On the Eighth Day of Cookies...

My mother-in-law makes batches of these every year, and this has become one of my favorite holiday treats. This holiday candy is very easy to make, but does take some time. Well worth it for this delicious candy coated sweet and salty pretzel. I definitely think I need to invest in some proper tools for this as most of my pretzels were blobish (but still delicious!).

Almond Bark Pretzels
1 pound white dipping chocolate or almond bark
1 small bag pretzels
Colored Candy Sprinkles

1. Microwave almond bark on high, stirring every minute or so until completely melted (usually 2-3 minutes).

2. Drop a pretzel into melted almond bark. Use a fondue fork to fully submerge and swirl the pretzel to cover all surfaces. Lift the pretzel out with the fondue fork. With the pretzel still on the fork tap the fork against the top of the bowl to shake off the excess coating.

3. Place the coated pretzel on the wax paper. Decorate with color sugar or sprinkles. Allow to cool.

4. Store the finished pretzels in Ziploc bags or other air tight container.

On the Third Day of Cookies...

Bite-sized bliss! These cake ball bon bons are a snap to make and are sure to be an instant hit on any dessert tray. To make mine more festive, I used red velevet cake with white frosting and vanilla candy coating. I also used way more candy coating than they suggested.

Holiday Cake Bon Bons
(Source: Betty Crocker)

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist cake mix, (any flavor)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy frosting
3 oz. vanilla or chocolate-flavored candy coating

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour. Prepare cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Pour into pan. Bake 30-33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.

2. In a large mixing bowl, crumble the warm cake; stir in the frosting until well blended. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Shape into balls. (If mixture is too sticky, refrigerate until firm enough to shape.) Freeze 30 minutes.

4. In small microwave-safe bowl, microwave candy coating on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until smooth. Dip the balls, one at a time, in candy coating using a wooden skewer or fork to hold them. Place on aluminum foil-covered cookie sheet. Decorate as desired. Refrigerate cake balls about 10 minutes or until coating is set. Serve at room temperature. Store in airtight container.