Chex Snack Mix

The first time I spent Christmas in Florida with Stephen's family his mom made a giant batch of Chex mix. We gobbled it down over the course of a few days and begged her to make more. If I remember correctly, she even gave us bags of it to take back to Utah with us! It's pretty addictive. So this year just before Christmas I stocked up on Chex cereal because I knew Stephen would want me to make some. Unfortunately he didn't get much. I scarfed it down and left crumbs for him to pick at. Embarrassing, I know, but it's such a great little snack! I like to add a few extra things to ours like cheese crackers and rye chips because I think they add great flavor and texture to the mix. And when I'm in the mood I'll toss in some cayenne pepper to spice things up, but don't worry it's really subtle. I hope you'll give our version a try- it won't disappoint!

Chex Snack Mix

Ingredients

10 c. Corn Chex cereal

2 c. Cheez-It crackers

1 c. pretzels
1 c. Gardetto's roasted garlic rye chips

1 c. mixed nuts
9 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2¼ tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt

1¹⁄₈ tsp. garlic powder
¾ tsp. onion powder

¹⁄₈ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

2. In a large roasting pan (one with nice deep sides), mix cereal, crackers, pretzels, rye chips and nuts, set aside. Melt butter a small microwaveable bowl. Whisk in worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Pour over cereal mixture and toss with a large spatula until evenly coated.

3. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread onto parchment paper (or paper towels) to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Original Chex® Party Mix | Makes approximately 12 servings

Nut Lovers Rocky Road

Rocky road is one of my go-to recipes! We make it for ourselves and to take to parties & activities. The thing I love the most about it is how easy and delicious it is! It comes together in just 5 minutes and then gets tossed into the refrigerator to chill until you're ready to serve it. Sometimes I like to substitute some of the semi-sweet chocolate for bittersweet, making these intensely rich and dark! You can definitely play around with what goes inside- today we did a nut lover's version. They're crammed full of peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and of course marshmallows. If you're feeling extra adventurous, I think chocolate chunks or even some kind of chopped up cookie would be tasty too! Our batch is going quickly- if they last over the weekend these effortless treats will be perfect for the holidays!

Nut Lovers Rocky Road

Ingredients

1 (14-oz) can Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. dry roasted peanuts
½ c. roasted almonds
½ c. walnuts
1 (10-oz) bag miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large glass bowl (big enough to fit in your microwave), combine chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. Microwave on medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and allow to cool enough that the marshmallows won't melt (a couple of minutes or so).
2. Fold in nuts and marshmallows, making sure to coat evenly with chocolate.
3. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan, lined with wax paper. Press mixture firmly down into the pan.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool for 2-3 hours before serving.
Life Made Simple Family Recipe | Gluten Free | Makes approximately 24 bars

Peppermint Frosted Brownie Sugar Cookies

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to Tatertots & Jello's cookie exchange with my good friend Mandy from Baking with Blondie. I always love getting together with her, especially when it involves food- because we're bound to have lots of fun! Anyway, we had a week or so to come up with a cookie to bring and it took me up until the day before to finally decide on one! I think it had something to do with the ease involved. I desperately needed a dough that I could make, refrigerate and bake once our little one went to bed for the night. These cookies were the perfect solution! The dough came together in a matter of minutes especially since there's no chocolate melting involved (which is always a big time hog). Instead the dough gets all of its rich fudgy goodness from cocoa powder and chopped semi-sweet chocolate. After a few hours of refrigeration I rolled it out, cut the snowflakes and placed them onto a Silpat-lined sheet and then in to the oven to bake. They puffed up beautifully, nice and thick! With only a few minutes of baking time required, they came out smelling incredible and had perfectly crisp edges with a soft chewy inside- just like brownies. I whipped up some peppermint frosting to spread over top and then added peppermint candy cane sprinkles as a finishing touch. They were absolutely delicious... and such a fun little twist on a Christmas classic!

Peppermint Frosted Brownie Sugar Cookies
Ingredients

3 c. all-purpose flour
⅓ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ c. dutch-process cocoa powder
1½ c. sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. heavy cream
½ tsp. baking power
½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. peppermint extract
⅓ c. finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (I used half of a Ghirardelli baking bar)

Peppermint Frosting:
2 ½ c. powdered sugar
½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tbsp. heavy cream
pinch salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. peppermint extract
1-2 drops red food coloring

Peppermint candies, baking chips or sprinkles for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, vanilla and peppermint. With mixing speed on low, add one egg, mix then add the other. 

2. In a medium size mixing bow, whisk together flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients mixing until no flour/cocoa "pockets" remain. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.*

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface to approximately ¼" thick. Cut into desired shapes, place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are firm and the centers are soft and puffy. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting by beating all of ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cookies and top with desired peppermint garnishes.

*Dough can be made in advance and refrigerated overnight.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Brownie Roll-Out Cookies | Makes 2-4 dozen, depending on cookie cutter size