Christmas is just around the corner !  We know…. It comes around so fast each and every year.  Coming into Christmas it is always fun to cook up some treats (or in this case, no cooking) and have them ready for those guests that drop by….. or maybe for your local Gutter-Vac franchisee when they come by to clean your gutters J

Here’s three of our favourites – simple and easy and ones that even the kids can help with and will love to eat !

White Oreo Fudge

Bring a little Christmas ‘snow’ into your treats with this absolutely delicious treat that will last about a week (refrigerated) … not that we have ever tested that out because it never lasts that long in our houses!  PLUS it is simple to make and only 3 ingredients.

• 400 g white chocolate buttons
• 1 x 397g tin of sweetened condensed milk
• 14 Oreo cookies – crushed (Tip – put in a plastic freezer bag and then roll over/crush with a rolling pin)

You will need a baking tray – a square works well (25 x 25 cm) or similar.  We have even used a deep cookie sheet tray. Thinner fudge, but more pieces !

Instructions:

• Line baking tray with baking paper
• Put white chocolate in heatproof bowl and pour in condensed milk
• Microwave on full power for 30 seconds.  Remove and stir.  Continue to heat in short bursts (15 – 20 seconds), stirring in between until chocolate has melted and mixture is thick and smooth
• Mix in the crushed Oreos… if you want, you could leave some Oreos out to add as a topping, but we like to mix them all in.
• Spread the mixture evenly in the baking tray, spread it out.
• If you did save some Oreos for topping, sprinkle them over the mixture now.
• Place the baking tray and mixture into the fridge for about 4 to 5 hours to set (yes, we know the wait will be hard!)
• Remove the mixture when set.  Use the baking paper to remove the fudge from the tray and place on a chopping board.
• Use a sharp knife (run under hot water and wipe dry – makes cutting easier if having trouble) and cut fudge into bite-sized pieces (and yes, there are no calories in eating the little off cuts or edges when cutting up the fudge)
• Time to SERVE and EAT !!  Your kids will love it!

Kid Friendly Rumballs

• 250 g of Arnott’s Milk Arrowroots or Arnott’s Marie biscuits (crushed)
• 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk (395g)
• ¼ cup of cocoa powder (25g)
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut (85 g)
• 1 ½ cups of desiccated coconut (130g) for rolling

Instructions:

• Crush biscuits to a fine crumb
• Stir through cocoa powder, desiccated coconut (1 cup) and sweetened condensed mil until well coated
• Using your hands, roll heaped teaspoon of the mixture into balls and then roll through the extra coconut to coat
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or you can freeze so you have ready in advance

** Adult extra…. Add a little (or a lot of) rum to the mixture !

Snowmen Pops

• 375 g white chocolate buttons
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 250 g white marshmallows
• 1 packet of M&M’s or Smarties (maybe some extras to eat!)
• Some licorice
• Packet of skewer sticks

Instructions:

• Thread three marshmallows onto each skewer
• Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl (place in oven on high for 20 seconds, remove and stir.  Continue to do short blasts of heating – 15 to 20 seconds, sitr in bwtween until chocolate is melted)
• Stir the vegetable oil into the chocolate mixture until smooth
• Dip the marshmallows into the chocolate to coat.
• Stand to allow the excess chocolate to drip away and to dress
• Before the chocolate completely sets, decorate by adding M&M’s or smarties for eyes, nose, buttons and use small pieces of licorice for the mouths.  Let eh kids be creative
• Will be surprised if they last longer than the time they take to make!

So get the kids in the kitchen and let them have some fun doing some “Christmas Cooking”.