Hot on the tails of my Super Easy Christmas Pudding Tiffin Balls blog post, I'm sharing Three Easy Festive Baking Recipes Anyone Can Do.... especially with children. I've found baking to be the perfect way to switch off at the moment and I'm really enjoying it so with Christmas being right around the corner I thought it was only right to share some festive inspired bakes.
Each of the recipes are perfect as Christmas film snacks or to give as gifts to family and friends if you're sticking to homemade presents this year plus we all like something that is a doddle to make right?
Christmas Tree Brownies (Vegan)
These are super cute and really easy to make. I used a vegan brownie recipe via my Thermomix but you could use ANY brownie recipe as your base brownie as the key is in your decorating to give these bakes a Christmas flair.
What You'll Need:
- 100g pecan halves (you don't have to include)
- 150g plain flour
- Qtr fine sea salt
- Qtr bicarbonate of soda
- 400g dark chocolate chips
- 80g coconut oil
- 160g soft dark brown sugar
- 80g water
- Christmas sprinkles
- Icing sugar
- Green food colouring
Method:
- Preheat oven to 160 and line a square baking tin with baking paper
- If using, crush pecans with a rolling pin and set aside in a bowl
- Add flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl and stir
- Place 210g dark chocolate chips into a glass bowl and heat over a saucepan of boiling water
- Add 80g coconut oil to dark chocolate and continue to melt
- Once the chocolate has melted add it to the reserved flour mixture with the sugar & water then mix
- Add chopped pecans if using and stir in the remaining chocolate chips
- Transfer to the baking tin and bake for 25 minutes
- Leave to cool for a few hours before lifting out of the tin to a rack
- To create Christmas tree shapes, cut the brownie square in half and then cut into triangles
- Make your icing mix and add green food colouring before transferring to a piping bag
- Zig zag across your brownies before adding your sprinkle decorations
Reindeer Rice Krispy Squares
This is a bit of a cheat one because there isn't any real baking involved unless you make the rice krispy squares yourself - if you'd like to just heat melt mini marshmallows and rice krispy cereal together then set into a square and chill in the fridge until set. The fun part about Reindeer Rice Krispy Squares is the decorating and it's a great toddler activity too.
What You'll Need:
- Kelloggs Squares
- Pretzels
- 100g Dark Chocolate Chips
- Edible Eyes
- Red Smarties
Method
- Place your dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl and heat over a saucepan of boiling water until melted
- Cut your rice krispy squares in half and place on a chopping board
- One by one, dip half a square into the bowl of melted chocolate
- Add on your edible eyes and pretzels
- Dip a red smartie into the chocolate and stick on to the lower half of the square
- Once all are completed, pop in the fridge to set
Peppermint Chocolate Bark
I've always wanted to attempt chocolate bark and I vowed that this would be the year - it was SO easy and I was really pleased with how it came out. It's a great treat for mint chooclate lovers as the candy canes give it just the right amount of freshness. It goes great with a warming hot chocolate too.
What You'll need:
- 80g Candy Canes
- 250g Dark Chcolate Chips
- 25g White Chocolate
Method:
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- Place candy canes in a sandwich bag and crush using a rolling pin then set aside
- Place dark chocolate in a glass bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water until melted
- Once melted, slowly pour the choclate onto the baking tray and spread out using a silicone spatula
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and leave to set for one hour at room temperature
- Melt your white chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water
- Once melted, take a table spoon and drizzle over the dark chcolate and candy canes
- Place in fridge to set
- Once set, break up and enjoy
Let me know if you try out any of the recipes - I'd love to know if you do!
You can follow more of my baking on my Instagram - alicespake.
