As years pass, the kids get older and my schedule fills and fills until it could burst, it’s no wonder that I rely on shortcuts in the kitchen. All year long I cherish those meals and recipes with only a few ingredients, and love baking when it can be done in no time flat.
This is especially true during the holidays, since added to my schedule is concerts, carolling, shopping, wrapping, entertaining and so much more. Each year I look at my Christmas to-do list, and contemplate crossing off holiday baking due to the {lack of} time. Yet I love the tradition of holiday baking and giving packaged treats as gifts, so instead I opt for just a few extremely easy recipes.
I recently got to participate in a fun outreach with Kraft Canada. Not only was I supplied with some ingredients to prepare a few recipes of my choice from DessertCentre.ca, yet the lovely and talented Red Deer natural lifestyle photographer, Amber Bourret came to over to capture it all.
To make it a fun family event, my Mother in Law {aka baker extraordinaire} came over as well. I thought it was a great excuse to bake with family and have photos of us both, for the kids to cherish one day. I know that years later, they will love seeing their Mom and Grandma bake together in the kitchen. Making Holiday Memories!
I have two recipes to highlight for you, so incredibly simple yet delicious – you’ll fall in love with holiday baking and not just the eating part {and I promise that you’ll have time to make them}.
First is the Salted Chocolate Covered Caramels. Take a peek at the recipe at the link, so easy I don’t even need to reiterate here. Simply dip Kraft Caramels into Bakers Chocolate and sprinkle with just a tiny bit of Sea Salt.
To make it easy, we used our Velata Warmer to melt the chocolate, and the fondue forks to dip the caramels in. You could also microwave the chocolate or melt using a double boiler. Either way, it’s very simple.
My tips would be to tap the fork/toothpick to get off excess chocolate before settling on wax paper to cool. One of the perks to using a melter for the chocolate, is that you can rest multiple caramels on the side and let them drip a bit without holding them. As well, don’t overdo it with the salt, a very very little goes a long way.
Next and I think my favorite recipe of the season {Yes!} is Two-layer Cookie Crunch Fudge. I’d never made fudge before, just assuming it would be very time consuming. Ahem, so wrong. At least with this recipe, I was shocked.
Again, just a few ingredients and little timing actually ‘making’ this dessert. Yet, the taste? Oh wow, I love chocolately goodness that this recipe provides, mainly because I have a massive crush on white chocolate. I will be making this again, and that’ll most likely be before the holiday season is over.
After both recipes were make, an hour later we were packaging it up, ready to send to family, friends and neighbors. If you haven’t before considered gifting baked goods please consider. A nice ribbon, gift box, a heartfelt message attached – it’s a gift that anyone would love to get.
Homemade {I won’t tell it can be this easy}, and faster to put together than tackling the mall. As well, it’s perfect for that hard-to-shop-for person, who doesn’t want mouthwatering baking anytime of the year?
Have a peek at Kraft Canada’s site, DessertCentre.ca and follow #DessertMoments on Twitter to get more inspiration on creating stunning edible gifts for your family and friends this Christmas.
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, all opinions are my own.
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that looks delishhhh
My what a clean kitchen you have while baking – I am super impressed!
Bwwwaaa, you mean I can clean well before anyone arrives?
Well, I do keep very little appliances out in view most of the time, amazing how uncluttered can pass for clean. Well … With more crumbs and fingerprints of course!
🙂
I am so buying caramels tomorrow to make those! They look soooo easy!!
Oh yes!! Remember the tip on less salt though, really, just a tiny few bits will do!
Thanks for the recipes and the gift ideas too!
Those look AMAZING!! And your photographs are wonderful!!
Thank you Kristin!
🙂
Great ideas.
Yum!! Would you do my Christmas baking for me??? Lol
This kind of easy baking? Sure!!
🙂
they look so yummy. and looks like something even I could make!
Don’t know when this salted caramel thing started but my kids love them and I had no idea how simple they were—thanks.
Those look great!
That two-layer cookie crunch fudge looks yummy! And how nice of grandma to join in. So sweet!
It was a nice afternoon! And I’m craving the fudge… I might have to make more tomorrow!
Ooooh yummy!!!Am sooooo going to try making that fudge!!
The finished product looks yummy. And like you had lots of fun making them as well. Great pics!
I am so hungry now! Thanks so much for the great recipes. Your Mother in law is the cutest thing in the sweet apron. I need some better aprons apparently. I am going to make both of those recipes if the caramels last that long. So delicious!
Paula
Cooking with someone else is so much fun. Thanks for sharing an absolutely delicious looking recipe.
It was so much fun; Thx tammi
Beautiful photos! I’d love to try this. I had Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Bark recently and it was amazing so I’m sure these would be great too!
Awwww! Awesome photos! The treats look delicious!
Thanks for sharing & Happy holidays to you and yours! ♥
Great pictures :)!
Looks like you had a good time, definitely going to try doing the caramels
Oh my gosh, these are great ideas — I wish I had read this post earlier!!
Oh chocolate covered caramels look delish. I bet they would be good too with a dusting of ground walnuts or candy canes. Thanks for sharing.
Those salted caramels look delicious!
What a cute treat box for gifting sweets. I’d try the fudge but use the peppermint candies instead that is on the bottom of the page from your link. Love this idea!
We like to make a big batch of fudge to gift to neighbours and our massage therapist. It’s always a hit!
I did baking as a gift this year. I’m going to make those caramel goodies! Yum
How cool! That is seriously a genius recipe. I love salted caramels and am totally making some of these this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea. I’m not much of a baker, but I think this is the way to go next year. I hate the stores when they are so busy.
I love salt and chocolate together so will definitely be making these since they are so easy. I love the concept of using the Velata warmer so will be trying that.
Those recipes seem so delightful! I will have to bookmark for next year. I don’t have a baking or cooking bone in my body, so I don’t do either really haha. But the ones you tried don’t seem that hard at all!
any holiday baking with family and children is always so much fun,,and yummy