Easy and Healthy Christmas and Holiday Gift Idea-Dried Fruit Mix

Some of you may know that my background and love is really in healthy and light cooking, but I know with the holidays, it’s hard to focus on that. Even in my profession of being a Recipe Developer, I deviate from my healthy schedule, especially when working on holiday recipes. Usually, most magazines work six months in advance so I am preparing heavy holiday foods in the summer (during bathing suit season), and am grilling light summery food in the winter (luckily, I live in the south). As far as healthy gift ideas, I thought I would share one of my (and my kid’s) favorites-dried fruit mixed with a touch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. We went threw our jar in less than one day, so I hope this will be as popular as it was at our house.

 

Dried Fruit Mix

Prep: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried apples

3/4 cup pitted prunes

3/4 cup dried aprictots

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation

1. Layer all ingredients in a 1-quart jar in the order given; tightly seal. Makes 1 gift jar.

Easy Christmas Gift Ideas-Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

We love hot chocolate at my house! My kids consider it a real treat when I say, “Who wants hot chocolate?” They love it in the morning, after school, and sometimes, instead of dessert, after dinner. And my non-coffee friends will stop at Starbucks for hot chocolate as fast as I will get my latte (and for those who know me, that’s a lot). So, I thought what would be a simpler and better holiday gift than the gift of hot chocolate? This recipe is a breeze and tastes great. Feel free to give a large 1-quart container or several small 4-ounce jars. Whichever you choose, I know you and your friends will love this recipe. The only thing that is missing is the milk.

 

Hot Chocolate Mix

Prep: 5 minutes

Ingredients

13/4 cups powdered sugar

11/2 cups nonfat dry milk

11/4 cups unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey’s)

4 cups miniature marshmallows

Preparation

1. Stir together all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place in a large or small airtight jars and store at room temperature.

Gift Card Enclosure and instructions: Stir 1/2 cup  Hot Chocolate Mix into 1 cup warm milk, stirring well. Serve immediately.

Awesome Christmas Cookies-Turtle Peanut Butter Cookies

Since everyone is looking for wonderful, awesome cookie recipe to make for the holidays or cookie swaps, I thought I would share this recipe with you. It takes a shortcut using baking mix (Bisquick), which cuts down on some ingredients and measuring to make life and cleanup a little easier. These cookies taste as good as they look, and who doesn’t love any kind of turtle, especially a turtle cookie with peanut butter, chocolate and toffee. Feel free to substitute chopped pecans or walnuts for the peanuts in this recipe. Also, you may use milk chocolate, dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate, whichever is your favorite. Enjoy and happy cookie making, sharing and giving.

 

Turtle Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 12 minutes

Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

1/2  cup  unsalted butter, softened

1/2  cup  sugar

1/2  cup  firmly pack light brown sugar

2/3  cup  creamy butter

1  large egg

2  cups  all-purpose baking mix (such as Bisquick)

2/3  cup  almond toffee bits

2/3  cup  coarsely chopped peanuts

2/3  cup  milk chocolate or semisweet morsels (or dark chocolate)

10  ounce  vanilla caramels

2  to 3 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract

2/3  cup  milk chocolate or semisweet morsels (or dark chocolate), melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg, beating until blended. Add baking mix, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in toffee bits, chopped peanuts, and 2/3 cup chocolate morsels.

2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets; flatten dough with hand.

3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheets 1 minute; remove cookies to wire racks.

4. Microwave caramels and 2 tablespoons cream in a glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring until caramels melt and mixture is smooth; add remaining cream, if necessary. Stir in vanilla. Spoon caramel mixture evenly onto tops of cookies; drizzle evenly with melted chocolate.

TIP: The chocolate drizzle on the cookies will harden as it cools.