Rudolph's Blizzard Mix: Christmas baking with kids

I am so excited to be participating in this fun, creative event with Laura Kelly Designs.  Spending quality time with our kids should be the most important part of each and every day.  I'm thankful that my son loves, and I do mean, LOVES to cook.  He can whip up a mean batch of sweet and sour chicken, bake cookies....you name it.  He's almost 13 and it didn't take any convincing to join me in the kitchen to bake my own recipe, aptly named Rudolph's Blizzard Mix.  It's a fun holiday snack mix that the kids (and adults) will love making and, most importantly, eating!

Recipe:

1 box Crispix cereal (12 oz)

2 cups stick pretzels (Rold Gold)

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. McCormick pure vanilla extract

1 cup red M&M candies (separated from red/green)

1 cup White chocolate mint M&M candies

1 to 2 cups mini Kraft jet puffed marshmallows

1/2 cup Domino confectioner sugar

 *optional - 1 bar of BAKER'S premium baking white chocolate

                     3/4 tsp of McCormick pure Peppermint extract

1.  Let the child separate the red candies.  Always a fun job.  Give them permission to munch on the green ones.  Or save for your candy dish when guests come over.

2.  Melt your butter and brown sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Add vanilla extract and stir.  While it's melting, gently mix pretzels and cereal in large bowl, being careful not to crush cereal.  Pour melted mixture over cereal mix and fold in, coating well.  Spray or butter large baking pan and add mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring after 15 minutes.  Spread on foil or parchment paper and cool.

3.  Melt baking bar in microwave oven or with double boiler on stove.  Add peppermint extract and stir briskly.  Drizzle over cooled snack mix.  We realized the heat vent in our kitchen was blowing warm air directly over our mix and the white chocolate wasn't hardening.  If your kitchen is too warm, just throw it all in the freezer for a few minutes.

4.  Break up your clumps of mix (if you opted to add the melted white chocolate) and place in large bowl.  Add candies and marshmallows, and stir gently.  

5.  Now for the blizzard!  You can sift your powdered sugar over the mix in your large bowl and/or, you can add an extra dusting just before serving.  The kids will have a blast adding the blizzard to Rudolph's mix.  Enjoy!

*Baking cups by Wilton 24 pc set

Visit the other blogs participating and leave  them some love, then scroll down and enter the  giveaway below.  Good luck and have fun cooking!

   

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