Bakingwhiz’s

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, stored at room temperature
5 oz. white chocolate
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
8 medium fresh strawberries
1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, finely chopped

Procedure:

1. Melt white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, let cool.
2. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and ginger root until smooth.
3. Add melted white chocolate and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour or
until easy to handle. Use a small melon baller (or small spoon) to scoop out the center of each strawberry, half way down each fruit.
4. Pat strawberry dry. Put a little crystallized ginger into each strawberry.
Shape the cheese mixture around the fruit. Coat one end in the toasted coconut, the other in the pistachio nuts.
5. Place truffles in candy cups and chill until serving time.

Serving Suggestion: Makes about 18 truffles.

Ingredients:

1 pack long pretzel rods
1 pack vanilla candy coating
Decorations, such as red and green sprinkles, holiday M&Ms or crushed up candy canes

Procedure:

1. Place the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl.

**Note: Make sure you do not get any water in the bowl. Any water at all will cause the candy coating not to melt properly and separate.

2. Microwave the candy coating for a minute, then stir. Microwave for an additional minute, until it is completely melted and smooth.

3. Stick a pretzel rod into the chocolate, and with a spoon, cover about 3/4 of the pretzel with chocolate. Let the excess drip back into the bowl.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate with either red and green colored sprinkles, crushed up peppermints, or stick red and green M&Ms to the chocolate.

5. Place the decorated pretzel on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil, and let it dry completely, about an hour. Gently pull the pretzels off the paper.

Creative Idea: You can stick your decorated pretzels to your cookies and serve them like these. Let your creative mind work!

Ingredients:

36 large marshmallows
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cups chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Procedure:
1. Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and butter the foil. Arrange
marshmallows in pan.
2. In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt
chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Pour over the
marshmallows. Chill completely. Cut between marshmallows.

This recipe makes about 3 dozens…