Jingle Balls Recipes

DATE BRAN JINGLE BALLS

Steps:

• Trisha Kruse, an administrative assistant, created quick, easy, no-bake date-nut balls to fill that special niche in your holiday repertoire.
• Recipe Steps:
• Place cereal, dates and pecans in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add honey, cream cheese and brandy (or orange liqueur or orange juice) and pulse until a stiff dough forms.
• Scoop tablespoon-size portions and shape with greased hands into balls. Roll each ball in chopped nuts (or date sugar or coconut or wheat germ). Place on wax paper. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving or storing.
• Recipe Nutrition:
• Per cookie: 104 calories; 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 3 g mono unsaturated fat); 2 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 42 mg sodium; 111 mg potassium
• 1 Carbohydrate Servings
• Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat
• To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container, separating balls with layers of wax paper, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

JINGLE BELL BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brush a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with olive oil; dust with flour and tap out the excess. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Combine the granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly beat in the olive oil until the batter is smooth. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the almond milk, until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 15 minutes in the pan. Loosen with an offset spatula, then invert onto the rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl until smooth; stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon milk if the glaze is too thick. Spoon the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped almonds. Let the glaze set, about 20 minutes.

DATE BRAN JINGLE BALLS

Steps:

• To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container, separating balls with layers of wax paper, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Trisha Kruse, an administrative assistant, created quick, easy, no-bake date-nut balls to fill that special niche in your holiday repertoire.
• Place cereal, dates and pecans in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add honey, cream cheese and brandy (or orange liqueur or orange juice) and pulse until a stiff dough forms.
• Scoop tablespoon-size portions and shape with greased hands into balls. Roll each ball in chopped nuts (or date sugar or coconut or wheat germ). Place on wax paper. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving or storing.
• Recipe Nutrition:
• Per cookie: 104 calories; 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 3 g mono unsaturated fat); 2 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 42 mg sodium; 111 mg potassium
• 1 Carbohydrate Servings
• Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

JINGLE BALLS

Steps:

• Mix peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Melt chocolate chips w/ parawax over low heat.
• Make peanut butter mixture into balls about the size of a quarter. (It's best to work with small amounts of the mixture, keeping the rest refrigerated until you're ready to form and dip. The mixture gets gooey and messy very quickly.)
• Using toothpicks or small forks, dip the balls into the chocolate. Set on wax paper and refrigerate.