Peppermint Bark

Delicious? Easy? Perfect for an edible holiday gift? Yes, yes and yes. Peppermint candies and white chocolate are a wonderful holiday combination and I amped this on up with some holiday peppermint M&Ms, just for fun. Dave was particularly excited about this treat since he loves peppermint bark. Do you know what I didn't know? That Dave loves peppermint bark. Seriously, I've know him for over 15 years--you'd think I'd pick up on that. And he couldn't believe I'd never made it before. Know we're both wondering where he's been getting his fix all these years. But back to this bark: whip this up and you'll be able to break it up into deliciously big chunks, bag it up and share it as gifts--perfect for teachers, class treats, coworkers, anyone. Personally, I'm thinking some labor and delivery nurses might be the recipients of these treats--assuming our little guy arrives before Dave eats it all.

Chicken in Mushroom Sauce

In and amongst all these holiday treats, I realize that we all still need to eat dinner. And maybe that dinner should be relatively healthy, in addition to tasty and perhaps a little comforting. And wouldn't it be nice if it didn't take that long to make since we're all busy this time of year? I think this chicken and mushroom dinner covers those bases. Whipped up on a weeknight, this chicken and sauteed vegetables has a nice sauce that goes well with pasta (and would with rice) and really makes you feel all warm and cozy--perfect as these temperatures drop. It's a good thing I have my monthly Secret Recipe Club match, because otherwise I might not have found such a great dish!

Holiday Muddy Buddies

Surprisingly, I've never actually made muddy buddies. Or puppy chow as it is sometimes referred. But I have some friends who love it and I thought I'd give it a try for a party recently. So glad I did because this holiday version is amazing! It's got all kinds of fun flavor and a twist on the original because instead of peanut butter, this recipe uses chocolate-hazelnut spread (yup, Nutella). Add in M&Ms, yogurt covered raisins and sprinkles, then toss it all powdered sugar and you've got a deliciously messy sweet snack that's a little bit festive.

Stuffed Cherry Blossom Cookies

I love a cookie with a surprise inside. Whether it's an Oreo tucked inside, a cheesecake filling, or even peanut butter cream, there's something fun about biting into a cookie only to find a little something unexpected. And usually a sweet sugar cookie doesn't get to play those games. But these perfectly flavored sugar cookies with vanilla and almond extracts are getting in to the action, hiding a lovely maraschino cherry inside a soft cookie. Yum. Rolled in sugar for a little extra sweetness, these cookies are fun and festive and sure to please. I've got a few cherry-lovers on my cookie tin list and I know they are going to love these.

Chip & Chunk Cookies

These are what I like to call definitive holiday cookies. Seriously, they have all the bits of a perfect holiday cookies: cinnamon, chocolate, nuts and coconut. Baked up in a tender cookie with a lovely crunch to the exterior, these flavors really just remind me of the holidays, so they are perfect for your baking list this month. For an little extra flavor, toast that coconut first and you'll get a little more depth to these cookies. Coconut burns pretty quickly, so keep an eye on it while it toasts--I had to try twice since I forgot to pay attention the first time. Whoops.