A Southern Fairytale

Hey y’all! I can’t believe it!!!! It’s the LAST post in the Baking edition of the Handmade Holiday Extravaganza! Oh, my goodness!!!  Well, I don’t want to say that we’ve saved the best for last but, these ladies are definitely among my favorites and they are “Our Best Bites” *wink wink*  I hope y’all’s bookmarks can stand up to all of the amazing-ness that Kelly and Cindy and I have hosted over the last couple of weeks.  Over 40 bloggers, 40+posts and gift ideas to make your holidays easier, more delicious and more beautiful.

Hey y’all! (Of course we had to start our post like that since we’re here on A Southern Fairytale!)

When it comes to holiday goodie-giving it seems like people are always looking for quick and easy ones.  This is possibly the easiest little treat you’ll come across and they taste a-maz-ing! They can be made in about 10 minutes and with only 3 ingredients.  How can you beat that?  These are great to put in cute containers for gift-giving or to snack on at holiday parties.  Kids and adults alike will gobble them right up!

Easy Pretzel Turtles

small pretzels
Rolo candies – one bag has about 55 candies
Topping options: pecan halves, peanuts, cashews, m&m’s, etc.
Optional: almond bark or white chocolate for drizzling

This is easy as can be! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place pretzels on a parchment lined baking sheet. I like to use parchment paper for easy handling, but you can also put them on foil, a silpat, or directly onto the cookie sheet.

Unwrap your Rolo candies and place one on top of each pretzel like a cute little hat.

Don’t they look like they’re just standing there waiting for an order? At least someone in my house stands at attention because heaven knows my children don’t!

Place pan in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Any longer is probably too long. You just want the chocolate on the outside to look glossy and melty, but they should still hold their shape.

Remove pan from oven and take a pecan and gently press it right into the center of the chocolate candy.

Keep going and be filled with joy each time you feel that gooey caramel squish out underneath your fingers. It’s one of life’s little pleasures.

Here’s where you can be creative. Use whatever nuts or candies you like on top.  I love cashews and peanuts (I used honey roasted peanuts here). And for kiddos and those who can’t eat nuts or don’t like them, M&M’s make a great little topper, or those mini Hershey’s kissables are cute too. I always throw a few of those in for color and because the kids like them. And if it’s not Christmas time, use the colorful ones- they’re adorable!

If you want to get fancy you can give them a little drizzle of almond bark or white chocolate. Just melt some in a plastic baggie and nip the corner off to drizzle. A little goes a long way; I used a half a square of almond bark for half a batch and had plenty left over.

Now definitely do yourself a favor and eat a few of these babies warm off the pan. Mmmm… Wait for the rest to cool and harden before you pack or plate them up. I pop them in the fridge because I stink at the whole patience thing.

These are so cute that I love to package them in little peep-window boxes. You can find boxes like this at craft stores like Michaels.

Or just pop them in a bowl or on a plate for a party. Either way they’ll be gone fast! And just look how fancy-schmancy they look. No one has to know you whipped them up so fast

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Meet the adorable and lovely ladies from Our Best Bites

Sara Wells and Kate Jones are friends who live on opposite ends of the country, but meet up on-line to co-author the blog Our Best Bites. As mothers to young children, they aim to create family friendly meals that are as fun to make as they are to eat. Their goal is to show people that cooking great tasting food can be enjoyable, and it’s a great way to bring family and friends together. You can also find Sara and Kate on Facebook and Twitter.

Good Gracious y’all! After today, there’s only one more recipe left in the Handmade Holiday Bake Along; I hope that y’all have bookmarked all these recipes and have visited the amazing women who’ve shared their talents with us. Don’t forget, Kelly is featuring all of the seriously amazing non-sewing gift ideas and Cindy has all of the sewn gift ideas that will make you want to run out and buy a sewing machine if you don’t already own one.

Today’s featured baker is Liz from Hoosier Homemade

Here’s her recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

These easy to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups are one of my boys favorite treats. We enjoy making them for friends and family too.

But…they aren’t just for Christmas time. We made some during Easter too, using the same recipe, we made them into Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Recipe:

• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Chocolate Chips (I like milk chocolate best)
• 4 Milk Chocolate Candy Bars (1.55 ounces each) I use Hershey’s
• Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions:

Fill mini muffin tins with liners, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, salt and powdered sugar until smooth. Place in frig to chill for a little bit, it makes the dough easier to handle.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter, stir until smooth (this usually takes about 2 minutes)

Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper liners. Top each with a scant teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture (I rolled mine into small balls)

Top with chocolate mixture to cover. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate to set.

Ooo…the ooey, gooey goodness!

Gifting Ideas…

• Fill tin with Peanut Butter Cups and give to neighbors, co-workers or teachers
• Add them to your cookie trays
• Fill a coffee mug and add a sample of their favorite coffee
• Fill a box or container with all the ingredients needed to make their own, tuck in a little card with the recipe and directions

You will want to add these to your list for this holiday season for sure!

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Meet Liz:

You can find Liz over at Hoosier Homemade usually surrounded by Cupcakes! I’ve been blogging a little over a year, I share lots of  baked goods and decorating tips and tricks, all to help you “Make Your House a Home.” When I’m not baking cupcakes, you can find me partying over on my other blog, It’s A Blog Party, where I host a different linky party everyday. Catch up with me on Twitter and Facebook.