Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups

How cute are these hot cocoa cookie cups?! They're such a fun holiday dessert and goes great with real hot cocoa. The chocolate ganache in the cups is to die for! 

What you need:

Pillsbury refrigerator sugar cookie dough

3 tbs sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tbs cocoa mix

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

White chocolate chips

Mini pretzels

Jet-puffed mallow bites

Optional- peppermint extract

- preheat oven according to packaging on cookies. 

- spray mini muffin tins with non-stick spray. Roll dough into 1 tbs balls (half the size of each muffin tin). Roll dough into sugar and place into the tins.

- bake for half the time the packaging says or until the edges turn golden. Cups needs to cool completely before removing. If the cups don't dent in enough, take the bottom of a teaspoon and press it into the middle of the cookie.

- place chocolate chips in a bowl and set aside.  In a saucepan, bring whipping cream to a boil. Add the cocoa and mix well. If desired- mix in 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract. Pour over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Stir until the chips are melted.
- use a teaspoon to scoop the chocolate ganache into the cups.  Top with marshmallows. Break the mini presents to make handles.  Melt the white chocolate and use it as glue to stick the pretzels to the side.
Yields 2 1/2 dozen

Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Okay, this is by far my favorite holiday treat and it takes like 10 minutes to make! Salty, peanut butter and chocolate are my weakness and I could eat dozens of these. It might seem like a simple, boring treat but it seriously is the best! If you don't try these I will be very disappointed!

What you need: 

Ritz crackers

Peanut butter

Wilton's chocolate melts- I made a lot so I used almost 24 oz

Holiday sprinkles

Place a good amount of peanut butter on a ritz cracker and sand which it with another cracker. Place in a bowl of melted chocolate (melt according to pkg) and use a fork to move it around and remove it. Place on wax paper and quickly add sprinkles. Let it cool, completely before eating.

Oreo Cookies Balls

I spent most of my day baking in the kitchen yesterday, and the best part was that I never even turned my oven on! These cookie balls were so easy and fast and tasted so yummy. Plus you can always decorate them fancy so that it looks like it took a lot of sweat and tears to make this dessert.

What you need:

36 Oreos- finely crushed (best way is put Oreos in a gallon size bag and roll with a rolling pin)

8 oz cream cheese- softened

Wilton's chocolate melts- I used 8 oz chocolate, 8oz white vanilla and bought a small bag of red for decorating

Holiday sprinkles

Combine Oreos and cream cheese. Stir together until mixed well. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet lined with a silicon mat or wax paper. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Take out and roll each ball into melted chocolate (melt according to pkg). Quickly add your decorations. Place in fridge for at least an hour or until ready to eat. They taste the best when they're cold!

Makes approximately 40 balls

Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

I'm usually not a big fan of gingerbread, but this year it's all I want! It must be this pregnancy, it's got me all mixed up. These are the best gingerbread cookies I've had because they're so soft and chewy. I can't stop eating them.. I think my baby is going to come out part gingerbread girl!

What you need:

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar 

1 egg

1 tbs water

1/4 cup molasses

3 tbs sugar

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-In a medium bowl, mix together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves,mane salt.

- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Then mix in water and molasses.

- Gradually stir in flour mixture until all ingredients are mixed well.

- In a small bowl, add sugar.

- Take the dough roll in 2 inch balls and roll it into the sugar then place on a non-stick cookies sheet.

- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack.

*makes 3 dozen*

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

This is Hawaiian chicken, or as my family likes to call it- Deacon's chicken. Deacon is my cute little nephew that has horrible food allergies. There are very few things the poor kid can eat and he loved this so I think we were all happy with how this dinner turned out.  And let me mention that you throw chicken in the crockpot with just 3 ingredients! It's so easy and flavorful!

What you need:

2-4 chicken breast

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

Cook on low for 6 hours, shred and serve over rice

*if you use more chicken then I would double the juice