I look forward to the holidays every year, then when they arrive I’m reminded about how much there is to get done; wrapping, buying presents, meal planning and making holiday treats. Lots and lots of holiday treats. Back in the beginning, I did a cookie exchanges and made holiday plates every everyone and spent hours making home made taffy, fudge, divinity and penuche along with about a million cookies. As I look back, I wonder how I managed to get it all done and have fun doing it. Now that I have a thriving business that I’m juggling along with my family and my crafty hobbies it is a little bit tougher to dedicate ten hours in the kitchen. I’ve come up with a couple of quick and easy recipes that I enjoy that just take a short amount of time and don’t destroy your whole kitchen.
Gimme chocolate STAT!
This is a recipe I found when I was a teenager and have held onto for many years. I added the peppermint essential oil to it and tweaked it a bit. I think it came off of the back of a box of C&H Powdered Sugar. You can substitute the peppermint for wild orange, cinnamon, lavender or whichever essential oil flavor makes you happy. This year I’m going to do a batch with Spearmint oil and I think that will be lovely!
These are my go to for cookie exchanges or a quick home made gift. I love them in the White, Milk or Dark Chocolate Candy melts. Avoid the pretty colored ones as they usually aren’t quite as tasty. If you want color just add a little food coloring. White chocolate with with light pink or blue over a vanilla Oreo is a cute baby shower treat (use lemon oil or wild orange.. I use Wilton Candy Melts because they are easy and melt really nicely. If you want to use real chocolate, for white chocolate, Ghiradelli chips are the only ones that I think taste good. I prefer their milk and dark chocolate as well.
Another of my favorite quick and easy gifts is my Wild Orange Fudge Sauce. One of my best friends is hopelessly addicted to those chocolate oranges that just come out at the holidays and I like to make this so he can have it when they are gone. It is amazing over ice cream. I use Golden Syrup because it is very sweet and you can just use a couple of tablespoons vs a cup of sugar.
Some of you might be wondering if I’ve lost my way off the path to being healthy with this post. I admit none of these recipes are healthy or good for you. Sometimes it is all about balance and having fun. The holidays are when most of us indulge a little and I’m no exception.
Note: All essential oils aren’t created equally. Especially for internal use check the label to see if it is safe. Why?…Essential Oil Grades
If you’d like to know more about what products I use please send me a message below.
PS: I’m not trying to keep it a secret… the brand doesn’t allow their products named or pictured on non-company websites. I’d tell you if I could!
