Add a little fun to your holidays with these sweet treats. Pretzel M&M Hugs are as tasty as they are addictive. If you are not comfortable baking goodies in the kitchen, this is a good starter recipe and lots of fun to include eager young helpers. The finished product is attractive enough to box up for gifts, if you can hold onto them for that long.

Pretzel M&M Hugs

70  square waffle pretzels

70  Hershey Hugs

70  chocolate M&M’s

Parchment paper

These are approximate numbers. Make as many as you wish. You are only limited by the number of items in a bag. Of course, all of the Hugs have to be unwrapped and that is where your helpers come in.  Line up the pretzels on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper and place one unwrapped Hug on top of each. Heat them in a preheated oven at 200 degrees. They will start to look shiny. Remove from the oven and carefully press an M&M down into each center smashing the Hug into the pretzel. Voila, now all you have to do is let them cool, which you can speed up by placing the sheets in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. Once they have cooled, store them in airtight containers. I would like to say that the hardest part of making these is to refrain from eating them all. Actually, I have found the hardest part to be moving the cookie sheets full of them in and out of the oven without sending them flying in all directions.  Slow down, take your time, don’t burn your fingers and enjoy. There are lots of variations of this candy on the internet, using different combinations of ingredients for different holidays. Explore, experiment and have fun.

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Tags: Christmas candy, Christmas cookies, holiday treats, Pretzel M&M Hugs

Hosting a holiday party? Don’t stress; serve easy appetizers like these pizza party ryes. These are a great treat for New Year’s Eve. Maybe I only think that because they have become a tradition in my life. As a kid, I thought I was eating hors d’oeuvres like the grownups. They are simple, tasty, versatile, and can be made ahead and frozen until you need them. Below is my recipe, but please experiment with your favorite toppings and make your own tradition.

Pizza Party Ryes

1 pound of sausage

1 pound of Velveeta cheese (cut into cubes)

2 tbs ketchup

1 tsp of ground oregano

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 loaf of party rye bread (this is that bread that comes in tiny squares sometimes called cocktail rye)

Brown the sausage in a skillet and drain the grease. Add the cheese to the skillet and then the rest of the ingredients. Heat until you have one beautiful gloppy mess. Scoop a couple of spoonfuls of sausage and cheese mixture onto each piece of bread. (Here is where you can freeze them for later if you wish.) Set them on a sheet and place in the freezer until they harden (for about an hour). Then you can stack them up in a freezer bag and save them for later.  When you are ready to cook, line them up on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

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Tags: appetizer recipe, holiday appetizers, pizza party ryes