Merry Holiday Treats

The secret to a festive holiday is Eggnog of course. These Golden Eggnog Cupcakes are the best way to bring the family together—distanced of course. With these cupcakes you’re capable of creating a Christmas tradition, seeing how easy they are to make. 

To make these extraordinary cupcakes you’ll need… 

• 1 ¼ cups of All Purpose Flour (I used whole wheat flour to make them more dense)

• 1 ½ cups of baking powder

• ¾ tsp of nutmeg (optional; I personally added some nutmeg)

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter

• ¾ cups of sugar

• 1 ½ tbsp of vegetable oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I substituted it with almond extract)

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cups and 2 tbsp of Eggnog

Eggnog buttercream:

• ½ cups of butter

• ½ of shortening (or margarine to substitute)

• 4 cups of powdered sugar

• 4 tbsp eggnog

• ¼  of rum extract (optional)

• 1 tbsp of nutmeg (optional)

Cupcake Instructions:

1. To make the cupcakes, prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg) then set aside.

3. Put butter, oil, and sugar into a large bowl. Beat together until light and fluffy, while slowly adding the eggs one at a time. Then add the vanilla extract.  

4. Then mix half of the dry with the wet ingredients.

5. When all of the dry ingredients are well mixed into the wet ingredients, slowly add in the eggnog.

6. Mix it all together, but do not over mix.

7. Fill the cupcake liners just over ½ full and bake for 15-18 minute or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Remove the cupcakes and let them cool.

Buttercream Icing Instructions:

1. Combine the butter and shortening in a large mixer bowl and mix until well combined. 

2. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. 

3. Add 2 tablespoons of eggnog, rum extract and nutmeg.  Mix until well combined and smooth. 

4. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. 

5. Add remaining eggnog and mix until well combined and smooth. 

6. Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream and sprinkle with a little nutmeg, if desired.

It’s time for something sweet! Seeing how it may be difficult to go to the grocery store  to buy a variety of sweets, just make some at home. These Peppermint Patties are almost identical to York Peppermint Patties. They are fairly easily yet extremely sticky; so try at your own risk.

To make these chilling patties you’ll need…

• 1/4 cup softened butter

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup

• 1-2 tsp peppermint extract

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 2 cups dark dipping chocolate

• Sprinkles for garnishing (optional)

Instructions:

• 1. Combine butter, corn syrup, extract and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer or with your hands for about 3 minutes, until ingredients are well combined .

  2. Remove dough from the bowl and break off about 2 tsp for each. Roll into a ball and gently flatten with your hands.  Place patties down on a pan lined with wax or parchment paper. Once all patties are made, place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

  3. Melt chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and gently stir. Remove peppermint patties from the freezer. Use a fork to dip each patty in the chocolate, flip to coat the other side. Transfer chocolate coated patties to wax paper to cool. Top with any decorations of your choice such as: sprinkles, or cupcake toppers.

One of the biggest struggles for parents is finding fun snacks for their children. Although cupcakes and brownies are fun and relatively mess free, kids oftentimes don’t experience much pleasure from engaging in the eating experience. With Muddy Buddies, that is not the case. 

Muddy Buddies are a finger-food snack made from Chex cereal, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Perfect for children, they often incorporate other snacks such as M&M’s and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, making the dessert more colorful and fun. Essentially, it’s a dessert version of trail mix, which makes it all the rage with toddlers, as they can hold it easily and take small bites. 

So, how do you make Muddy Buddies? 

Ingredients:

• 1 box rice Chex cereal

• 1 cup of creamy peanut butter

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 cups melted chocolate chips (preferably semisweet)

• ¼ cup melted butter

• Holiday M&M’s

• Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Instructions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 10 second intervals. Melting the mixture this way will ensure it will not burn. You may also complete this step using a double boiler method. Stir until completely melted and homogenous. 

2. Pour your Chex cereal into a large mixing bowl and add the melted mixture. It is best to pour in a zig-zag motion to avoid other areas of the cereal not getting coated. Using a spoon or spatula, fold the cereal until it is evenly coated.

3. Next, add your powdered sugar. Sprinkle the sugar overtop to avoid the mixture having bare spots. It should look as though the cereal has been dusted with snow. 

4. Mix in your candy toppings until well combined. Serve in smaller dishes or on a tray.