Last Minute Homemade Food Gifts

Christmas is almost here!  Yay!  Do ya'll still get giddy when it's Christmas Day??  I do :)  I love giving to others & spending time with my family & eating yummy food.

The other day I was "baking" up a storm, preparing yummy food to give to our Friends.  They are super easy, and Super Yummy!  So if you're looking for some last minute gifts or party food, maybe this will work.

Orange Creamcicle Fudge

I've been on an Orange Creamcicle fix; and my husband is not minding at all.  The smell of the fudge is wonderful, and the combination of white chocolate & orange zest is fantastic.  Zest is a great thing; not only does it add flavor, but it looks pretty too.

Ingredients:

• 2 12oz bags of White Chocolate Chips or 2 14 oz bags of Wiltons White Chocolate Chips (I used Wiltons because I had stocked up on them a while back)
• The Zest from 1 Orange
• 1 Tbl Orange Emulsion
• 1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

1. Take a 9x13 pan and line it with Wax Paper.  This makes it alot easier to take the fudge out & cut into squares.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the White Chocolate Chips according to the package instructions.
3. Mix in the Sweetened Condensed Milk, Orange Zest, & Orange Emulsion.
4. Pour into the pan & spread evenly.
5. Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes to let it set.

As I was thinking of different flavors of Fudge to make, and what ingredients I had in the house {I still want to make a key lime fudge}, I opened up the freezer and saw a bag of Reeses PB Baking Chips.  BINGO!  What's better than Peanut Butter & Chocolate.

Reese's PB Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients:

• 1 12oz bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 12oz bag of Hershey's Reese's PB Chips
• 1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

1. Take a 9x13 pan and line it with wax paper-this will make it easier to lift out and cut the fudge.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30 second intervals.
3. Mix in half of the sweetened condensed milk & spread it into the pan.
4. In another microwave safe bowl, melt the bag of Reese's PB Chips.
5. Mix in the other half of Sweetened Condensed Milk and spread it over the chocolate layer.
6. Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes to set up.

Ya'll know my Most Favorite Dessert???.....well I switched it up.

My Mom made some Crunchie Munchies the other day, and I thought that little squares of yummy goodness would be perfect for our friends.  The only problem that I had was I was out of Rice Krispies.  I do however have a plethora of Frosted Flakes {that need to be eaten before they go stale}, and that's how this dessert came about.

Frosted Flake Crunchie Munchies

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz bag of Butterscotch Chips
• 1 Cup of Peanut Butter
• 8 Cups of Frosted Flakes
• 1 12 oz bag of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 4 Tbl Butter
• 4 Tbl Water
• 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. Take a baking sheet and line it with Wax Paper-this will make it easier to lift out the treats & cut.
2. In a big bowl, have the 8 cups of frosted flakes standing by.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt together the butterscotch chips & peanut butter.
4. Pour the mixture over the frosted flakes & mix together.
5. Spread the flake/pb mixture onto the sheet pan.  This is where the construction differs-I decided to do a single layer of frosted flakes, instead of the flake-chocolate-flake layering.
6. In another microwave safe bowl, melt together the chocolate chips, butter & water.
7. Once melted, whish in the powdered sugar, and then spread over the top of the flake/pb mixture.
8. Place in the fridge to chill & set up.

Years ago, my Husband & I were at the in-laws & my Mother-in-Law made the mistake of giving the two of us this treat.  We devoured the entire plateful .  I still think about them, and thought this would be a yummy treat to add to all the others.

This ones so basic.  Ritz Crackers.  Peanut Butter.  White Chocolate melted.  Decorations {like sprinkles}.

How super simple is that :)

After making the previous treat, I had leftover chocolate that I simply did not want to waste.  So I lined a cookie sheet with some wax paper, and dumped the chocolate on top.  I made a nice even layer, and then sprinkled some sprinkles on top.  Easy Peasy.  Stick in the fridge and a couple hours later, you can break it into pieces to share.

I hope these are some helpful ideas.  Have a Merry Christmas!