 
• Mix until just combined then flatten the dough into a disc. 
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
• Unwrap the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface about ¼" thick.
• Cut as many stars as possible from the dough, dipping the cookie cutter in flour before cutting each cookie. 
• Remove the scraps then transfer the stars onto prepared cookie sheets. 
• Shape the scraps into a cohesive ball, add more dough then continue to roll and cut until no dough remains.
• Prior to baking, bend one tip of each star over slightly to form Santa’s hat. 
• Bake each batch of cookies 7–8 minutes then allow them to cool completely before decorating.
• To decorate, coat the top of each cookie completely in white icing. 
• Don’t worry about making it smooth—the more swoops and swirls the better! 
• Sprinkle or dip the ‘hat’ in red sugar crystals, being careful not to get any on other areas. 
• Use a butter knife to scrape the icing from a small area under the hat for Santa’s face.
• Place 2 small dots of black gel icing in the area where the icing has been removed then place a red candy on the face to form a nose. 
• Add a small dab of white icing to one side of a mini marshmallow and place it on the end of the hat to make a pom-pom. 
• Repeat with all remaining cookies. 
• Enjoy!

Recipe: Everyday Dishes

Almond Delight Macaroons

A cookie that combines Coconut, Almonds and Chocolate... my favourite sweet flavour combination. Delicious.

3 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups unsweetened desiccated medium coconut
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
16 dark chocolate–covered almonds
3 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup sliced almonds

• In bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and almond extract 
• Stir in coconut and flour. 
• Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Roll by heaping 1 tbsp into 16 balls. 
• Press 1 chocolate-covered almond into centre of each 
• Reshape mixture around almond to cover completely. 
• Place, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on parchment paper–lined baking sheets. 
• Bake in 300ºF (150ºC) oven until starting to brown on top for 20 to 25 minutes. 
• Let cool on pan on rack.
• Drizzle macaroons with melted chocolate. 
• Overlap 3 almond slices on top of each. 
• Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.  
• To Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe:  Canadian Living

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

Deliciously sweet and creamy with a pronounced lemon flavor. They have a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the addition of the sugar coating gives a nice texture contrast. Wonderful for an edible homemade gift

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. heavy cream
grated zest of 1 lemon
9 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
2 tsp. freshly-squeezed, strained lemon juice
granulated Sugar, for coating

• In small, heavy, non-aluminum saucepan, combine the heavy cream and lemon zest.
• Over low heat, heat until cream comes to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat, cover tightly and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Combine the white chocolate, salt, and butter in medium heatproof bowl.
• Remove the cover from the cream and reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer.
• Remove from heat.
• Strain through fine-meshed strainer into white chocolate mixture.
• Press down on the lemon zest left in the strainer to extract all the liquid from it.
• Place white chocolate mixture over a pot of warm water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl).
• Stir the chocolate frequently just until almost melted.
• Remove the bowl from the warm pot.
• Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• *White chocolate can be difficult when melting. If there are small lumps of white chocolate use a food processor and process the mixture at high speed just until smooth
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl.
• Chill at least 4 hours, covering tightly when cold.
• To make truffles: Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, form balls of about 1 inch diameter from the cold truffle base.
• Roll in sugar until well-coated.
• Store truffles airtight in refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for longer storage.
• To serve, remove from refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes prior to serving time.
• Let stand at room temperature, covered, until serving time.

Recipe: What Megan's Making

Slow Cooker Spiced White Hot Chocolate

Slow cooker recipes are amazing …. you just put in the ingredients and the cooker does the rest so here is a recipe for a deicious Spiced White Hot Chocolate.. so so yummy , a great drink to warm you up

The incredible flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom spice up this wonderfully creamy and rich white hot chocolate. Perfect on a cool morning!

4 cups half and half
2 cups milk
14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 can
7 oz marshmallow creme 1 jar
4 sticks cinnamon
1 vanilla bean split and scraped OR 2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cardamom OR 4 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg OR 1 whole nutmeg

• Place all ingredients in a slow cooker 
• Cook on low for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove cinnamon sticks, pods and nutmeg before serving

Recipe: Mom on Time Out

Christmas Wreath Veggie Tray

What a fun, festive idea... and, you can do so many variations with the veggies!

Source: Pinterest

Gingerbread Granola

A handmade gift is a wonderful way to let the receiver feel that they are loved. They know that the person giving the gift has thought deeply about what they want, and spent time creating something special

So today we're starting a new series.. Handmade Christmas... where we share recipes and crafts to gift your favourite foodie... or that special chef in your life...

So lets start with an easy one.... A Gift in a Jar

Gingerbread Granola

A great last minute idea. So easy to make, tastes amazing and is a great gift for your family and friends! Plus this recipe has a free printable gift tag. Will last two weeks in airtight containers

3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups Nuts of your choice.. I like walnuts, almonds and pecans
¼ cup Honey
¼ cup Coconut Oil (Sunflower or Canola work just as well)
3 tbsp Molasses
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Cloves
½ tsp Nutmeg

• Preheat oven at 300 degrees.
• Mix the oats and nuts in a bowl. Set aside.
• Mix the honey, coconut oil, molasses, vanilla and all the spices in a bowl and stir to combine.
• Pour all the wet ingredients over the dry and mix gently by hand to coat everything evenly.
• Spread out on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place it in the oven.
• Cook for 20 minutes and give the granola a good mix on the sheet pan. 
• Cook an additional 20 minutes.
• Remove after 40 minutes and let it cool.
• Break up the larger chunks by hand after it has cooled.
• Serve on yogurt, in milk, or just as a crunchy snack!

Recipe: Savor and Savvy

Gift Tag Printable: Here