Holiday Leftover Treats

First things first ... my apologies to the few readers who have been visiting over the last month and probably wondering "where the heck did she go". No, Chris and I didn't sail off the edge of the world nor did we sink our boat. We did, however, fly back to the States on Decemeber 1st and, as you can imagine, things got a bit hectic. Guess that's what happens when you haven't seen family and friends for over three years! It is fantastic to be home, but my waistline is paying the price ... first there are all the yummy foods we've been "deprived" of over the years, add that to the special treats being served in the holiday season and the skinny jeans are doomed!

Speaking of special treats - what to do with all those leftover candies from the holidays? Maybe Santa left chocolate kisses in your stocking, or you decorate your tree with candy canes. Yes, you can just snack on these delicious sweets, but why not enjoy one last holiday huraah in the kitchen (or galley)? These would also make great snacks for all those Bowl Games.



You might be tempted to pass these up - after all it's the new year and with that comes resolutions, usually beginning with "lose the holiday fat" ... but come on, you wait months for the holiday season so why end it so soon?

Here are two tasty treats that I think you'll enjoy. I love the pretzels with Hershey kisses - there is something about the salty-sweet mix that just satisfies all my taste buds. The peppermint bark is a refreshing treat that cures my sweet tooth and leaves my mouth minty-fresh. Neither of these recipes require strict amounts, so they are quite flexible and a great way to use up any leftover candies lying around. They are also both kid friendly, so if you have some young bakers in the house be sure to get them involved.

Hershey Pretzels

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Ingredients
White or Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses/Hugs
Pretzels
M&Ms

Method
Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

Lay out pretzels (use only whole pretzels) and set one kiss on each pretzel.
Note that the white chocolate (Hugs) will melt faster than the dark chocolate so I suggest you do the same type of Hershey's per single cookie sheet.

Bake at 170 F for 4-6 minutes (4 minutes for the Hershey Hugs and 5-6 for the Hershey Kisses). The chocolate should be soft to the touch but not melted.

Remove from oven and immediately press one M&M into each Hershey Kiss/Hug.

You can let cool on the counter, or place the tray in the refrigerator until cooled competely and chocolate has reset (takes about 10 minutes in the refrigerator).

M&M Fun: Use only your team's colors (in the M&Ms) and serve these treats during the big game. Or use all red for Valentine's Day.

Peppermint Bark

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Ingredients
1 (12oz) bag of chocolate (you can use white or dark chocolate and wafers or chips).
Candy Canes or any other type of hard peppermint candies. (Amount is to taste - roughly 5 large candy canes or the equivalent is a good ratio to 12oz of chocolate).

Method
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Break up the peppermint candies into little pieces.

Melt the chocolate (follow manufacture's instructions - usually a double broiler or microwave). Once melted stir in the peppermint candy pieces.

Spread the chocolate mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (until hardened).

Break into pieces and enjoy! Peppermint bark also makes a great holiday gift - get some cute boxes, line with wax paper and pass them out.