Holiday Treats + Free Printable Gift Tags

Today, I have the privilege of introducing you to one of my FAVORITE food bloggers; Brenda Score from a farmgirl’s dabbles!

Not only is Brenda one of the nicest, sweetest, and friendliest women around; she also happens to be an AMAZING cook and food photographer.  Plus she just makes everything look so simple — and I love simple.

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Hello! I’m Brenda from a farmgirl’s dabbles. It’s so nice to be here, guest posting for Andrea.

I’m pretty new to the “Land of Blog” and Andrea has been such a delightful friend and a genuine help to me – I’m truly honored to be here sharing some fun food ideas for the upcoming Christmas season.

My visit here ties in with a little series I have going on at a farmgirl’s dabbles, titled “Sweet (and easy!) Christmas Gifts From One Day in the Kitchen”. Overthe next couple of weeks I will be featuring some fun and simple treats that are perfect for gifting, so I would love for you to keep checking back at my site – I have so much tasty stuff to share!

My family has a Christmas Eve tradition of making homemade ice cream.

I can remember, as a child, the excitement when Dad would pull that old crank ice-cream maker from it’s 12-month vacation in the store room. We only made icecream one day a year, on Christmas Eve. It was a very special treat, and highly anticipated.

If you share in that same family tradition, this Hot Fudge Sauce is a wonderful topper for homemade ice cream. Or for any ice cream brought home from the store. It’s extremely easy to make and adds a touch of fun indulgence when entertaining in your own home. How about warm Hot Fudge Sauce atop a couple scoops of peppermint ice cream? What a beautiful, and incredibly easy, holiday dessert.

A jar of homemade Hot Fudge Sauce can also be a lovely gift, especially when given as a hostess gift. It does need to be refrigerated, and should be eaten within a week. So, when invited to a Christmas party this year, just whip up a batch of this sauce earlier in the day, package it up all pretty, and you have yourself a very special gift to give from your own kitchen.

And when you hand it over to your party hosts, they can easily tuck it into their own refrigerator, to enjoy during the upcoming week.

Hot Fudge Sauce

(print recipe)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 T. butter
• 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard brand)
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2/3 c. evaporated milk  (1 12-oz. can will make a double batch of hot fudge. Just double the other 3 ingredients, too.)

PREPARATION

• Melt together butter and chocolate over low heat.
• Stir in powdered sugar and evaporated milk.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat then boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

This recipe is easily doubled.

Yield:  1 cup hot fudge sauce

This next recipe for Chocolate & Candy Cane Marshmallows is so much fun, I just can’t stand it! And it’s a very quick kitchen accomplishment. My three year old daughter and I cranked out a batch of these in about 20 minutes flat. We also managed to down quite a few large marshmallows, unadorned. The girls know they can always get away with snitching the good stuff when they bake with Mom. 🙂

These dipped marshmallows are yummy, and just plain pretty. Imagine plopping a couple of these in a mug of hot cocoa. Now that would be a cheery addition to a cold and blustery winter evening. So make a batch for yourself, and another one to share. Then fill up some small clear cello bags with two or three of these little beauties, pretty them up with some ribbon and gift tags, and you have a fun little way to spread some Christmas cheer.

For a bit larger gift, you could include a few of these Chocolate & Candy Cane Marshmallows with a small canister of cocoa and a mug. What a fun ensemble to give (and to receive!).

Chocolate & Candy Cane Marshmallows

(print recipe)

INGREDIENTS

• 24 large marshmallows
• 5 regular size candy canes
• 2 oz. chocolate bark
• 2 oz. dark chocolate chips

PREPARATION

• Place candy canes in a sturdy sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin or mallet.
• Place crushed candy canes in a small dish.
• Place the chocolates in a small dish and melt, stirring the chocolates together
• Dip one end of each marshmallow in the chocolate, then shake it gently to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Then press into the crushed candy canes.
• Place marshmallows on a wax paper-covered baking sheet and refrigerate briefly, until the chocolate hardens.
• Store in an airtight container.
• Enjoy on their own or in hot cocoa.

Do you like the gift tags shown on the jar of Hot Fudge Sauce and the package of Chocolate & Candy Cane Marshmallows? Are you in need of some fresh and fun Christmas gift tags this year?

Well, how about a free printable?!

Just click on this link and print as many as you want. It’s my Christmas gift to you!

Thank you so much for having me, Andrea! And happy Christmas baking to you all!

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See, I told you she’s amazing!!

Aren’t you glad you stuck around for her delicious recipes, fantastic photography, AND free printable tags??

And remember, Christmas is only 43 days away!!!