Bacon candy

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bacon-candy

Recipe and photo credit: Food & Wine 

Cookie butter truffles

As if cookie butter wasn't delicious enough on it's own, this recipe makes it a dough and DIPS IT IN CHOCOLATE -  SCORE!!  We sprinkled ours with red and green sugar for Christmas festive-ness.

COOKIE BUTTER TRUFFLES
Makes 32

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup cookie butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 12-oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crushed Speculoos cookies or sanding sugar to top

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine butter, confectioner's sugar, cookie butter, and vanilla in a bowl.  Mix on medium low with an electric mixer or stand mixer.  Use a small scoop to form 1-inch balls; roll with your hands to smooth, and place on the baking sheet.  Melt the chocolate chips and dip each ball into the chocolate with a fork, letting the excess chocolate drip off.  Place balls back on the baking sheet, sprinkle with your topping, and chill until firm.  Store in fridge.

Graham cracker reindeer

'Tis the season to bake and craft!  We made these fun graham cracker reindeer from This Mama Loves this week and they were a big hit!   The kids had a lot of fun assembling these- and eating them, of course!  (I couldn't find large pretzel twists anywhere so we made do with minis). 

Note: These don't really work as a make-ahead cookie.  The kids took them in their school lunches the next day, but the chocolate no longer worked as a glue and the add-ons fell off at the slightest touch.