Easy Holiday Desserts

Fun Christmas and Thanksgiving Confections

© Elvira Nieto

Nov 7, 2009

Although one would be hard-pressed to find people completely tired of pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie and anything cranberry during the holidays, every now and then it’s good to change things up a bit. Give these easy recipes a try and they just may become family favorites.

Chocolate Caramel Wafers

Ingredients:

• 1 package (14 oz) caramels
• 1/4 evaporated milk
• 1 package (12 oz) vanilla wafers
• 8 plain Hershey’s candy bars (1.55 oz each), broken into squares
• Chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Place caramels and milk into a medium microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave uncovered for at high power for about 3 minutes or until caramel is melted.
3. Stir caramel and milk until smooth; spread over wafers.
4. Place caramel covered wafers on ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Top each wafer with a square of chocolate.
6. Briefly bake in a 225 degrees heated oven for about 2 minutes: just long enough to melt the chocolate.
7. Remove from oven; spread melted chocolate over wafer evenly.
8. Top with chopped pecans.

Snow Covered Peaks

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Additional confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and confectioner’s sugar.
3. Add in almond extract.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, almonds and salt; gradually add flour mixture to the creamed ingredients.
5. Shape cookie mixture into triangles; place 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned.
7. Remove to wire racks for cooling.
8. Once cooled, dip corner of cookie into additional confectioner’s sugar.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 oz) 1/3 Reduced Fat Philadelphia brand cream cheese, softened.
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Gingersnap cookies

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with confectioner’s sugar until smooth.
2. Gradually add canned pumpkin, sour cream cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger; beat until mixture is smooth.
3. Serve accompanied by gingersnap cookies either immediately or after refrigerating for an hour.

Cranberry Pear Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
• 4 cups peeled and thinly sliced fresh pears (roughly 4 medium)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup apple juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice

Directions:

1. Press pastry onto the bottom and sides of ungreased 9 in. tart pan with removable bottom; trim excess edges of crust.
2. With a fork, prick the bottom of crust generously; set aside.
3. In a large skillet, cook pears together with cranberries, apple juice and apple pie spice over medium heat until pears are tender.
4. Pour cooked pear mixture into crust.
5. Bake for about 30-35 min. at 375 degrees.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Fall pumpkin

Whole cranberry sauce

Holiday cookie basket

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