Create Deliciously Sweet Memories With Your Family This Holiday Season

One of my favorite memories as a young girl was baking Christmas candies with my mama. I remember getting all excited when she pulled out her Christmas cookbooks and wrote down all of the ingredients we needed for our holiday baking adventure. It was always so much fun bonding over spilled flour, sticky hands and tummy’s full of delicious treats.

I remember the first time I made the candies for my neighbors as a big girl on my own. It wasn’t as fun or memorable as I remembered it with my mama. Now that I have my own little ones running around, I enjoy creating these holiday treats with them every year. It’s always a guaranteed way to create a yummy smelling house and find kids with giant smiles on their faces.

Create Deliciously Sweet Memories With Your Family This Holiday Season

My mama, grandma, sister and I would create all kinds of delectable treats for our friends, neighbors, dad’s co-workers and our teachers. We would make all kinds of cookies, but I loved making Christmas candies because it was something that only happened once a year. We would bake cookies all of the time, but the candies were a special treat. I don’t have a sweet tooth, but divinity, mints and fudge are my favorite holiday treats to create.

Rudolph Red Divinity

Gracie calls divinity little fluffs of snow and I think it’s a great name for it. It’s basically an egg white sugary sweet treat. I mean it is SWEET!

• 2 cups of coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup lightened corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Option add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts

Instructions

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup,  and 1/2 cup of water in microwave safe bowl. Cook on HI for 3 minutes. Store throughly.
2. Cook on HI for 7 minutes  or until a small amount of syrup dropped in cold water forms a hard ball. (Roughly 250 degrees on a candy thermometer).
3. While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites in a a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
4. When syrup  is hot enough, pour in a very thin, slow stream into egg whites. Add vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on high for 6 – 8 minutes. Mixture will be stiff and not shiny when complete.
5. Optional: fold nuts into mixture.
6. Drop mixture  by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper and store in airtight container.

Cookie Dough Fudge

Everyone in my house loves cookie dough. It’s that delicious treat that you’re not supposed to eat, but it’s so good! When I found this cookie dough fudge recipe I knew I’d have to create it for my family.

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Cookie Dough Fudge

Per Serving 763 calories

Fat 28 g

Carbs 127 g

Protein 3 g

6

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 1/3 cup soften unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp half-and-half
• 1/2 cup coconut flour

Fudge

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line 8x8 square baking pan with wax paper. Set aside.
2. For cookie dough, combine butter and sugars in a bowl of a stand or handheld mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, salt, and half-and-half. Add flour and mix until just combined, but not over mixed.
3. For fudge, combine brown sugar, butter, salt, and half-and-half in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Slowly stir in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until mixture is smooth and sugar is incorporated throughout. Stir in vanilla.
4. Add cookie dough to the fudge and stir. Make sure the mixture has cooled to room temperature. If not, continue to stir until it is no longer warm to the touch. Fold in mini chocolate chips and spread fudge into prepared baking pan. Chill overnight. Cut into squares.

Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Christmas Cream Cheese Frosting Mints

• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 container of cream cheese frosting
• Green food coloring
• 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract

Instructions

1. Combine butter and milk in microwave safe bowl. Cook on HI for 1 minute.
2. Stir in frosting. Cook on HI for 2 minutes. Stir twice during cooking time.
3. Stir in peppermint extract.
4. Drop mixture  by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper and store in airtight container.

This post is included in a series of Christmas related posts called Countdown to Christmas featuring bloggers of all different backgrounds and niches. This has a been a fun opportunity to be a part of!

Follow along on with the #Countdown2Xmas hashtag on my Facebook page and twitter to see all of the other holiday ideas being shared. I’m sure you’ll find something that tickles your fancy.