Nestle Holiday Candy Review and Recipes

It is no big surprise that I love sweets.  When my mom gave me the nickname Sheilacakes when I was an infant, little did she know that the cakes would become more than just a nickname?  I also love my family’s tradition of holiday baking each year. It is probably my favorite thing about preparing for the holidays. I used to bake with my mom and my sister when I was younger. Now I bake with my mom and my son.  We always make a bunch of delicious treats and enjoy giving them to friends and family. I had a chance to receive some holiday candy from Nestle and some new recipes to try out.  I am a huge Nestle fan. They have great products and great recipes. I have one of their recipes that I have made every year for the last seven plus years. I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to it and these new recipes I received.

First let’s talk about the candy I received. Nestle has a big holiday candy line.  Here is all the goodies I was able to try out.

• Nerds Rope
• Paul Frank Crunch Bar
• Butter Finger Jingles
• Crunch Jingles
• Frosty Nerds
• Nerds Fantastical Fun Book
• Fun Dip Fantastical Fun Book
• Butterfinger Fantastical Fun Book
• Crunch Heritage Tin
• SweeTart Gummies
• SweeTart Merry Mix
• SweeTart Candy Canes
  
  
  
  
  
  

There are other delicious treats as well.  My favorites are the Butterfingers and the SweeTart Gummies, although I love them all. I used to eat Butterfingers when I was younger all the time. I remember when I was at camp my mom sent me a card with a coupon for a free Butterfinger in it for when I got home. I don’t know why I thought that was so cool, but I did.  I am addicted to SweeTarts. I prefer the Chewy and Gummy kinds over the traditional ones.  Did I mention they are only red and green ones?  Cherry and Apple are my favorite ones. I don’t have to pawn the yellow and orange ones off on Noah.  I haven’t had Fun Dip in years! My favorite part of Fun Dip was the stick. I think my sister and I had an arrangement, that she would eat the powder and I would eat the stick.  My sister and I would make weird agreements like that, she would “make” me eat the pimentos out of olives.

Here are a couple of the delicious Holiday recipes you can make this weekend in anticipation of Santa.

These recipes are from the Nestle Website:

Cakey Chocolate Jingle Bars

Ingredients:

30 NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Jingles, unwrapped
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

BEAT granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until combined. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in Nestlé Jingles. Press into 9-inch-square baking pan.

BAKE for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

NOTE: Try substituting NESTLÉ Milk Chocolate Jingles. 

 

Santa’s Thumbprint Cookies

1 package (13 oz.) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Jingles, unwrapped
3/4 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar (optional)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

BEAT peanut butter, brown sugar, butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour and baking soda.

SHAPE dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in 1 cup granulated sugar; place on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press 1 Nestlé Jingle into center of each cookie (cookie will crack around edges). Cool cookies on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To find the candy I wrote about please visit your local store’s holiday section. For more recipes please visit Nestle’s website.

Thank you to Nestle for providing me with complimentary candy samples and sharing these recipes with me. The recipes are Nestle’s but the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The little Red Hen.

As long as I can remember I have loved to cook. I remember when I was a little girl I would help my mom and my grandma in the kitchen. I was always the little helper standing on the chair next to my grandma. I have been cooking as long as I can remember. When I was 7 or 8 I used to make bread by myself. Not from a mix...Not with a bread machine. Bread from scratch. I would do all the kneading and everything by myself. I would love to make bread. On snow days I would get up early and bake. Maybe I am a descendant of the Little Red Hen. Cooking and Baking have always been very therapeutic to me. I used to pretend that I had my own cooking show. I would talk to the "camera" while I was making things explaining how to do it. I would make chit chat with the audience as well. OK I know I am a dork. When I was little cooking shows weren't as prominent as they are now. There was no Food Network or anything. The only time cooking shows were on were like Sunday mornings on PBS. As I have mentioned before I was in 4-H. I got a blue ribbon in baking. I also won a blue ribbon in Girl scouts for baking. I love to be in the kitchen and make delicious things to eat. My mom's friends used to beg me to make them cookies all the time. Of course I always did.I still love to cook.

I am teaching my son about different foods and I have him in the kitchen with me some times when I cook. I plan on teaching him how to cook. He already shows interest in it. I think that when you cook with your children it creates a special bond and special memories. You can relive those memories whenever you make or eat that certain food. Every time I make or eat certain foods I am reminded of my Grandma. I remember being in her kitchen and creating the food with her. One cooking tradition my mom and I have is every year at Christmas time we make a bunch of cookies and candies. I will definitely carry on the tradition with Noah. Its not just the normal Christmas cookies. We have special recipes that we have been making for as long as I can remember. One thing I don't like about cooking is the clean up. I hate doing dishes. Even with a dishwasher you still have to wash somethings by hand. All in all cooking is one of my greatest passions. I encourage you to go and cook something with your children or grandchildren. The memories will live on forever even after the food is gone.