This post is sponsored by Pepperidge Farm®, Pretzel Crisps®, and Snyder’s of Hanover®, all opinions are my own.
I can’t believe 2020 is almost over and it’s time to break out all the Christmas décor and music! The time between October and December flies by so fast but it’s my favorite time of the year. It seems like it goes by in the blink of an eye. Christmas Grazing Boards have become a staple in my house the last couple of year – I love snacking on them while watching our favorite Christmas movies.
I have a few tips and recipes to help make your grazing board super festive while also impressing your family, as well as a really fun treat for Santa!
First, let’s talk sweets. Christmas desserts might be my all time favorite, although I think I might say that about every dessert.
I made this quick pudding dip to go with my desserts this year and it was SO YUMMY! It complimented all of the different dessert varieties I had perfectly.
Here is how I made it:
- Vanilla Instant Pudding
- 2 cups milk
- 1 8oz block of cream cheese, room temp
- Salted Caramel (I made my own but you can certainly use store bought)
First, for the Salted Caramel, in a medium pot add 1 cup granulated sugar. Turn heat on medium/high and stir. The sugar will begin to melt and turn a nice golden amber color. Heat till it’s 350 degrees. Add 6 tbsp of butter and stir to combine. Next, carefully add ½ cup heavy cream (I say carefully because cold cream combined with very hot sugar will steam and bubble like crazy!) Remove from heat and add in 1tsp vanilla and 2 tsp of flaky sea salt. Let cool.
Make your pudding according to package instructions and whisk in the room temp cream cheese and ¼ cup of the salted caramel mixture until fully combined. Then place in fridge until ready to use. I also added a little drizzle of extra salted caramel after I put the dip in my serving bowl, because I’m extra like that. Plus Christmas sprinkles…because sprinkles make everything better.
Next, I took some Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Milano® Cookies and I dipped them in some melted chocolate and added some crushed candy canes to them. I could eat 100 of these, no lie. They are addicting. I also used some Pepperidge Farm Chessmen® Butter Cookies. I love the cute designs on them and they are perfect dipped in that pudding dip. Seriously, I almost ate an entire bag while I watched “The Holiday”.
Another fun festive touch is Reindeer Pretzels. These require a couple of steps but they are so cute, it’s worth it! And it’s a perfect opportunity to get your kids in the kitchen. First, you need Snack Factory® Pretzel Crisps, melted chocolate, decorative eyes, red sprinkles (or a red candy that could work for a nose), and a piping bag (or ziplock bag). Dip them in melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set. While they are setting, add your decorative eyes and nose. Once you have those completed, add some melted chocolate to a piping bag and snip the very tip off. You need a fine line, so you do not need to snip off more that just the very end of the bag. Take your piping bag and add on antlers to your reindeer. They don’t have to look perfect at all, mine ended up being all shapes and sizes. They all taste the same, I assure you. Then, just let them completely set before you take them off the parchment paper. Lastly, I added some Snyder’s of Hanover® Pretzel Rods. I feel like you can make one million things with a pretzel rod, but I left mine plain to offset the other snacks I had decorated.
The Blonde Kitchen 