Super Easy Chocolate Christmas Candy and Butter Cookies

My family loves to eat sweets! I'm sure that doesn't surprise you, most people do. And we especially like to share these delicious treats at Christmas time. And some of our favorite Christmas treats are the easiest ones to make. Of course, each person has his or her favorite, and it's always fun to listen to them beg as the season gets closer. "You're going to make butter cookies right? You're going to make the peanut butter cups right? You're going to make Chow Mein Noodle Candy right?" And sometimes the treats have to be hidden before Christmas gets here, just so they will last until then! Last year we thought it was rather odd that my brother-in-law kept "offering" to do small chores around our house until we figured out he was bartering his handyman services for candy! "I'll fix that strip of linoleum in your kitchen if I can have some of that new recipe you just tried." (And yes, he actually said that, AND he fixed the linoleum strip!)

So I thought I'd share some of our super simple recipes with you, and hopefully there will be one you haven't tried. It's so rewarding to make candy and have people enjoy it. Last year we gave our mailman a small tin with his Christmas Card and he told me the next day he ate it all before he made it out of town....guess this years tin needs to be slightly larger!

Chocolate Peanut Butter "Cups"

Ingredients: 1 box Ritz crackers, 1 jar creamy peanut butter, 1 pkg. chocolate bark

Simply spread a thick, even layer of peanut butter on one cracker, cover with another cracker, and smooth all peanut butter around the edges. When all crackers "sandwiches" are made, melt chocolate bark in microwave until smooth. Dip each one in the melted chocolate evenly, then place on a cookie sheet that you've lined with waxed paper. (Small tongs work well for this.) Place in refrigerator until chocolate hardens.

If desired you can drizzle white chocolate bark across the top to add decoration, or you could sprinkle with chopped nuts, colored sugar, or chopped dark chocolate pieces.

Peanut Clusters

Ingredients: 1 Jar Peanuts , 1 pkg. chocolate almond bark, 1 pkg. paper candy cups

Melt chocolate in microwave until smooth, add nuts, drop by spoonful into candy cups that have been placed on cookie sheets.

If desired you can replace peanuts with any type nut you prefer, you can also use white almond bark instead of chocolate, or you can drizzle white chocolate over the top of each cluster.

Chow Mein Noodle Candy

Ingredients: 3/4 pkg, Chow Mein Noodles, 1 pkg. 12 oz. butterscotch chips, 1/2 C. Peanut Butter

Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter over low heat until smooth, stir in noodles until well coated. (If consistency is to dry, add more peanut butter, if too liquid, add more noodles). Drop onto wax paper or cookie sheet into small stack.

If desired you can add peanuts, use peanut butter chips instead of peanut butter.

Butter Cookies

Ingredients: 1 C. Butter or Margarine, 5 T. Powdered Sugar, 1 T. Water, 2 C. Flour, 1 tsp. Vanilla, Small Package Walnuts

Frosting:
Powdered Sugar, Milk, Vanilla, Dab of Margarine

Heat oven to 350°. Mix butter, powdered sugar, water, flour, vanilla together in bowl. Drop small spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press small indent into the top of each cookie. Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Frost with powdered sugar mixture. (Add food coloring for fun colors.)

If desired you can leave out walnuts, sprinkle with colored sugar instead of frosting, or sprinkle colored sugar over the frosting.

These are just a few of the traditional treats around our house at Christmas, you can always find your own with your family. Make it a fun time, get the kids involved. These treats make great gifts. Place them in lovely Christmas tins, or get cardboard boxes and decorate the outside with lovely ribbons, or stamp cute themes on the boxes. Put in little tin throw away pans and cover with Christmas decorated plastic wrap and tie with festive ribbons.

Make sure a platter of goodies is out at your Christmas gathering!