Quick & Easy Munchies

Cranberry Clusters
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup cashews or other nuts

Melt chocolate chips. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Let stand until set.

Buckeye Candies
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth. (I have used almond bark)
Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick.
Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes.
Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Pumpkin Dip
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
3 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla wafers or apple slices

Combine cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin; beat with a mixer until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve with vanilla wafers or apple slices.

Chocolate Covered Cherries
The white filling dissolves into a liquid after setting for several days.

2 (10oz) jars maraschino cherries
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tablespoon cherry juice
1 tablespoon white corn syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 pounds chocolate candy coating

Drain cherries – save juice; let dry on paper toweling overnight. In a small bowl, combine butter, cherry juice and corn syrup. Stir in powdered sugar. Knead until smooth. Form 1/2 teaspoon of this fondant around each cherry, completely covering the cherry.. Place on sheet of waxed paper. Refrigerate. Melt candy coating. Dip cherries twice. Refrigerate. Dip one more time and store at room temperature for 2 weeks to ripen.

Sweet and Spicy Pecans
4 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter
3 to 5 packets of Truvia – it’s easy to make them too sweet
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of Cayenne pepper (to taste)

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the pecans and cook for 2 – 3 minutes to coat the pecans. Stir often. Just as a few are starting to turn brown on the edges, remove quickly to a bowl. Add other seasonings and stir.
These will keep very well in an airtight container.

Candied Walnuts or Pecans
Line a baking sheet with foil. Butter the foil and set aside.
In a heavy 10 inch skillet combine:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 T. butter
1 tsp water
1 c. walnuts or pecans

Cook first three ingredients over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally until sugar begins to melt. DO NOT STIR. Reduce heat to low and cook until sugar is golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Add walnuts and toss to coat. Pour onto prepared cookie sheet.
Cool completely. Break into clusters.

Crock Pot Sugared Pecans or Walnuts
16 ounces pecans or walnut halves
1/2 c. melted unsalted butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Turn slow cooker to HIGH about 15 minutes in advance. In hot slow cooker, stir together the nuts and butter. Add the powdered sugar, stirring to blend and coat evenly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat to LOW and remove lid; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 hours, or until the nuts are coated with a crisp glaze. Transfer the nuts to a bowl. Let cool before serving.

BBQ Pecans
2 TBS butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS ketchup
1/8 tsp Tabasco® sauce
4 cups pecan halves

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir in pecans, and mix well.
Spread pecans evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes,
stirring frequently. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.