Christmas Dessert: Marshmallow Treat Wreaths

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Prep Time: 90 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 36-48 mini wreaths

Marshmallow Treats Ingredients:

½ cup butter

10 ounces marshmallows

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 cups plain cereal (Rice or corn will work perfectly.)

1-1 ½ teaspoons green food coloring

1 jar of red cinnamon ball candies

Christmas Dessert Directions:

1. Line 3-4 baking sheets with parchment paper. (Note: Parchment paper is truly necessary. Otherwise the treats will stick.)
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
3. When the butter is melted, add in the marshmallows. Stir everything together until the marshmallows are completely melted and a sticky paste forms.
4. Turn off the heat to add in the vanilla extract and green food coloring. Put the food coloring in a little at a time so you can control the shade. Then, return it to low and stir to combine.
5. Once you’re happy with the color, stir in the cereal until everything is mixed together.
6. Working in batches, dump ¼ cup of the mixture onto the parchment paper. Use greased hands to form it into a round, wreath shape.
7. When all your wreaths are formed, decorate them with the cinnamon candies. Arrange the candies in groupings of three so they look like holly berries.
8. Transfer your completed wreaths into the refrigerator and allow them to set for at least and hour.
9. Remove the wreaths from the parchment paper, using a knife to release the edges, if necessary.

Our favorite feature of this Christmas dessert is that it can be easily adapted to fit your needs. Wrapping a few of these up in a box would make the perfect DIY holiday gift. If you’re short on time and hosting a crowd, go ahead and make one big wreath instead of the mini ones pictured here. If your family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, you can easily use white food coloring to create snowman-shaped treats instead. Just be sure to make extra because, whatever shapes you create, your loved ones will be vying for second helpings.

What are your favorite holiday desserts? Are you trying out any new seasonal recipes this year? Tell us all about it in the comments.

For more holiday recipes, head on over to Stagetecture’s archives.

Sugar Free Dessert: Applesauce Cake

Image via: Averie Cooks

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Yields: 1 loaf pan

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups applesauce, unsweetened

¾ cup brown artificial sweetener

2 eggs

½ cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure

Image via: Blissfully Delicious

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.  Use cooking spray to grease an 8*4 inch loaf pan.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy, and add artificial sweetener. Add applesauce and vanilla.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in the raisins.
5. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C for approximately 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve it whipped topping.

Holidays or not, you don’t have to suffer without sweetness when going sugar-free. Instead, you can indulge in delicious treats, feel good, lose weight, and maintain health all at the same time.

For more healthy recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Holiday Dessert: Bourbon Balls Recipe

Image Via: Cbc Best Recipes Ever

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Ingredients

1/2 cup dark rum

1 cup semi-sweet choco chips

1/2 cup sugar (white sugar)

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

2-1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

3 tbsp corn syrup

decorative sugar/sprinkles (instead of plain confectioner’s sugar if you like)

Image Via: Anna Arbor

Directions

1. In a medium sized, deep vessel, heat some water. In another slightly smaller pan (with a handle) put choco chips. Keeping the smaller pan over the larger one, melt the choco chips. You will need to stir constantly and take care that you don’t drop any water in the choco chip bowl.
2. Once the molten choco chips cool slightly, add white sugar and corn syrup. Stir well.
3. Add rum, crushed vanilla wafers and walnuts (walnuts are optional). Blend well again.
4. Cover and refrigerate so that the mixture cools and becomes a little firm.
5. Bring out the firm chocolate mixture from the refrigerator and roll it into bite sized balls.
6. Roll the chocolate balls in a mixture of confectioners sugar and finely chopped walnuts or just plain confectioners sugar. Instead if you are using decorative sugar or sprinkles then roll the chocolate balls in those.
7. Put it away in the fridge in a covered container for about four to five days so that the flavors blend well.
8. Serve!

This holiday dessert is loved by adults, however I would advise that kids be kept away from it because of the high alcohol content. Other than that, Bourbon Balls are a perfect bitter sweet dessert for the holidays, especially Christmas. Plus you can decorate them in so many ways using the huge variety of confectionary items available readily at most stores. Do share your views on this no bake holiday dessert recipe.

Click here for more Christmas Dessert Recipes.

Pumpkin Hazelnut Tea Cake Recipe

Image via: Cindy Crawford

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Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola or coconut oil

¾ cup canned or homemade pumpkin puree

½ cup honey

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 lightly beaten eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons flaxseeds

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped

Procedure

Image via: Chic Eats

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly grease 8*4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric blender on low speed, beat together canola oil, honey, pumpkin puree, eggs, and brown sugar until well blended.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together whole wheat and all purpose flour, flaxseeds, allspice, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Add this mixture to the pumpkin mixture, and using the electric blender, beat until well blended.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. On the top, sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly. Gently press down to settle the nuts into the batter.
6. Bake for approx 50 to 55 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Turn the loaf out of the pan, and let it cool on the wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into 12 equal slices to serve.

Perfect for Thanksgiving dessert, this pumpkin hazelnut tea cake recipe has all the flavor but less of fat, calories, and sugar.  So, this year serve up a fresh approach to healthy eating!