The holiday season is always my favorite time of the year and I love to get into the spirit as much as possible. For my family holiday party this year, we decided to have a movie marathon and I thought it would be a great idea to make a bunch of fun snacks and foods to get in the mood. My mom and I got some recipes and we made some deserts and treats that we make almost every year as a tradition. Here are the recipes of some of the deserts/foods that I like to make for holiday parties, snacks, or even just a fun activity to do with the people in your life.
Sydney Stahlschmidt
Sydney Stahlschmidt
My mom and I saw these adorable hot chocolate peppermint marshmallows which I thought was really cute. Not only could this be a delectable snack but also a cute and edible decoration to spice up your holiday photos and hot chocolate. Along with the looks, this snack is really tasty if you love peppermint and if you choose to put it in hot chocolate, the marshmallow melts and adds the flavor into the already delicious drink.

Ingredients:
1)mini candy canes
2)semi-sweet chocolate chips
3)jumbo or regular sized marshmallows

Candy Candy Hot Chocolate Dipper Recipe:
1)First poke a hole in the middle of the marshmallow and place the mini candy cane in the middle.
2)Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 10 second intervals at a time or melt on the stove.
3)Crush up some of your candy canes.
4)Dip the marshmallows in the chocolate.
5)Immediately after dipping the marshmallow in chocolate, place it in the crushed up candy canes.
6)Eat it or place it in hot chocolate and enjoy.

These next two are some of my favorite deserts around the holidays. Every year my aunt makes these and they are one of the most popular snacks at the holiday parties. Not only do they satisfy a sweet tooth but also add a little bit of saltiness as well. Also if you have an alergy you can exchange the nuts for something like marshmallows or any other candy/food that you would like.

Rolo Delights:
1)Gather all the ingredients including any size pretzels, Rolos, and pecans/a nut substitute.
2)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3)Lay out a baking sheet and place the pretzels on it while topping the pretzels with one Rolo candy.
4)Place them in the oven f((((or around 2-3 minutes or until the chocolate candy just starts to melt.
5)Once slightly melted, take them out of the oven and quickly smash the rolo with a pecan.
6)Cool in the freezer for a few minutes until somewhat hardened and enjoy!

Santa Hat Chocolate Pretzels:(Very similar to the Rolo Delights but a nut free alternative)
1)Gather ingredients including pretzels (preferably pretzel rings), Hershey kisses, and mini marshmallows or other candies.
2)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3)Place pretzels with a hershey kiss in the middle of the rings onto a baking sheet.
4)Place them into the oven for 1-2 minutes.(The sooner the better because then the hershey kiss will lose it’s hat effect.
5)Take out of the oven and immediately press on the marshmellows slightly making sure not to smash the snack but just to allow for the marshmallow to stay on.
6)Place in the freezer to cool for a few minutes and enjoy.

This along with the pretzel treats are also a great treat to fulfill both sweet and salty cravings but also a little bit of mint. By adding a slight bit of peppermint it can make you feel perfect for the holiday seasons when you bite into the delightful treat. These can be an easy treat but also a good treat for a party that can be towards the cheaper side but also being delicious.

Peppermint Pretzels:
1)Gather all ingredients including pretzel crisps, candy canes, and chocolate(chips, bar, or any kind).
2)Crush the candy canes up to however small you would like but not to a powder state.
3)Lay out the pretzels onto a cooking sheet with parchment paper.
4)Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until melted or the chocolate can be melted on the stove.
5)Immediately dip pretzels into chocolate or drizzle chocolate over pretzels so it doesn’t dry and also quickly sprinkle the crushed candy cane bits over the top of the chocolate pretzels also before the chocolate dries to make sure they stick.
6)Place in the freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate slightly hardens or let air dry and enjoy.

This treat is great as either a meal or a simple snack/appetizer to tide you over until the main course. This is not only easy but also pretty quick. This is really yummy and fun to make at the same time. This could be a fun activity to do at any ages and with a group of people so everyone can take their own twist on the pizza.

Christmas Tree Pizza:
1)Gather ingredients including a pizza mix(I will be using the Chef Boyardee pizza kit for this holiday treat that has sauce and cheese included within it), extra cheese if you desire, and toppings if you would like(I used banana peppers).
2)Make the dough either homemade or following the recipe on the pizza kit that you use.
3)Roll out the dough and shape it into the form of a tree adding flour along the way to make sure it doesn’t stick to your hands and making it easier to shape.
4)Spread as much sauce and cheese onto the dough as you want.
5)Take out your toppings and lay them out on the pizza to look like ornaments.
6)According to this pizza mix place, the pizza into the oven at 425 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. If you are using a different pizza kit or dough recipe, these steps may be different.
7)Take the pizza out of the oven, check that the dough is cooked all the way through, let it cool, and enjoy.