This year, the holidays arrived in a whirl of wrapping paper and mile-long gift lists. Between navigating the mall crowds and snagging the last Hatchimal at Target, your contribution to the office potluck may have slipped your mind. Now there’s no time to bake your signature fruit cake, and store-bought is boring.
Sure, there are plenty of recipes available to impress your friends and family this holiday season, but how many of them won’t take an entire afternoon to make?
Here are three easy, last-minute candy recipes that taste great, look professional and take less than an hour to make — even if you’re an amateur in the kitchen.
Oreo Truffles
Makes about 35 pieces
Source: Denver residents Luke Byars and Magdalena Michel
Ingredients
- 14 ounces original Oreos (1 package)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. Set it aside.
Crumble the Oreos. A food processor works best for this, but a plastic bag and a mallet will do the trick.
Blend the cookie crumbs and cream cheese in a medium bowl until well incorporated.
Shape the dough into about 35 small, nickel-sized balls. Place them on the lined baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for about 15 or 20 minutes, or until firm. If you’re running behind, feel free to freeze them for a shorter period.
After the pieces are firm, remove them from the freezer.
Pour the white chocolate chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chips for 20 seconds in the microwave, mix, then heat for another 15 seconds, or until the chips are melted.
Work quickly. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate across the tops of the pieces.
The chocolate will dry fast, so you can immediately put the truffles in a tupperware and head out the door. Store the truffles in the refrigerator.
Reindeer Buckeyes
Makes about 30 pieces
Source: California-based chef Michael Purtell.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces peanut butter
- 2 pounds powdered sugar (You won’t use all of it.)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spices, including cinnamon, ginger powder, chili powder and nutmeg (optional)
- Pretzels (optional)
- Sprinkles (optional)
- 12 ounces choice chocolate (milk, dark, semisweet, etc.)
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Put the peanut butter into a medium-sized bowl, and add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Optional: If you have cinnamon, ginger powder, chili powder or nutmeg in your spice cabinet, add a pinch of each to the peanut butter. The spices add flavor to the buckeyes, but they won’t make or break the recipe if they’re unavailable.
Gradually blend the powdered sugar with the peanut butter until the mixture creates a dough you can handle without your fingers sticking to it.
Shape the dough into about 30, 1-inch balls and place them on the lined baking sheet. Customize the buckeyes with pretzels and sprinkles for any occasion. (We used cinnamon drops.)
Freeze the balls for 15-20 minutes, or until firm.
Remove the balls from the freezer.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds. Stir the chips, then heat them for another 15-20 second, or until they’re melted.
Dip the bottoms of the buckeyes in the chocolate, and allow them to cool.
Keep refrigerated.
Microwave Peanut Brittle
Makes about 10 servings
Source: a decades-old family recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup raw peanuts (or Spanish peanuts for a crunchier texture)
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt (do not use if you use salted peanuts)
Directions
If you’re using Spanish peanuts, bake them at 350 degrees for five minutes to remove some of the husks.
Prepare a well-greased baking sheet. Set it aside.
Combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt in a medium-sized bowl — glass works well — and microwave for four minutes. Careful, the bowl will be very hot, so use an oven mitt to grasp it.
Stir, then microwave again for another 4 minutes.
Add butter and vanilla. Stir well, then microwave for 2 minutes.
Stir in baking soda, then pour the mixture onto the baking sheet.
Allow the pan to cool, then break the brittle into pieces.
