Recipe Exchange

Appetizers Desserts Drinks

Desserts

Christmas Crack

You are going to want to put this Christmas crack toffee on your MUST MAKE list this year. It takes SWEET and SAFTY to a whole new level and it only takes 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make.

Prep: 5 mins, Cook: 8 mins, Total: 13 mins
Nutrition Facts: calories: 163kcal, carbohydrates: 19g, protein: 1g, fat: 9g, saturated fat: 5g, cholesterol: 17mg, sodium: 115mg, potassium: 19mg, sugar: 14g, vitamin A: 215IU, vitamin C: 0.1mg, calcium: 23mg, iron: 0.5mg

Ingredients:

  • 50 saltine crackers (approx.)
  • 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks, cubed)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1/2 – 1 cup M&M’s (or chopped nuts or sliced almonds)

Directions:
Step 1:
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray cooking spray and then line the pan with saltine crackers.
Step 2:
Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized pot over low medium,-low heat. Stir until the butter is melted. Once the butter has melted, bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Stir constantly. Once it’s nice and bubbly and changed to more of a caramel color, remove pan from heat and pour evenly over saltine crackers. Spread mixture with a knife…however it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Step 3:
Place pan in the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. The mixture will spread evenly over the crackers as it bakes.
Step 4:
Remove pan and place chocolate chips on top and allow to melt or melt the chocolate and then pour over the top with a spatula. Sprinkle M&M’s (or nuts) on top and then place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 5:
Once chocolate has hardened break pieces off the foil and store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Variations:

  • Use Ritz or graham crackers as the base
  • Use a white chocolate or drizzle white chocolate over to
  • Sprinkle with chopped nuts
  • Add sprinkles for color


Cookies

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Halloween Spider Cookies

This is a fun Halloween treat that is easy enough for kids to help create.

  • Prep: 45 mins, Cook: 10 mins, Total: 55 mins
  • Servings: 48, Yield: 48 cookies
  • Nutrition Facts: 117 calories; protein 1.7g; carbohydrates 14.4g; fat 6.3g; cholesterol 7mg; sodium 78mg.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup white sugar for rolling
  • 24 chocolate candy spheres with smooth chocolate filling (such as Lindt Lindor Truffles), refrigerated until cold
  • 48 decorative candy eyeballs
  • 1/2 cup prepared chocolate frosting

Directions:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheet with baking parchment.
Step 2:
Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup white sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat egg into the creamy mixture until fully incorporated. Sir milk and vanilla extract into the mixture until smooth.
Step 3:
Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl; add to the wet mixture in the large bowl and sir until completely incorporated into a dough. Divide and shape dough into 48 balls.
Step 4:
Spread 1/4 cup white sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in sugar to coat and arrange about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
Step 5:
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and quickly press a dimple into the middle of each cookie using the blunt end of a wooden spoon. Cool cookies on sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 6:
Cut each chocolate sphere into two hemispheres. Put one piece atop each cookie with the rounded side facing upwards.
Step 7:
Spoon frosting into a pastry bag with a small round tip or a plastic freezer bag with one end snipped off. Dab a small amount of frosting onto the back of each candy eyeball and stick two onto each chocolate candy to resemble eyes. Then pipe frosting in four thin lines, starting at the base of the candy, on each side atop the cookie to resemble sider legs.
Step 8:
Let frosting harden at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Drinks

Peppermintini

This is the perfect after-holiday-shopping martini!

Peppermintini with chocolate and candy cane rim
  • Prep: 5 mins, Total: 5 mins
  • Serving: 1, Yield: 1
  • Nutrition: Per Serving: 270 calories; protein 0.9g; carbohydrates 19.5g; fat 3.6g; cholesterol 11.2mg; sodium 16.7mg.

Ingredients

  • 1 candy cane, finely crushed
  • 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger vanilla vodka
  • 1 fluid once peppermint schnapps
  • 1 fluid ounce half-and-half cream
  • 1 small candy cane

Directions:
Step 1:
Wet rim of a chilled martini glass with water, and dip into the crushed candy cane. Pour the vodka, schnapps, and half-and-half into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into the rimmed martini glass, and garnish with candy cane to serve.

Appetizers

Cream Cheese Penguins

Just imagine a cute display of penguins, made with black olives, carrots and cream cheese! You can add scarves and hats by using fresh red pepper strips, or canned pimentos cut into different shapes. Use frilly toothpicks if you can.

Penguins and Grinch Caps
  • Prep: 30 mins, additional: 5 mins, Total: 35 mins
  • Servings: 18, Yield: 18 penguins
  • Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 57 calories; protein 1g; carbohydrates 1.2g; fat 5.5g; cholesterol 13.ymg; sodium 104.2mg.

Ingredients:

  • 18 jumbo black olives, pitted
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 18 small black olives
  • 1 carrot

Directions:
Step 1:
Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet.
Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the break. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
Step 2:
Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Grinch Kabobs

These little skewers are simple to make and a great addition to your appetizers at any Christmas party.

  • Prep: 30 mins, Total: 30 mins
  • Serving: 24, Yield: 24 servings
  • Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 18 calories; protein 0.2g; carbohydrates 4.4g; fat 0.1g; sodium 1.6mg.

Ingredients:

Grinch Caps
  • 24 green grapes
  • 1 large banana, cut into 24 slices, or as needed
  • 24 hulled strawberries, tips removed
  • 24 miniature marshmallows
  • 24 toothpicks

Directions:
Step 1:
Thread 1 grape, 1 banana slice, 1 strawberry (narrow end facing up), and 1 marshmallow onto 1 toothpick to resemble the Grinch’s head in his red hat. Repeat with remaining grapes, banana slices, strawberries, and marshmallows.