My Easy Christmas Candy Recipes

I seem to be a little less inclined to spend hours and even days in the kitchen making Candy, Cookies, Cakes, etc. for Christmas. Oh, I want those treats to serve to my family and to give as gifts around the neighborhood, but my energy seems to be going south as my age goes north, if you know what I mean :-) Anyway, I still spend time on certain special goodies, but like to take the easier road for others. So, here are a few of my easy recipes for tasty treats that you can whip up in no time...any time of year!

Pretzel Turtles

Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Servings 25

Ingredients

• 25 twist or square pretzels

• 25 rolos

• 25 pecans

Instructions

Prep Time 10 minutes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a tray with parchment paper and place the pretzels on the tray.
Unwrap the rolos and place on top of the pretzels.
Bake for 3-4 minutes or until the rolos are soft but not melted.
Press a pecan into the center of the rollo right out of the oven.
Allow the chocolate to harden.

Recipe Notes:
**I've had a few people report issues with the chocolate crumbling...this means the oven was too hot or the chocolate was baked too long. I would recommend trying one turtle at first to test your oven and time. If it crumbles when cooled, reduce the time for the rest. Do NOT use convection oven settings.

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Thin Mints

Ingredients

• 16 regular Oreo or chocolate sandwich cookies

• 4 ounces cream cheese

• 1-2 bags Andes Mint baking chips*

• Optional: sprinkles

Instructions

Prepare a miniature muffin tin by lining with mini muffin papers.
Pulse the sandwich cookies in a blender or food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. 
You do not need to separate the cookie from the creme.
Beat the crumbs with 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese until a thick mixture forms.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Starting with 1 bag, melt all of the baking chips in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds stirring in between each burst for 10-15 seconds.
Spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of the prepared muffin tins -- not a lot here.
Allow to set completely. (If you don't work fast, the Andes mints harden quickly -- that's okay, just pop them in the microwave for another 15 seconds or so)
Remove the dough from the fridge and form into small balls. Flatten those balls into thin and completely FLAT disks and place on top of the set chocolate. Mash lightly into place.
Spoon more melted chocolate to cover the disk of chocolate.
Add sprinkles to the top if desired.
Allow to set at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
*If you want a lot of chocolate you'll go through 1 and 1/2 to 2 bags. It's hard to give an exact measurement because it all depends on the size of your oreo filling and how large your final cups are.

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3 Minute Fudge

Ingredients

• 1 can Sweetened Condensed milk (14 ounces) 

• 2 cups (1 12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can use any flavor chips for this candy... Peanut Butter or Butterscotch also make good fudge)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Butter a square pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal of set fudge. Set aside.
In a microwave safe 2 quart bowl, heat chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir to combine.
If needed, heat an additional 30 seconds.
Stir until chips are completely melted and chocolate is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
Pour fudge into prepared pan. Let fudge cool completely before cutting into 1 inch squares. (you can place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to speed up the process.)
Store in an airtight container.
Fudge does not need to be kept refrigerated.