Delectable Christmas Candies and Treats
Oreo Truffles [1]
These easy candies look elegant but are simple to make. The recipe comes from chef Anthony Schulz at the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio. He says kids, especially, have fun making these truffles.
Oreo Truffles [2]
Bing Candy [5]
People in Pukwana, South Dakota, come to bake sales just to buy Gwen Swanson's signature chocolate-cherry treat. Cherry-flavor chips create a red center between the chocolate layers. You can substitute peanut butter-flavor pieces if you prefer a peanut butter-chocolate combo.
Bing Candy [6]
Christmas Mice [9]
Kids or grandkids can help create these adorable, easy-to-make treats.
Christmas Mice [10]
Fanciful Peppermint Fudge [14]
Mint flavor infuses this creamy, easy holiday fudge. If you like, use two cups mint-flavor semi-sweet chocolate pieces instead of the chocolate pieces and extract.
Almond Toffee [18]
Milk chocolate and toasted almonds coat a crunchy toffee base. Be sure to use real butter in toffee; with margarine, the fat separates out onto the candy's surface.
Almond Toffee [19]
Chocolate Truffles [22]
Even novice cooks can master this simplified candy recipe. Just melt chocolate, add whipping cream and follow our easy instructions for Chocolate, Mint-Chocolate or Orange-Chocolate Truffles.
Chocolate Truffles [23]
Heavenly Hash [26]
Mix just three ingredients -- milk chocolate, marshmallows and pecan halves -- for this super-easy candy, from a St. Louis candy shop.
Heavenly Hash [27]
Maple Nutty Candy [30]
These bar cookies combine four winning flavors: peanut butter, maple, butterscotch and chocolate. The easy recipe, from a Wabash, Indiana, reader, makes about 6 pounds of candy. We suggest freezing the bars and thawing them out as needed.
Maple Nutty Candy [31]
Candy-Box Caramels [34]
Dress up packaged caramel squares by dipping them in sprinkles, crushed nuts, and bits of candy. Drizzle with dark or white chocolate to add even more color.
Candy-Box Caramels [35]
Creamy Peanut Butter Truffles [38]
Minnesota's Saint Paul Hotel features these truffles at its annual Chocolate Lovers' Tea. We simplified the recipe by substituting candy coating for the chocolate used at the hotel.
Latte Fudge [42]
A shot of espresso adds flavor and color to this holiday sweet. The recipe makes about five dozen pieces, so you'll have plenty to give as gifts.
Latte Fudge [43]
Caramel Heavenlies [46]
Graham crackers form the base for this bar cookie with layers of marshmallows, brown sugar, almonds and coconut. "I've made these cookies each Christmas since 1984," says Georgine Simmonds of Genesee, Michigan. "They're one of my family's favorites."
Caramel Heavenlies [47]
Mixed-Nut Brittle [50]
This fresh twist on peanut brittle takes just 15 minutes to make using your microwave. Be sure to use a heavy-duty glass measure that's free from cracks or chips to withstand high temperatures.
Mixed-Nut Brittle [51]
Caramels [54]
Soft and buttery flavored, these classic caramels make a rich and delicious homemade treat. Roll in wax paper or, for the holidays, use colored plastic wrap.
Caramel [55]
Elves' Best Brownies [58]
Guests at the Angel Inn in Green Lake, Wisconsin, enjoy these fudgy brownies on cookie trays.
Elves' Best Brownies [59]
Terrific Toffee [62]
Make classic buttery toffee even tastier by combining two kinds of chocolate, toasted almonds and malted milk powder. Look for the malted milk powder near hot chocolate mixes or chocolate syrup in your grocery store.
Terrific Toffee [63]
Easy Candy-Bar Treats [66]
A mix of popular ingredients -- chocolate, caramel, and peanuts -- makes this easy and delicious microwave candy.
Hallelujah Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars [70]
A cocoa-graham crust forms the base for these candylike bars, from the Eagle Ridge Inn and Resort near Galena, Illinois.
Cream Cheese-Rum Fudge [74]
Cream cheese flavors these chocolatey squares, a favorite recipe from a Dubuque, Iowa, reader. If you'd prefer a different flavor, try substituting almond, peppermint or orange extract for the rum flavoring.
Hard Candy [78]
Flavor these confections with peppermint, wintergreen, orange, lemon, cinnamon or spearmint, and color them a festive red and green for the holidays.
Hard Candy [79]
Candy treats [82]
The recipes for chewy, chocolate-coated Coconut-Caramel Treats and decadent Almond Truffle Temptations come from the Golden Turtle Chocolate Factory in Lebanon, Ohio. Small boxes of candies make good stocking stuffers, as well as elegant gifts from the kitchen.
Gooey Pecan Pie Bars [87]
Pecan pie in a bar? Say no more. The recipe for these rich, buttery, thick cookies comes from Liberty Gathering Place restaurant in West Liberty, Ohio.
Gooey Pecan Pie Bars [88]
Lemon Drop Bark [91]
Melt the candy coating, add the candy, and you're done. It's that simple. The crushed lemon drops give this sweet treat some pucker.
Lemon Drop Bark [92]
Nut candies [95]
Pair Chocolate-Caramel Pecan Clusters with quick and easy Salted Peanut Squares for the nut lovers on your holiday list.
Holiday party treats [100]
Our three-tier display shows off treats for a cookie swap or any holiday gathering. Tri-color Candy Cane Cookies, frosted Sugar Cookies Like You Remember and fudgy Nutcracker Brownies surround small cups of bright-red, green and white candies.
Candy Cane Cookies [101]
Sugar Cookies Like You Remember [102]
Nutcracker Brownies [103]
Krumkake [106]
Enjoy these paper-thin Scandinavian treats plain, or fill with sweetened whipped cream and serve immediately. You'll find krumkake bakers and rangetop irons in specialty food shops or online.
Krumkake [107]
White-Chocolate Candy and Prancher's Penuche [110]
White-Chocolate Candy combines red and green marshmallows, cereal and nuts for a quick-fix holiday treat. Prancer's Penuche takes longer, but family or friends can help you stir this luscious brown-sugar candy.
White-Chocolate Candy [111]
Prancher's Penuche [112]
Date-Orange Bars [115]
The recipe for these moist, nutty bars has been in the Cole family of Wadsworth, Ohio, for more than 50 years. They bake them each holiday season. We added an orange icing to play up the citrusy flavor.
Date-Orange Bars [116]
Festive Candied Popcorn [119]
A pastel sugar coating sweetens Festive Candied Popcorn in a recipe from Eugene T. Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Nebraska. Another specialty of the Nebraska park: Best-of-the-Season Gingerbread Cookies, with crisp edges, soft centers and a hint of molasses and ginger. Santa's Delight Peppermint Bark is a super-easy candy from the kitchens at Abe Martin Lodge in Indiana's Brown County State Park near Nashville.
Festive Candied Popcorn [120]
