Easy homemade treats are sweet dreams for holidays

How do you put those visions of sugarplums dancing in your family’s heads when you are pulled in a hundred different directions?

You want the holiday you had as a kid — all special moments, amazing smells and once-a-year bites. But now you know that your mom making that happen was a minor miracle worthy of an animated special all its own. How does Santa stuff that sleigh and deliver everything? He has a limitless supply of elf labor. Your mother did most of it on her own.

So, now the celebrations are in your hands. How do you give your kids that same feeling of wonder you had, recapture the seasonal magic for yourself and fit it all in around work, school, grocery shopping, laundry and all the other things that keep your house from sliding (further) into chaos?

You admit that you aren’t in a Hallmark movie. Christmas, Hanukkah, holidays in general are a lot of work. The only way to come out unscathed is to balance between what makes them special and what you can handle. That means shortcuts.

There’s definitely a way to take the store-bought help and give the personal touch, even when it comes to homemade candy.

Put down the candy thermometer. You don’t need it for fun, festive treats you can make between one kid’s chorus concert and the office party.

Homemade mints can be whipped up as easily as the frosting for a carrot cake — and with most of the same ingredients. Cream cheese and powdered sugar are candy in the making. Add some mint extract — or your favorite flavoring — for holiday flair.

Pretzels and a bag of chocolate chips are a match made in heaven. They are delicious, yes, but they are also flexible.

Make as many flavors as you can find in the baking aisle — creamy vanilla, sweet butterscotch, deep dark chocolate and more. Smear a pretzel rod with peanut butter and chill before dipping in chocolate for a doubly delicious experience. And sprinkles or crushed candies give even more flavor and decorating options. Don’t like pretzels? Use graham crackers, matzoh, potato chips. The options are endless.

Speaking of chocolate chips? Let’s not forget bark. Bark is the greatest gift to a time-pressed holiday cook. Spread your chocolate on parchment paper. Marble with different flavors. Crushed peppermint is the classic, but think outside the candy cane. Try cookies, cereal, nuts or even salty snack mixes. Let the chocolate harden and break into pieces for a quick dessert or gift.

And while it might mean a little more work on the cleanup side, increase the magic and the memories by letting the kids help with any of these. Making buckeye peanut butter balls with my mom was my childhood Christmas memory. Making buckeye bark with me will be my son’s.

The important thing isn’t perfection — because whether your realize it or not, those holidays you remember were never perfect. It’s joy and connection. And it’s a lot easier to connect with the joy if you haven’t worked yourself into a holly jolly frazzle.

Cream cheese mints

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon peppermint extract (lemon, orange, butter, almond and maple all work well, too)

5 cups powdered sugar (you might need more)

Food coloring (optional)

Granulated sugar, melted chocolate, sprinkles, etc.

Whip cream cheese with extract until light and creamy. Work in powdered sugar a cup at a time, until you have a mixture thicker than a frosting, more like a pliable dough.

If you would like to color your candy, this is your chance to work some food coloring into it.

The easiest way to form your mints is to roll half-teaspoonfuls in granulated sugar to make balls, then flatten with a glass or a fork, or roll in balls and dip in melted chocolate or sprinkles. You can also pipe into kiss shapes with a decorating bag and tip.

Candies that aren’t chocolate-dipped should be left out to dry for several hours before being placed in an airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

Chocolate pretzels

1 pound pretzels

1 bag (10-12 ounces) chocolate (or other flavor) chips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening

Sprinkles or crushed candy (optional)

Peanut butter or frosting (optional)

Variation: graham crackers, buttery snack crackers, ridged potato chips.

With rods or large twist pretzels, sort them for unbroken versions. With smaller twists, squares or other shapes or for crackers or chips, arrange in one layer in rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Melt chocolate with oil or shortening over a double boiler or in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each. Do not use butter or margarine and do not allow water or any other liquid to be introduced. This will make your chocolate seize up and become grainy.

For large rods or twists, dip pretzels about halfway into the chocolate, then scatter with sprinkles or crushed candy. For added flavor, spread with peanut butter or frosting and chill completely before dipping. Place on parchment lined sheet.

For smaller pretzels, put melted chocolate in a piping bag and drizzle or use a spoon to pour chocolate onto each pretzel before adding extras.

Don’t chill your dipped treats. Let the chocolate set for 30 minutes or more in a cool, dry area, then store in an airtight container.

Chocolate bark

1 bag (10-12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 bag (10-12 ounces) white chips

2 tablespoons shortening or coconut oil

1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Variations: replace candy canes with M&Ms, pretzels, nuts, chips, raisins, peanut butter, etc.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt semisweet chips with one tablespoon of shortening. Spread in an even layer on parchment. Allow to set. Melt white chocolate with remaining shortening and spread over semisweet layer. Sprinkle with candy and allow to set in a cool, dry place. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

For variations, try different combinations of chocolate or coating chips and extras. Good combinations can be milk chocolate with butterscotch and nuts; white chocolate with peanut butter chips and crushed peanut butter cups; dark chocolate with milk chocolate, marbled with caramel and peanuts.