Easy Christmas Treats

Every year we like to give our neighbors a plateful of treats, but I'm not usually up to baking 10 different kinds of cookies and packing up heavy laden plates to give away. So my sister-in-law gave me this fantastic idea last year:

M&M PRETZEL CANDIES
What you'll need:
Bag of square pretzels
Bag of Hershey's kisses
Bag of Christmas colored M&Ms

What to do:
Place square pretzels on a cookie sheet. Top each pretzel with one Hershey's kiss. Bake at 200 degrees (no higher) for 2-3 minutes until Hershey's kiss is slightly melted. Pull from the oven and immediately top with one M&M, pushing down slightly. Cool until chocolate is hardened again.

This year I'm making the following for the neighbors using an easy recipe courtesy of my friend Rachelle:

TOFFEE PRALINE BARS
1/2 box of graham crackers
1 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1 to 1-1/2 C chocolate chips
1/3 C chopped or sliced almonds, toasted if desired

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Layer the graham crackers on the bottom of the sheet. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Boil for 3 minutes on medium heat. Pour evenly over graham crackers. Bake for 8 minutes. Pull from the oven and immediately top with chocolate chips. Once chocolate chips are soft and melted, spread evenly over the toffee layer. Top with almonds. Cut in to bars while still warm (important!) Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm. Break in to pieces.

And speaking of Rachelle and recipes (since she has the best of anyone I know), here is an amazing recipe for cucumber sandwiches that are absolutely a holiday party staple:

CUCUMBER SANDWICHES
8oz cream cheese
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix (.7oz)
2 loaves french bread
2 cucumbers
Dill (optional)

Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Italian dressing together. Refrigerate 2-4 hours, though overnight is best. Slice the bread and cucumbers. (The Pillsbury bread loaves you bake are the best.) Spread each slice of bread generously with cream cheese mixture. Top with one cucumber slice. Sprinkle with dill if desired. Refrigerate until serving.

If you have a super easy, super yummy holiday recipe, share below! I'm especially glad that I have no need to watch my weight or waistline this holiday season! Bring on the goodies!