Christmas. That word carries so much meaning. Some feel warm & fuzzy at the thought. Others are left cold with disappointment. But most of us have enjoyed our fair share of special delights found only at this time of year. My mom was never really into the sugar cookie decorating thing, so that doesn’t hold a lot of appeal for me. Sugar cookies without the frosting are almost pointless in my world anyway. Most recipes for them take a lot of time and effort, with hours of chilling in the fridge before you can roll out the dough and cut it into fun shapes. My sister has just such a recipe that she loves. I’ll pass. (Though I might still be tempted to eat them if they’re slathered with enough icing!) I go for the fudge, the dipped pretzels & Oreos, and the homemade caramels.
One of our family’s favorite Christmas confections is the green cornflake Christmas wreath cookie. Made similar to a rice krispie treat, but with cornflakes, a dash of green food coloring in the melted marshmallows and some redhots splashed on for berries, they’re simply delicious and fun. Some people actually try to shape them into wreaths, but I think a good clump is just perfect.
My aunt Jeanie makes the best cornflake cookies but her fudge is probably my first place pick. It’s super simple to make too. She adds nuts, which cuts the sweet just perfectly.
Aunt Jeanie’s Fudge
3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla
Chopped walnuts, optional
Dash of salt, optional
Melt chocolate chips & milk in microwave, stirring occasionally. Add salt (optional). Add walnuts (optional). Add vanilla. Mix well. Spread into 9×9 pan. Cool & cut.
What’s your favorite Christmas cookie / treat?
Hands down my Aunt Sheree's Bavarian Mints. Basically a mint meltaway fudge. Semi sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, mint flavoring…heated then whipped with a blender to make it less dense than a regular fudge then cooled. So good….