Children love to participate in all the holiday preparations. But sometimes they aren’t quite old enough to help with cooking and baking projects. Not this time.
Here are four simple, but exciting holiday treats that even the youngest grandkids can help to create for those holiday open houses, parties and family gatherings.
So get out the aprons, ingredients and prepare for some fun in the kitchen with the grands.
Tropical Snowballs
Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried pineapple chopped fine
1 ½ t. lime zest
1 ½ t. lime juice
Directions:
Melt chips and coconut, mixing well. Fold in other ingredients, saving a bit of lime zest for decoration. Divide into 16 small mounds and chill. Top with strips of lime zest before serving.
Rocky Road Bark
Ingredients:
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 T. shortening
1 cup mini marshmallows
½ cup chopped nuts
Directions:
Melt ¾ of the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the shortening and the remaining chocolate and mix until smooth. Spread the chocolate on parchment paper and sprinkle the marshmallows and nuts on top. Allow to set, then break into pieces.
No-bake Christmas Trees
Ingredients:
3 T. butter
2 T. creamy peanut butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
3 cups crispy chow mein noodles
green food coloring
¼ cup melted chocolate chips
small candy ornaments (cookie decoration candies)
Directions:
Melt first four ingredients in the microwave, stirring to mix well. Add food
coloring and mix again. Shape into flat triangles for trees, including a stem at the
bottom for the tree trunk. When set, dip the trunk of the trees into the melted
chocolate and add mini candies as tree ornaments. When fully set, serve.
Hot Chocolate Truffles (for making minty hot chocolate)
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 T. sugar
¼ t. salt
2 t. vanilla
Cocoa powder, crushed candy canes and mini chocolate chips for rolling the balls in later.
Directions:
Melt the first five ingredients in the microwave, mixing well. Place by spoonfuls on waxed paper and place in the refrigerator briefly. When cool, roll each spoonful into a ball and place in the freezer for one hour. After one hour take balls out and roll first in cocoa powder, then in crushed candy canes and finally in mini chocolate chips.
When ready to use, heat cups of milk in the microwave and place a truffle ball into the cup: Voila! You have a yummy cup of minty hot chocolate. Enjoy!
