Baking during the holiday season can be costly with buying all the ingredients! However, that doesn’t mean that you should forgo baking in order to save your wallet. These recipes are easy, cost-effective, tasty and will leave you feeling like a baking pro.

Christmas rocky road slab

recipe adapted from taste.com.au

There are some people out there who just don’t like the taste of peppermint. Luckily, those people don’t have to forgo chocolate bark entirely! Enjoy this twist on the classic peppermint bark.

Ingredients:

100 grams milk chocolate

100 grams white chocolate

1 cup mini Oreos

½ cups mini marshmallows (or large ones chopped)

¼ cups maraschino cherries (or any jelly-like candy)

Directions:

1. Melt the two types of chocolate individually. Meanwhile, break the Oreos in half and cut the cherries into quarters.

2. Pour the melted chocolate onto a cookie sheet lined with baking paper. If you are feeling extra creative, swirl the two colours of chocolate by using a toothpick. Immediately put the Oreo pieces, marshmallows and cherries on top of the chocolate, spreading evenly.

3. You can either leave the chocolate slab out at room temperature to set or leave it in the freezer for about an hour. Once the chocolate is hardened, break it up into pieces and it’s ready to go!

The total cost for this recipe was $6.62, which may change depending on your candy choices.

Peppermint bark

This has to be one of my favourite treats of the season. Candy canes are one of those things you can only find during the holidays, making them extra special. Of all these three recipes, this one is by far the easiest to make — bonus!

Ingredients:

4 regular candy canes

200 grams milk chocolate

200 grams white chocolate

Directions:

1. Melt the two types of chocolate individually. Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with baking paper. Crush the candy canes into small pieces, but not too fine. You can do this with a rolling pin, beer bottle or any other hard-bottomed glass if you are careful.

2. Once the chocolate is ready, pour it onto the cookie sheet, making creative patterns if you wish — a favourite of mine is a checkerboard style! Directly after, sprinkle the crushed candy canes and then leave to set, either at room temperature or in the freezer  —  the timing will depend on how thick the chocolate layer is. Once it has set, break up the bark and enjoy!

The total cost for this recipe was $9.50. Considering the amount of ingredients, this is a little pricey. However, I was quite generous with how much chocolate I used so the cost could certainly be adjusted.

Chocolate peanut butter caramel balls

recipe from lifesambrosia.com

To me, peanut butter is something you either love or hate — and I happen to love it. Pair it with chocolate and caramel and it gets even better. For all you peanut butter lovers out there, this is the treat for you. However, fair warning: these are incredibly sweet. More than one of these will have you downing a glass of water in no time.

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup dulce de leche (basically caramel, find it next to condensed milk in grocery stores)

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a mixer, combine the peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar and half of the caramel. Add more caramel or peanut butter to taste. The texture should be similar to a stiff cookie dough. Begin to form the mixture into balls with your hands, then place them on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least an hour.

2. When the balls are frozen, melt the two kinds of chocolate separately adding an additional ½ tablespoon of coconut oil to each. Next, dip the frozen peanut butter balls into the chocolate. This is your time to get creative! Make some of them solid white or chocolate, or make others half-white, half-milk chocolate. When the chocolate has set, they’re ready to eat!

The total cost for this recipe was $10.35, half of which was the dulce de leche  — definitely worth it. Yield varies depending on your size choice for the balls.

Caramel Rice Krispies with mint chocolate

Rice Krispies are a treat on their own. However, about two years ago I was introduced to a version where some of the marshmallows were replaced by caramel. Combine that idea with a layer of mint chocolate and candy canes and you have one amazing treat on your hands. These will disappear fast once you try them!

Ingredients:

30 large marshmallows

½ cup butter

25 caramel squares

5 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup mint chocolate chips

2 regular candy canes, crushed

Directions:

Set a metal bowl over a pot of water on the stove top and set the heat to medium-high. In the bowl, melt the butter, marshmallows and caramels. This will take several minutes, as you will want the mixture to be as smooth as possible. Stir it occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare a square 9 inch by 9 inch glass dish by buttering it and then covering the base and sides with saran wrap. Once the stove mixture is smooth, pour in the Rice Krispies and stir immediately. When the Rice Krispies are all coated evenly, pour into the glass dish and leave to rest while you melt the chocolate.

As soon as the chocolate is melted, cover the top of the Rice Krispies with it and then sprinkle the candy canes on top. Wait for the treats to set at room temperature, then slice the Rice Krispies and serve.

The total cost for this recipe was $5.50. It was easily the most time consuming recipe, but definitely worth the effort!

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Photos: Kezia Fourie