Holiday Treats.

Merry Christmas friends! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Every time I go home, my mom and I excitedly share with each other the things we've been wanting to cook. We usually start with a list of 5-6 things that we've read about or seen on Pinterest, then narrow it down to 2 or 3 based on what my mom already has in her pantry. (She keeps a VERY well-stocked pantry, by the way!) Thanksgiving weekend was no exception! We made caramel corn (which was TO DIE FOR) and perfected the art of the microwave praline. Both were stand-out recipes and ones I will keep in my folder of favorites for a long time to come! I wanted to share those 2 recipes with you, along with one more I made today that screams "Christmas!" Enjoy! xx

Microwave Pralines...so easy and ABSOLUTELY to-die-for! We let several people try them, and everyone loved them! Recipe below.

Enjoying the caramel corn and the scent of my favorite Christmas candle!

A tin full of homemade caramel corn is a perfect Christmas gift for friends or neighbors!

This recipe is one my mom has made several times, and it never fails to impress! 

It's from one of her Southern Living cookbooks, and as you can see from this picture, she tried it back in 1988! That's what you call a "tried and true recipe!" We popped the popcorn the old fashion way, using white popcorn kernels. Also, we both agreed that you can make the caramel recipe as shown and either double it or half it again, just to make sure ALL those kernels get covered with the goodness :)

Another great gift idea! So yummy!

Recipe and image found here.

MICROWAVE PRALINES

Adapted from (the amazing) Easy Does It: Winners & Favorites

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 pound light brown sugar

2 tablespoons margarine 

2 cups pecan halves*

Microwave whipping cream and brown sugar on HIGH for 11-13 mins. (we did 13 minutes, but should have done 11 based on how powerful our microwave is) Stir in margarine and pecans. Stir until not shiny. Working very quickly, drop onto foil by tablespoon. Yield: 24 pieces.

*We used pecan pieces, as that's all we had. Hence the shape of our pralines. You can use either one. Same amazing taste :) Also, pralines can be a little high maintenance. For tips on how to make them behave, go here.

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