Discover Holiday Desserts Requiring Just Five Ingredients or Less.
Baking is a fun and delicious activity around the holidays, but you don't have to make complicated desserts to have a sweet treat.
To bake or not to, I must confess, like newsletters, it is something that is on the bottom of my totem pole, or list to do. I do have visions of sugar plums and wonderful, sweet memories of my mom's wonderful baking during the holidays. Let me recall a few: Christmas Pudding, Mince Pie, Chinese Chews, and Rum (not a drop) Balls, just to name a few... the list goes on.
I will attempt to bake after Christmas, to bring in the New Year...OMG 2024!
From chocolate truffels and Peanut Butter Balls to peppermint bark, these festive treats only require a few ingredients to make, and you might already have all of the ingredients lying around.
{3 Ingredient} Easy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional, but recommended)
- rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat together butter and 2/3 cup sugar until combined. (It will be a little gritty – that's ok.)
- Add in flour and blend well (then blend in the vanilla, if using.)
- Using a cookie scoop, roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
- Gently roll the balls in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar until lightly coated; transfer to the baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- With the bottom of a measuring cup or glass, press down on the balls to flatten. Sprinkle with some nonpareils (if using) and lightly press down again just so they stick. (The dough should end up being between an 1/8-1/4 inch thick, so 3/16 to be exact. They will look pretty small in circumference, but they will spread a bit to a normal size cookie.)
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until just slightly golden around the edges and on the bottom.
- Remove form the oven and let rest on the baking sheets for at least 10-15 minutes (don't skip this step!) Then eat or transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Salted Dark Chocolate Bark with Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Cayenne
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw hazelnuts (See Note)
- 7 ounces dark chocolate (2 standard-size bars), roughly chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool. (If your hazelnuts still have the skins on, place them on one end of a kitchen towel and cover with the other end. Roll them under your palms to remove the skins – it’s okay if all the skins don’t come off; discard the skins.)
- Meanwhile, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium pot. Set a dry heatproof bowl over the pot, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Place the chocolate into the bowl and let it melt slowly, stirring occasionally, keeping the water at a bare simmer.
- Roughly chop the hazelnuts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the hazelnuts on top in a single layer. Pour the chocolate over the top. Chill for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate is slightly firm but still sticky. Sprinkle with the cranberries, salt, and cayenne. Chill until completely set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Break the bark into pieces and serve. (The bark can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper).
DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- optional: unsweetened cocoa powder or sprinkles for rolling
4-ingredient Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp salted butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp coconut oil
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Mix the peanut butter and softened butter together in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until fully combined. Cover and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up.
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Using your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (this will hold it's shape for dipping).
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Melt the chocolate chips according to package instructions
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Using a fork, dip the peanut butter balls one at a time into the melted chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to fall off. Place the chocolate balls onto wax paper, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.