Christmas Sweets

This past Sunday, I spent the entire day in the kitchen baking all sorts of sweet Christmas treats (during the Patriots/Steelers game, hence the Patriots Christmas sweater ;)). Making candy at Christmas is a family tradition that started when I was little with my mom and aunt. We usually fill containers and treat bags with our baked goods, and hand them out to friends, family, and the UPS/Fed-Ex/USPS delivery crews! I also do this for my co-workers in lieu of buying presents and they love it!

I received a lot of questions on Instagram about all of the goodies I made, so I thought I would share all the details here in case you have time to do some baking over the weekend (please keep in mind I am not a food photographer, haha)!

Pretzel M&M Hugs

These are everyone’s favorite! The perfect mix of salty and sweet. I found this recipe on Pinterest years ago, and make a couple of big batches of them every year. They’re super easy! You can also make them throughout the year for other occasions using traditional colored M&Ms!

Haystacks

Haystacks are my own personal fave! I use my Aunt’s recipe, but I found this one on Pinterest which is the exact same. I have seen other variations where people use peanuts instead of mini marshmallows, too.

Holly Crackles

I did not have a picture of my Holly Crackles, so I am sharing an image I found on the internet to give you an idea of what they look like! Here is the recipe that I use (found on Pinterest from MrFood.com). These taste like rice crispy treats – only downside is they turn your mouth green!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

This is another one that I did not photograph, but had to share! I started making these Red Velvet Cake balls for the first time a few years ago, and they have quickly become a family fave! This recipe is close to the one I use – I do not put sprinkles on top of mine and I buy the vanilla almond bark for dipping! These are a bit more labor intensive, but 100% worth it!

What’s your favorite Christmas candy or sweet treat? I’d love to hear! And also let me know if you make any of these goodies! Thanks for reading!