During the holidays you may have to whip up something to feed guests, or your family. To save money, here are a couple of cheap Christmas treats that may appeal to you.
Scrumptious Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
To make these tempting little treats, you will need 1 cups of peanut butter, a cup of butter or margarine, 1 lb. (16 oz.) of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening.
In a medium bowl combine the peanut butter with the butter. Stir in the vanilla and the powdered sugar until it is completely incorporated.
Take the mixture and roll it into many small 1 inch balls. A bigger size may be used, but a smaller size is easier to eat. Take the balls and put them on a platter with wax paper. Put them in the freezer so they can cool and get harder.
If you have a double-boiler, use it to melt the chocolate, if not, use a saucepan on low heat and stir to avoid burning. Add the vegetable shortening to the chocolate. The vegetable shortening will help the chocolate become firmer when it cools down.
Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer and push a toothpick into each hardened peanut butter ball. Next, dip each ball into the melted chocolate to coat them. Traditionally the top of the ball is left uncovered to resemble a buckeye nut from the buckeye trees found in some states.
When you are done covering them put them back in the freezer until you are ready so that they stay hard.
Christmas Spice Nuts
It doesn't take much to create this delicious Christmas treat. They make for a nice protein filled snack that many will love.
To get started, preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit then grease a baking sheet.
This recipe is simple to make as most of the ingredients are readily available in most kitchens. The ingredients you will need are 1 egg white, cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground cloves, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 1 tbsp of vanilla extract, and 1 lb of mixed nuts.
Separate the egg white from the yolk and then beat the white until it is foamy and white instead of clear and gelatinous.
Add all of the spices, sugar, and vanilla to the beaten egg white and mix it together. Next, add the nuts and toss them until they are coated with the mixture.
Dump the nuts onto the greased baking sheet and spread them until they are one layer thick.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are golden brown and toasted. Remove from the oven and allow 20 minutes for them to cool on the pan. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
About the Author:
If you reside in Alaska and need help purchasing food, learn how to apply for Alaska food stamps, as well as any other state, at the how to apply for food stamps website.
