2 Easy Holiday Baking Recipes I Made This Weekend

I was in full on holiday baking mode this weekend. Typically, I don't start baking my Christmas treats this early, but I had an itch that needed to be scratched! Of course, my mom and I get together every year to make holiday treats closer to Christmas, but I felt like getting a head start on my own this weekend--I've got all this new kitchen bake ware as wedding gifts that needed to be broken in.

Here are the recipes I made this weekend that turned out phenomenal! Plus, the best part is that these recipes are simple and taste amazing. You'll definitely wow your friends, co-workers and family with these recipes!

My short bread cookie recipe:

Ingredients 

• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 4 1/2 cups of flour
• 2 cups of butter, salted

First, preheat your oven to 325F. Put some parchment paper on a baking sheet and set it aside.

Next, you're going to want to mix the brown sugar and butter together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. I used my electric mixer because butter can be hard to work with if you're using a spoon. Then add in 3 1/2 cups of flour to the mix.

Finish mixing the dough with your hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour on your counter top or clean surface. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. The dough should end up feeling like play dough.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin and cut it into shapes using cookie cutters. Place the cookie cutouts on your baking sheet, decorate your cookie with sprinkles by pressing them into the cookie so they stick.

Place the cookie sheet into the oven for about 15- 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies completely cool before serving them. And, there you have it! These cookies taste amazing--it's probably the best short bread recipe I've ever tried.

My Special K Bars:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of corn syrup
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 6 cups of Special K cereal or rice crispy cereal
• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 bag of butterscotch chips

In a pot, bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Then, remove from heat and add the peanut butter to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, add the Special K cereal to the mixture and stir it up until all of the cereal is covered. Then, press the cereal into a 9 x 13 pan.

Next, melt the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips in the microwave or a pot on the stove. Mix the chips together and pour the melted chips over the Special Kay cereal. Smooth the chocolate mixture with a knife.

Put the pan in the fridge and wait until the chocolate cools and hardens before you cut into it.