Have you inherited any recipes from a grandmother, aunt, even your mom and distinctly remember them saying or acting like the thing was SO HARD or SO MUCH WORK to make?

But, then you make the thing and think, “That’s it?!?!”

Now, I’m not saying Grandma lied, but MANY of the the holiday treats she would make for us are not that much work.

Here are some of my favorite treats that are fairly, if not absolutely, easy that you can make last minute if you are still looking for something to make.

Oatmeal Caramel Bars

Cherry Bing Bars

Peanut Clusters

Combine equal parts Almond Bark/Vanilla Candy Coating and Semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Melt together. Stir a LOT.

Dump in a bunch of nuts – I prefer Dry Roasted Peanuts, but anything will work.

Stir well.

Drop by spoonful onto parchment or waxed paper.

Let cool/set.

Try not to eat them all in one sitting.

*No, they don’t photograph well – I’m sorry for that. I wanted to illustrate the different sizes you can make. I make some that are large (multiple bites), medium (probably one big [adult] bite – this works well for MyChild as she feels like she gets a decent size treat and I don’t worry as much about the quantity of sugar she is consuming), and small clusters (awesome pop-able size.)

Dipped Pretzels

Melt Almond Bark/Vanilla Candy Coating according to package instructions.

Stir well.

Drop in a handful of pretzels – I prefer the mini-twists, but any shape works.

Stir gently.

Use a fork, toothpick, skewer, chopstick to get the coated pretzels out of the mix (one at a time) and place on parchment or waxed paper.

Be done and enjoy or add: sprinkles, colored sugar, drizzle with dark chocolate, a piece of small candy, etc.

Enjoy!

Once again, I would like to share with you a bar that tastes like a cookie. I LOVE oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes you don’t have the time or desire to deal with the hassle of individual cookies.

Mix up the oatmeal mixture. Melt the caramels during the first baking. Pour. Sprinkle. Bake a second time. 

Done!

Oatmeal Caramel Bars

Ingredients

32 caramels, unwrapped
5 Tbsp. evaporated milk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. quick oats
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (walnuts, pecans, peanuts – your choice or omit)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Melt the unwrapped caramels in the evaporated milk over double boiler or low heat, stirring often. When combined, remove from heat, and let cool slightly.
3. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and butter. Divide mixture into 2.
4. Press half into bottom of 8 x 10 inch baking pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped nuts evenly over baked oatmeal mixture.
7. Pour and spread melted caramel over chocolate chips and nuts.
8. Sprinkle with remaining oatmeal mixture.
9. Bake for another 15 – 20 minutes.
10. Cool completely.
11. Cut into bars and enjoy!