What EASY goodies are you making this holiday?

[fords8]

We also have lotsa Peanut butter so....

Buckeyes....

•1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter, softened to room temperature
•2.5 cups powdered sugar
•1 tsp vanilla
•1 cup smooth peanut butter
•1/2 tsp salt
•1 cup milk or dark chocolate, your choice
Preparation:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.

2. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until very smooth and well combined.

3. Using a teaspoon, form mixture into balls the size of a quarter. Place balls on cookie sheet covered with foil and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. While balls are chilling, melt the chocolate. Temper the chocolate if you desire.

5. Once balls are firm, they can be dipped. Using a toothpick, skewer a ball and dip it halfway into the melted chocolate. You want to leave at least a dime-sized circle of undipped candy on top of the ball.

6. Drag it along the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, and place it back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls.

7. Return balls to fridge to set the chocolate. Serve once candies are firm.

 

[amysalatino]

I use the cheap fake chocolate bark stuff. I've done all kinds of combinations but the favorite at my house is yellow/white cake mix with vanilla frosting dipped in chocolate...

Frosting is part of the GM deal as are cake mixes!!

 

[eiramnoaj]

These cake balls sound like something I could manage. (although the dipping part may get a bit messy - I tried chocolate covered pretzles one Christmas and that didn't turn out so well.:surrender

Any hints or suggestions for the dipping part?

 

[fords8]

These cake balls sound like something I could manage. (although the dipping part may get a bit messy - I tried chocolate covered pretzles one Christmas and that didn't turn out so well.:surrender

Any hints or suggestions for the dipping part?

I don't own a double boiler so I put a large pot (like speghetti size) on the stove on med and boil water about 3/4 of the way full. I then take a metal bowl and float it inside of the big pot. I then put my chocolate chips in there to melt.

When ready for dipping I leave the set up alone and use a toothpick to stab the ball and then dip it in. Gently tip it all 4 ways to cover ball. Put onto a piece of wax paper (on top of a cookie sheet) once the cookie sheet is full stick in the refridgerator to cool quickly! Works like a charm everytime!

 

[fords8]

it is a little pricier, but Sams club usually has big Ghirardelli Dipping Chocolate bars around the holidays.... easy to melt, easy to use...... very yummy!

 

[amysalatino]

I stick the chocolate in the microwave...Melt it. Throw four cakeballs in at a time. Use a fork drop it on wax paper and let it dry. Every four cakesballs I put sprinkles on to cover up imperfections..they dry fast though so you have to do the sprinkles as you dip. Dip four..sprinkle...dip four more...sprinkle...It really isn't as bad as it sounds!

 

[bankingonit]

My gramma does this with Special K instead of cornflakes. She thinks it's healthier. :lol:

Still have TONS of Frosted Flakes! You can get the redhots @ Dolla Store

Sooooooo.....

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes cereal
1 (2.25 ounce) package cinnamon red hot candies
Directions
1.Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir. (This can be done in a double boiler if one doesn't have a microwave.)
2.Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.
3.Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

 

[fords8]

My gramma does this with Special K instead of cornflakes. She thinks it's healthier. :lol:

Ha ha ha... that's funny!

 

[Chickie]

OMG! You so brought back memories with these! I have to make them now! TY!

Still have TONS of Frosted Flakes! You can get the redhots @ Dolla Store

Sooooooo.....

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes cereal
1 (2.25 ounce) package cinnamon red hot candies
Directions
1.Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir. (This can be done in a double boiler if one doesn't have a microwave.)
2.Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.
3.Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

 

[tracynvk]

My father in law always makes these goodies. You put a Rolo candy on top of a pretzel (I use the holiday pretzels that are shaped as bells or trees) and pop them in the oven for a few minutes until the Rolo begins to melt. Then, take them out of the oven and immediately press a pecan into the Rolo. Let the chocolate harden and you have a very easy, tasty treat.

 

[DianeScraps]

We did a ton of baking today. I need to take more pics - but here is one of the oreo dipped pops we made

btw - my new FAVORITE desert - CAKE BALLS - OMG! Heaven!!!

 

[Clars]

My father in law always makes these goodies. You put a Rolo candy on top of a pretzel (I use the holiday pretzels that are shaped as bells or trees) and pop them in the oven for a few minutes until the Rolo begins to melt. Then, take them out of the oven and immediately press a pecan into the Rolo. Let the chocolate harden and you have a very easy, tasty treat.

I do this with caramel hershey kisses and m&ms or cashews. Seriously easy and delicious. The trick is getting them just melty enough.

 

[fords8]

Diane those are so cute! Looks like green glitter glue on there though...what did you use?

ETA: Is that a cake ball or Oreo thingy?

 

[fords8]

Ok so remember that $1/1 Duncan Hines Delux carrot cake mix coupon from a while ago? Well my kids didn't like the carrot/ raisin mix part. SO I got out another one, tossed that part and am baking just the spiced cake mix (smells like Christmas) and will use a can of cream cheese frosting and will put a simple glaze over the balls.....what do y'all think? Hope they turn out good. My family likes gingerbread cookies so I'm telling my kids they're gingerbread balls. :bowing:

 

[newfly]

Too funny - I'm making the cake balls today using carrot cake mix, cream cheese frosting and white chocolate chips.

 

[fords8]

Too funny - I'm making the cake balls today using carrot cake mix, cream cheese frosting and white chocolate chips.

Lol, really too funny! Mine are in the fridge chillin' before I dunk 'em. I think I'm using regular choc. chips melted for the coating. Not sure though....I do have white choc. bark.....hmmm....decisions decisions. :lol:
My DS wanted to keep eating them plain.

 

[eiramnoaj]

Yep...they are awesome. Bake a cake (follow directions on box) cool it and crumble it in a bowl. Mix in a can of frosting (lord knows we all have enough free cake and frosting). Chill misture in fridge. Roll into balls. Put balls in freezer to harden. When they are hardened melt chocolate dip and let sit! So good, so easy!!

Ok, for those of you who have made these tasty little cake balls...after the cake cools, I'm just breaking it up into pieces? Mixing in the frosting - are we talking just stirring the mix around a bit to get things coated or am I mixing this stuff up into like a paste?

This weekend is cleaning weekend (aren't you proud Dee?) and next weekend I'm planning on doing some baking and these sound like they'd make a nice gift to send over to my neighbors and to bring some into work.

 

[DianeScraps]

Diane those are so cute! Looks like green glitter glue on there though...what did you use?

ETA: Is that a cake ball or Oreo thingy?

Thanks, I found a Glitter decorating gel, by Wilton, at AC Moore.

These are the Oreo Cookies pops.

 

[newfly]

While I'm waiting for them to cool I checked her blog. She notes that it is a lot harder to use white chocolate since the crumbs show through, so since this is my first try I'm going to use chocolate instead.

Also, someone posted on her blog about using baking chips (which is what I have) and that all you need to do is add some oil to it, like you would do for a fountain.

 

[fords8]

Ok, for those of you who have made these tasty little cake balls...after the cake cools, I'm just breaking it up into pieces? Mixing in the frosting - are we talking just stirring the mix around a bit to get things coated or am I mixing this stuff up into like a paste?

This weekend is cleaning weekend (aren't you proud Dee?) and next weekend I'm planning on doing some baking and these sound like they'd make a nice gift to send over to my neighbors and to bring some into work.

I crumbled it pretty good the used a fork to mix in the frosting. Go ahead and really smoosh it in there while mixing it up. I used my little cookie scooper to scoop so they're all the same size then rolled in my hands.

Seriously Joan you can't go wrong.