I love homemade Christmas candies and treats more than almost anything! There is just something about baking during the holidays that is very comforting. The next two recipes are perfect to give to the neighbors, teachers and coworkers.
They are also quite nice to make for yourself as a treat.
We have all tried those spiced nuts at the malls and trade shows, the smell alone is mouthwatering, but who knew they were so easy to make at home?
Since, I am a huge advocate of anything chocolate. So, I decided to try them with a little cocoa powder.
They turned out delicious, and the kick of cayenne adds great depth of flavor.
The Ziploc bag trick also keeps them from making a mess, which is always a plus in my book. One tip I will give you for the pecans: Make them when no one else is home, or you won’t have enough left to give them for gifts
Sorry no picture for these, but don't let that stop you!
Cocoa Spiced Pecans
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbls water
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 cups pecans
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Whisk together egg white, water, and vanilla until it becomes light and foamy
- Put sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, pepper, and salt in a large Ziploc bag
- Put pecan in the egg white mixture and lift out with a slotted spoon
- Then place pecans in the bag, seal, and shake until well-coated
- Spread out pecans on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes, and toss about halfway through
- Let pecans cool completely.
These Christmas cowboy cookies really surprised me.
I thought they would have to be good, anything is with M &Ms and chocolate chips right?
However, the dough seemed a little dry, so I wasn’t sure how they would turn out. I suppose it was the stick of butter or maybe the delectable chewy texture, but these blew me away.
Seriously, I had to put them in a container and hide them so we would stop eating them. Needless to say, I made a batch for us before sending them out as gifts. They might just be the perfect cookie.
Christmas Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup cooking oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ¾ cup Christmas M & Ms
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cream together butter and sugars, about 3 minutes
- Add egg and vanilla, mix well
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Add dry ingredients into the wet mixture until incorporated
- Fold in chocolate chip and M&Ms
- Roll into 1 inch balls and bake on a greased baking sheet for 10 minutes
- Cool on a wire rack
