Candy Cane Fudge

This easy recipe for Candy Cane Fudge is both festive and delicious for the holidays...and uses only four ingredients

110 (or 18 ounces) Hersheys Candy Cane Kisses (unwrapped)
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into pieces
4 large candy canes, crushed

• Spray an 8x8 inch pan with nonstick spray.
• Line with waxed paper so that the waxed paper comes up two sides (you'll want to use those two sides later like a handle... to pull the fudge out of the pan).
• In a medium glass or pyrex bowl, combine the Kisses, sweetened condensed milk and butter.
• Microwave in 30 second bursts until all is melted and smooth (stir after each burst). 
• Alternately, this can be done in a double boiler. 
• Heat until melted.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. 
• Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and press gently to adhere. 
• Chill for at least 2 hours, or until fudge is completely cooled and hardened. 
• Loosen up the other sides of the fudge in the pan by using a knife. 
• Use the waxed paper like handles and wiggle it out of the pan. 
• Peel off the waxed paper and place the fudge slab on a cutting board.
•  Cut and serve, or store in a covered container (at room temperature or in the freezer) until ready to serve.

Recipe: Recipe Girl

Loaded Christmas Cowboy Cookies

These cookies, which could also be called Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies, are oatmeal cookies full of white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, red and green chocolate chips, dried cranberries, coconut, and pecans. Quite a mouthful

1 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups All Purpose White Flour.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup holiday red and green chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Place coconut and pecans on a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. 
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted, watching very closely so they do not burn. 
• Set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 
• Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. 
• Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. 
• Add to creamed mixture; beat well. 
• Stir in the oats, white, dark, and holiday chocolate chips, dried cranberries and toasted coconut and pecans.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment covered baking sheets. 
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until browned. 
• Remove to wire racks to cool

Recipe: Flavor Mosaic

No Bake Eggnog Cheesecake Trifle

The layers of creamy cheesecake, crunchy cookies, and juicy berries will impress everyone as they dig in

16 ounce package gingersnaps, chopped
3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding
1 ¼ cups eggnog
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon rum extract
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg + extra for garnish
6 cups fresh raspberries + 6 for garnish
10 gingerbread boy cookies
mint leaves, optional

• Place a metal bowl and mixer blades in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
• Whisk together the pudding mix and eggnog in a bowl. 
• Place in the refrigerator.
• Pour the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar into the frozen bowl. 
• Beat on high until stiff peaks form. 
• Spoon the whipped cream into another bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Drop the cream cheese into the mixing bowl and beat until creamy.
• Slowly add the chilled pudding to the cream cheese and beat again. 
• Stir in the extract and nutmeg.
• Fold in half of the prepared whipped cream gently.
• Layer half the chopped cookies in the bottom of a trifle bowl. 
• Top with half the raspberries.
• Place 8 gingerbread boy cookies standing up around the outside of the bowl. 
• Gently spoon in half the eggnog mixture. 
• Use a spoon to spread it out evenly.
• Repeat with the remaining cookies, berries, and eggnog cheesecake.
• Add the remaining whipped cream to the top of the layers. 
• Top with raspberries, mint leaves, and gingerbread boy cookies. 
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. 
• Best served within 1 day of making it.

Recipe: Inside Brucrew Life

Christmas Light Cupcakes

Christmas light cupcakes are the cutest holiday dessert. This cupcake hack using mini M&M's is genius

1 Devil's food cake mix
1 c. water 1/3 c. vegetable oil 3 large eggs
1 cup Granulated sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure
1 1 oz. (8-oz.) block Cream cheese
1 1/2 cup Heavy cream
1 M&ms, Mini
Black decorating gel

• Line a muffin tin with liners. 
• Make chocolate cupcakes according to package directions. 
• Let cool completely. 
• Make cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. 
• Set aside. 
• In another bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy. 
• Gently fold in whipped cream. 
• Transfer to piping bag or large Ziploc bag. 
• Frost cupcakes, making sure they are a good height. 
• Trace a black line around the frosting with decorating gel. 
• Stick M&Ms along the black line, imitating rainbow lights. 
• Repeat to frost all 24 cupcakes.

Recipe: Delish

Eggnog Coffee Cake Muffins

Eggnog Coffee Cake Muffins-the streusel and eggnog glaze make these muffins extra special! They are perfect for Christmas morning!

For the Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup eggnog
1 large egg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the eggnog glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons eggnog
Pinch of nutmeg

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. The recipe makes 10 muffins.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Add the butter and rub together with your fingers until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine eggnog, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Don't over mix.
• Place 1 tablespoon of muffin batter in each prepared muffin cup.
• Top with 1 teaspoon of streusel.
• Add more batter to cover the streusel, about a heaping teaspoon.
• Top muffins with remaining streusel.
• Bake muffins for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let muffins cool to room temperature.
• While the muffins are cooking, make the eggnog glaze.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, eggnog, and pinch of nutmeg.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Drizzle glaze over the muffins. 

Recipe: Two Peas and their Pod

Eggnog French Toast Bake

Eggnog French Toast Bake is a Christmas morning tradition! This quick-to-prepare overnight casserole features French bread soaked in an eggnog custard. In the morning, simply pop it in the oven for a special holiday breakfast!

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
8 eggs
2 cups prepared eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (or two 8- by 8-inch baking dishes) with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. 
• Stir in brown sugar and maple syrup; continue stirring as mixture comes to a boil. 
• Remove from heat and pour into prepared baking dish. 
• Arrange the bread cubes over the brown sugar mixture. 
• Sprinkle bread cubes with cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and mix in the eggnog and vanilla. 
• Evenly pour this custard mixture over the bread cubes. 
• Press down lightly on the bread to make sure it's all coated/soaked. 
• Tightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
• Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator. 
• Preheat oven to 325°F. 
• Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. 
• Increase oven temperature to 375°F and remove foil. 
• Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center of casserole is clean (and mostly dry) and top is puffy and golden brown.

Recipe: Five Heart Home

Christmas Crackle Puddings

Quick and easy to make with no baking. As a youngster my daughter loved making these and and one year sold dozens at her Christmas school fayre

1 x 200g pkt good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped 100g butter, chopped
105g (3 cups) Kellogg's Coco Pops
100g white chocolate melts
10 red Nestle Smarties.

• Line ten 125ml (1/2-cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
• Place the milk chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
• Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the coco pops.
• Divide among prepared pans. mould into a dome shape.
• Place in fridge for 2 hours or until firm.
• Place the white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water
• Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate melts and is smooth.
• Spoon a little white chocolate over each pudding and top with a smartie.
• Set aside until set.

 
Recipe: Taste

Buttery Spritz Cookie

These cookies are buttery, tender and such festive Christmas cookies! The cookie dough is super easy to put together and there’s so many ways to decorate them. A great make-ahead cookie!

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Colored sugar and sprinkles

• Preheat oven to 375°. 
• In a large bowl, cream butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until light and fluffy. 
• Beat in egg and extracts. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture.
• Using a cookie press fitted with a disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. 
• Bake 6-8 minutes or until set (do not brown). 
• Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough water to reach desired consistency. 
• Dip cookies in glaze; decorate as desired. 
• Let stand until set. 

Recipe: Taste of Home