Baking with Candy! Marshmallow Snowmen and Chocolate CRUNCH Clusters

It is a holiday tradition in our house to make
gingerbread houses and sugar cookies.

We usually start around Thanksgiving and end around New Years.

My kids just love this part of the holidays...and so do I.

This year, I decided it was time to add some freshness 

into the mix and create some more whimsy...

And we are going to do that with some #HolidayCandy!

First I have a cute Marshmallow Snowman creation to share

AND,also, an original "cookie" recipe:

Chocolate CRUNCH Cluster!

I hopped on over to Nestle's Very Best Baking website and took a peek at some of the holiday recipes. Some of the recipes were tasty cookies and cookie bars using Nestle Candies to add flavor and fun and others were cute little whimsical creations like snowmen and sleds decorated with the Nestle Candies.

I decided that we were making the Marshmallow Snowmen. I actually let the kiddos take a peek at some of the very fun and tasty recipes and this is what they voted for! And we decided to make them on Thanksgiving as a kick off to the holiday season!

Then I headed to Walmart to pick up the super yummy supplies...

and whew, just in the nick of time...

before Black Friday craziness started.

The store was very busy getting ready that day - balloons high in the sky, numbered aisles, and arrows marking the paths to the right line - crazy!

You can read more about my shopping trip and path to purchase in my google+ album.

Once we arrived home, I was anxious to try out the Snowman and create the new "cookie" for you! So, you did hear me  -  I have TWO RECIPES FOR DECADENT TREATS TODAY!

Marshmallow Snowmen

INGREDIENTS: You can also find this recipe at Nestle Season Recipes

• 12 Squares Nestle Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
• 12 Nestle Butterfinger or Crunch Jingles, unwrapped 
• 12 pretzel checkerboard snaps or mini pretzels (for hat base)
• 2/3 cups prepared white frosting
• 24 large marshmallows, divided
• 12 pretzel sticks, broken in half
• Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels (eyes and buttons)
• 12 small orange candies or orange decorating gel for nose
• Thin string licorice, various colors, cut into 7" strips for scarf (my Walmart only had red)   

BAKE IT!

• COOKIES: Prepare the 12 cookies as per the package directions (cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes and then on wire rack until completely cooled).
• HATS: Adhere the Jingles to the pretzels using the frosting

• SNOWMAN: Insert 2 pretzel sticks into each side of 12 of the marshmallows. Spread a heaping teaspoon of frosting onto the cookie; top with snowman base. Spread additional frosting on top of each snowman base. Top with remaining 12 marshmallows. Dip orange candies and mini morsels into frosting and add noses, eyes and buttons to snowmen. For scarf, tie each piece of licorice loosely around neck of snowman using frosting as glue, if necessary. Let both hats and snowmen bases stand for 20 minutes to set frosting and make snowmen stable.

• PRIOR TO SERVING, adhere hats to snowman head with frosting. If snowmen need to set up more, lean them against a glass or can to set.   

These little snowman are super cute. I happen to dig snowman...

and my kids got the biggest kick out of making their own creations

(they might have extra arms and such though!).

 When I finished with the snowmen creations, I had quiet a few supplies left over so decided to make my own little cookie creation.

Chocolate CRUNCH Clusters

This recipe utilizes mostly the same ingredients as the snowmen,

so you should be set to try your hand at both!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Pretzel Sticks, broken into small pieces
• 12 Nestle Crunch Jingles, unwrapped and chopped
• 1 Cup Toasted Almond Slices  (or nut of your choice...like pecans!)
• 3/4 Cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 3/4 Cup Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips (You can easily use the Nestle Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or regular Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips)
• OPTIONAL: 3/4 cups Flake coconut
• Wax paper, microwave safe bowl

BAKE IT!

• Spread a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet of the counter. 
• Break up the pretzels and Chop the Nestle CRUNCH Jingles.

• Place the pretzel pieces, chopped Nestle Crunch Jingles, toasted Almond Slices, and dried cranberries in a large bowl. (OPTIONAL: You can add coconut into the cookies here)

• Place 1 cup (8 oz.) of the dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl (you can do this in a pan too) and cook on low for about 30 seconds at a time - all microwaves cook a little different - so be sure to watch the chocolate carefully so that is does not burn. Stir often.

• Add the melted chocolate (FYI: my chocolate took a total of 1 minute and 30 seconds to melt) into the bowl with the other ingredients. 
• Stir well to coat all of the ingredients.

• Use a Tablespoon and scoop a mixture of the ingredients into stacks on the wax paper. OPTIONAL: sprinkle with coconut. Let dry and harden, about 30 minutes here!

• NOTE: I like sprinkling the coconut on top because half of our family is coconut loving and the other half is not...so I can make some for each of use this way! 

If you are looking for some great holiday crafting insirpation and ideas for the kids, be sure to visit Celebration Corner by Nestle Family

or

If you are wanting to bake up a sweet treat, Nestle Seasonal Recipes is your answer!  

Follow Nestle on Twitter and on Facebook for more inspiration

through the holidays and every day! 

 

 

 This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Nestle #CBias #SocialFabric