Chocolate Peanut Clusters

This is another of the candies that my Grandma always made in her Christmas candy spread each year. This isn't her exact recipe, it's actually one that I just made up on the fly this year, but I'm very happy with how they came out! This is a very simple candy that even the most novice of candy makers can make to share with family and friends during the holiday season! Just be sure to make extra, because they will disappear fast!

Ingredients...

...1 pound of chocolate (again, I used Hershey's Kisses because it's what I had on hand. You can use chocolate chips or baking chocolate as well!)
...2 T. shortening
...peanuts

Directions...

Melt chocolate in the microwave and then stir in shortening until smooth. Add in peanuts until the mixture is the consisstency you like. You can really make these however you want, more chocolate, more peanuts or an equal amount of each. Just keep adding peanuts until it is how you want it. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper to harden.

To see more delicious recipes check out Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace.

Pecan Tassies

This is yet another of my childhood favorites when it comes to Christmas candy! We used to make these every year growing up, but then in my teen years we stopped for some reason. And then I kind of forgot that they even existed until I stumbled upon a recipe a few months ago. I instantly bookmarked it, knowing that I was planning to recreate several of my grandma's candies this year. These little tassies are like a bite size pecan pie. So sweet and so yummy!

Ingredients...

...6 oz. cream cheese
...2 c. flour
...1 c. butter
...1 egg
...3/4 c. packed brown sugar
...1 T. butter, softened
...1 tsp. vanilla
...1/4 tsp. salt

...3/4 c. chopped pecans

Directions...

In a medium bowl, soften 1 c. butter and cream cheese. Stir in flour and mix with fork until ingredients are well combined (dough will be crumbly). Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight. Make balls from dough and flatten in the palm of your hands. Press into mini muffin tins. In a seperate medium bowl, cream together egg, 1 T. butter and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla, salt and pecans. Spoon mixture into crust in muffin tins, to about 3/4 full (to prevent bubbling over). Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Let cool in tins before removing.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Would it even be Christmas time without a plate of fudge to snack on? Fudge is just one of those candies that epitomize Christmas food! There are so many varieties out there...versions with nuts, versions that can be made entirely in the microwave, versions with marshmallows, white chocolate versions...and versions like this that call for the beautiful marriage of chocolate and peanut butter. This was incredibly simple to make, I know that candy making can be intimidating...especially to beginning candy makers, but this was really easy. Not a bit intimidating.

Okay, I lied.

It was a little intimidating.

But that was only before I learned what soft ball meant. Once I learned that candy making phrase and it's meaning it wasn't so much intimidating anymore.

Ingredients...

...3 cups white sugar
...1 cup evaporated milk
...1/4 cup cocoa
...1/2 cup peanut butter
...1 T. butter

Directions...

In a saucepan stir together the sugar, evaporated milk and cocoa. Stir over high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Lower heat to medium and continue stirring until it reaches softball stage (240 degrees F with a candy thermometer. Mine had a nifty little arrow that pointed to where the mercury should be for the soft ball stage!). Remove from the heat and add peanut butter and margarine. Stir by hand until well combined and creamy. Pour into a greased pan (I used a 9x13. For a thicker fudge, use a 9x9 or 8x8) and let harden.

To see other delicious recipes, check out Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum!

No Bake Cookies

This is the first recipe that I ever made on my own. It was actually my first 4-H project too :) Since then, I have not tired of this recipe. It's another one of those recipes that we made a lot growing up and so it just reminds me of my childhood everytime I make it! This would be a great recipe for your kids to help you out with...they will love helping to drop these onto the wax paper and mix in the ingredients. Just be sure to watch their little fingers or you may not have many left on the waxed paper at the end of the day! These would make a great addition to any candy and cookie platter...because while they are techinically called a cookie...couldn't they be considered a candy? I sure think so....

Mmmmmm!

Ingredients...

...1/2 cup milk
...1/2 cup butter
...2 cups sugar
...6 T. cocoa powder
...3 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
...1 heaping spoonful of peanut butter (not pictured)

Directions...

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, butter, cocoa, sugar and peanut butter to a boil. Continue to let boil for 1 minute. After 1 minute of boiling, remove from heat and stir in oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool until hardened.
To see more great holiday recipes, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap going on over at Life as Mom!

Grandma's Peanut Butter Balls

Every Christmas, my grandma would spend WEEKS in the kitchen preparing for all of her children and grandchildren to come spend Christmas day eating, rejoicing and visiting in her home. Several days worth of her preperations would be candy making. My favorite candy every year would be this peanut butter ball recipe. I just couldn't get enough of these tasty little confections! Once Grandma passed, we never got any homemade candy at Christmas anymore. I finally decided that it's time for someone to carry on the tradition, and I am taking that upon myself. I couldn't stop sneaking taste tests of these amazing peanut butter delights while I was making them, they just brought back so many memories of Christmas' from my childhood!

Ingredients...

...2 cups creamy peanut butter
...3/4 cup butter
...3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
...3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
...1 pound chocolate (I used Hershey's Kisses because it's what I had on hand. Chocolate chips, baking squares, etc. will also work!)
...2 T. shortening

Directions...

In a large mixing bowl combine peanut butter and melted butter until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and Rice Krispies until a dough is formed. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for an hour to chill. Once dough is chilled, form dough into small balls and freeze for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, melt chocolate and then stir in shortening until smooth. Dip frozen peanut butter balls into chocolate and place on waxed paper to harden.