Easy No-Bake Candy Recipes for the Holidays

Everyone is thinking about eating healthy these days, but the holidays seem to sharpen our sweet tooth. These two candy recipes are extremely easy to make and can be enjoyed by you and your family during the holidays. In addition, they make great homemade Christmas gifts. Just box up into a decorative tin, and you have a gift that anyone will enjoy! These recipes come from my daughter, who is very good about serving up sweets for family and friends.

No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
Measure and set aside:
1½-foot strip of wax paper
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1/3 cup plain oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix into a saucepan:
¼ cup cocoa
Dash of salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
Bring all of these ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, oatmeal, and vanilla extract. Stir until the peanut butter is melted and all the ingredients are combined well together. Use a teaspoon to immediately spoon the mixture onto wax paper. Allow the cookies to harden.
Makes about 20.
This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. Also, I always get my daughter to add marshmallows to those she makes for me.

Hard Cinnamon Candy

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 cups light corn syrup
2 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon oil
1 teaspoon red food color

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a cooking oil. Set aside. Boil the sugar, syrup, water, and food color until a candy thermometer reads 330-degrees on the hard crack stage. Remove from heat and add cinnamon. Still well and quickly pour onto the prepared cookie sheet. Allow it to harden. Once it has hardened, it is time to crack it. My daughter says that the best way to do this is to cover the candy with wax paper and hit it with a hammer. (You can also alleviate some holiday stress by employing this method.) Place the candy pieces into a large bag with the powdered sugar and shake. (This keeps the candy pieces from sticking together.)