Candy Cane Box Cake Cookies
The perfect quick and easy holiday dessert on the go! If you need to bring a dessert to a holiday party, this is one you can whip up and have ready in no time.
1 15¼ oz box of vanilla cake mix (can use chocolate too!)
2 eggs
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 of 16 oz premade tub of cream cheese icing
2 candy canes, crushed up (about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 2 eggs, vegetable oil and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and with a cookie scoop or tablespoon, place even spoonfuls of dough on the sheet.
3. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden brown.
4. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
5. Once cool, ice each cookie, and then sprinkle with crushed-up candy canes. They’re now ready to eat and enjoy!
Tip
• Try with other holiday hard candy flavors and extracts. Cinnamon candy canes and cinnamon extract are great alternatives!
Bacon, Brussels, & Leek Quiche
Delicious and unique quiche that pairs the wonderful flavors of bacon, Brussels sprouts, leeks and gruyère. Mix everything together and bam—a delicious breakfast recipe that will be the talk of your holiday brunch party!
1 whole premade pie crust
1/2 lb bacon, bite-size pieces
1 whole leek, sliced thin
2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts (about 10-12 whole brussels sprouts if you’re cutting them yourself)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
5 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 pinch nutmeg
8 oz bag shredded gruyère (can substitute Swiss cheese
or buy a block of gruyère and shred it yourself!)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a deep 9-inch pie pan, place pie crust. Press along sides and cut off excess dough on edges. Using a fork, place divots in the bottom of the pan where the pie crust is. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. While pie crust is cooking, place raw cut-up bacon in a large skillet and begin to cook. Cut up leek into thin slices and place in water to clean. Sauté bacon until pieces begin to brown. Add in shredded leeks, Brussels sprouts and garlic. Add in salt and ground black pepper. Sauté until everything begins to get lightly brown. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine Dijon mustard and heavy cream, ensuring there are no mustard lumps. Crack eggs and mix them into mustard-cream mixture until smooth. Add in nutmeg and gruyère cheese. Once everything is incorporated, slowly add in spoonfuls of Brussels sprout mixture, stirring everything until well combined.
4. Pour mixture into pie crust, spread evenly and place quiche in oven on middle rack for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife comes clean out of center. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Then serve hot or refrigerate and eat cold. Enjoy!
Tip
• If Brussels sprouts aren’t your thing, this works great with kale or spinach too!
Chocolate-Dipped Clementines with Sea Salt
Looking to prepare a pretty holiday treat that’s allergen friendly and has limited ingredients? Look no further than this!
5-6 clementines (or mandarin oranges), peeled
and separated into segments
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 Tbsp flaky sea salt or Himalayan salt
(if you’re not a big salt person, skip this!)
Instructions
1. Cover a large baking sheet, cover with a piece of wax paper (parchment works too).
2. Peel clementines and remove any stringy parts or excess white peel. Separate into segments.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate for 30-second intervals, stirring between each 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 and a half minutes).
4. Carefully dip half of each clementine segment in chocolate and place on wax paper. Before chocolate begins to harden, sprinkle each piece with a little sea salt.
5. Once tray is full, place in the fridge or freezer until the chocolate has hardened.
6. Serve immediately or place in a plastic bag in the freezer for future snacking. Enjoy!
Tip
• This recipe works really well with raspberries and strawberries too!
Alysha Yoder is the photographer, food stylist, blogger, and recipe developer behind A-Yo Kitchen. With a passion for all things food, many of her recipes are inspired by her worldly travels, her many cooking classes abroad, and all the veggies and fruits her home gardens produce. She has been a photographer for over 15+ years and previously worked in the corporate food sector for almost 10. She now is a small business owner running her studio, A-Yo Kitchen, out of York, PA, where she serves not only local clients but worldwide as well.
