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It’s that time of year, with a lot of hustle and bustle. Have you purchased and wrapped gifts? Sent cards? Attended parties? 

How about holiday treats…have you been baking? If not, you’re in luck with two easy recipes that are sure to bring holiday cheer. One requires just three ingredients and is fun for kids to help make. The other offers a splash of color on a holiday cookie tray. 

Happy holidays!

Turtle Pretzel Treats

• Mini pretzels
• Rolo candies (unwrapped)
• Whole pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and lay rows of pretzels on it, enough to match how many Rolo candies you have. Add a Rolo on top of each pretzel, centered in the middle.

Bake the pretzels with the Rolos for four to five minutes—just enough to soften the Rolos. Remove the pan from the oven and quickly add a pecan to the top of each Rolo, pressing slightly.

Raspberry Ribbons

Cookies:

• 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond (or vanilla) extract
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup raspberry jam

Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon almond (or vanilla) extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about five minutes). Beat in egg and almond flavoring. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Divide dough into four portions and shape each into a log that is approximately 10 inches by 2 inches. Place on foil-lined baking sheets and make a half-inch depression down the center of each log. Bake for 10 minutes. 

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and fill the depressions with raspberry jam. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for two to three minutes and cut into three-quarter-inch slices. 

Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm cookies. Continue to cool the cookies completely on wire racks.