Butter Pecan Bars

Ingredients:

1 Butter Pecan Cake Mix
1 Stick of Butter (melted)
1 Egg
2 TBS of water

Topping ( if desired)
¼ cup of mini choc chips
¼ cup of chopped pecans

Heat oven to 375. Mix together all ingredients and press into a 13X9X2 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. ( This is almost a cookie dough-like consistency) If desired: sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans on top and press lightly into the batter. Bake at 375 for 17 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars. These are great with milk or a cup of coffee.

Hot Crackers

My friend Kembralyn’s grandmother makes these crackers every year. Last Christmas was the first year I ever had these and they were so delicious I begged for the recipe. “Granny” uses a glass pickle jar to mix her crackers and the seasonings and she rolls the jar on its side. You can use a Ziploc bag, just be careful not to break the crackers.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups of canola oil
1 ( 1 ounce) package of dry ranch flavored dressing mix
2 Tablespoons of red pepper flakes
1 16 ounce box of saltine crackers

Use a large Ziploc storage bag. I use the 2 gallon size. Add the oil, ranch dressing mix, red pepper flakes and crackers. Tumble constantly for 15 minutes. You don’t have to bake or anything. See…easy!! If you have small kids or don’t like it too hot, only use 1 TBS of the red pepper flakes. These crackers are great with cheese balls or your favorite dip or all alone. Just make sure you have something cool to drink, because they’re spicy.

Puppy Chow ( For Humans )

My quest to share easy holiday recipes continues! The kids and I made a huge batch of Puppy Chow this weekend. It’s super easy to make and it’s sooooo good! This is a great snack to put in those cute decorative cellophane bags and give to your neighbors or co-workers. Our crew at the radio station usually fights over this, so I make a lot!
I hit up the Dollar Tree or Deals and get cute holiday tubs and containers and use them for little gifts filled with sweet treats! Have fun!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
9 cups Crispix cereal (any flavor)
1-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions:
1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well.
3. Place the 9 cups of Crispix cereal in a very large bowl.
4. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly, making sure all the cereal gets a good covering.
5. Coat with powdered sugar, sprinkling evenly over the cereal and tossing as you sprinkle to cover each piece well.

Note: I put the cereal with the chocolate/ peanut butter mixture in a gallon Ziploc bag and then pour the powdered sugar over it. Zip it up and shake it to cover with the sugar. Doing it in a big bowl is too messy.

Christmas Cut Out Cookies

While these cookies are a little time consuming they are still my favorite of all cookies. My kids like to help decorate, so we have some fun with them. We usually make a pretty big mess too, but once you taste them, it’s well worth it.
We use paint brushes to decorate them and get the little eyes and button decorations at Hobby Lobby or at the grocery store. Turn up the holiday tunes and get bakin’!
Ingredients

· 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for shaping the cookies

· 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

· 3/4 cup sugar

· 1 large egg

· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk and refrigerate, wrapped, for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Make cutout cookies by doing the following: Heat oven to 350° F. On a floured surface, roll out each disk ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate until firm. Sprinkle with decorating sugar, if using, and bake until just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Sausage Balls

These are a favorite at our house for Christmas morning. I usually make them the night before and then just reheat them. I make sweet rolls, coffee and hot chocolate to go with them. Here’s the recipe.

Sausage Balls
Ingredients:
2 Cups of Bisquick
1 pound of sausage
10 oz. Package of shredded cheese

Directions:
Put everything in the bowl and mix. This is easiest to do with your hands though it feels pretty gross at this stage. Roll the mixture into balls, a little smaller than golf balls. Place the sausage balls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. The Bisquick balls should be lightly browned with the meat cooked through.

If you have any left over (which is rare), then store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. They can be reheated in the oven or the microwave. Some people eat them cold, but I generally heat them.

I make a dipping sauce using mayo, spicy mustard and chipotle sauce all mixed together. You can even dip them in warm syrup too! Yummy!

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

As promised, here’s another recipe for one of my favorite holiday treats: peanut brittle. My mom made peanut brittle every year and would mail it to me if I didn’t get home for the holiday. She of course, made it the old fashioned way in a cast iron skillet. I, however, do not own a cast iron skillet and even if I did, I’d be afraid I’d ruin my cooktop. So I found a recipe that can be made in the microwave and it’s awesome! Give it a try!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup raw peanuts
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
Combine first 4 ingredients in 2-quart microwave mixing bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Add butter. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Brittle should not get too brown. Stir in vanilla and soda until light and foamy. Spread on buttered baking sheet as thinly as possible. Cool. Break into pieces. Note: exact cooking times may vary depending on your microwave wattage.

Oreo Truffles

Christmas is without a doubt my favorite holiday. I love decorating! At my house, when the witches come down the day after Halloween, that signals the start of Christmas decorations at my house.

By now, I hope your tree is up and you are ready to start making those holiday goodies that we all love so much! I know its a busy time of year, but I hope you’ll take the time to head into the kitchen with the kids. Over the next 24 days, I’ll be sharing some of my family’s favorite holiday treats. Oreo Truffles are easy to make and have very few ingredients and look really pretty in the tins or cellophane bags. Get creative with your almond bark, use red and green food coloring, decorate them like Santa, or put little tuxedos on them, or just dip ‘em and eat em! Just make em. After the first bite you’ll be hooked! We keep ours in the fridge so they are firm when you eat them. Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients
1 lb Oreo cookies (3 sleeves) ( don’t use off brand…use OREO)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lb Chocolate Almond Bark
1/2 lb White Chocolate Almond Bark

Directions
Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).

Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.

Follow directions on the package of the almond bark to melt.

Dip balls and coat thoroughly.

With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. ( you can use toothpicks )

Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.

Melt the White Chocolate, then using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls.

Let cool. Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Note: For a variation, instead of dipping the balls, you can roll the truffles into various mixtures - chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles, vari-coloured candy sprinkles, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, coloured sugars — still pretty — less work.

Oh my gosh! I love these!! If you are in charge of bringing a dessert to Thanksgiving Dinner next week, these are great ” make ahead” bars that are yummy! Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toffee-and-chocolate baking pieces (such as Heath or Skor)

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a crumbly dough is formed. Press the dough firmly into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake until just golden, about 13 minutes.

Whisk together the condensed milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour the filling over the baked crust. Sprinkle the pecans, chocolate chips, and toffee pieces evenly over the filling. Bake until the filling is set, the edges are golden brown, and the toffee is melted, about 25 minutes.
Cool completely in the refrigerator, about 2 hours. Cut into 32 bars.

PS: Make sure you have plenty of milk!

Have you ever really been hungry? I’m not talking about skipping lunch hungry, or diet hungry – I mean really missing meals because you have no way possible to provide food for yourself or your family. Right here in our area one in four children is at risk of hunger? One in five adults is at risk and one in seven seniors is malnourished. Statistics like these should alarm you. This is not a third world country we live in, this is the land of plenty. There is no reason for anyone in here to go to bed hungry tonight . . . but some will. The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas is doing everything possible to put food in the hands of the hungry. This year though, the need is greater than ever. In fact, the demand is so great, we are nearing a hunger crisis. That’s why this Thursday KAIT and the Jonesboro Radio Group are partnering with the Food Bank to collect food donations. Again. I know we just came to you in September asking for the same thing. And I know there have been other food drive activities as well. But, with the demand, it hasn’t been enough. Please help us. Again. We’ll be set up at Bill’s Fresh Market at Hilltop in Jonesboro all day Thursday. Bring your food donations. Bring your money to be given to the Food Bank. Let’s work together..again to Fill the Food Bank for the holidays.