We've all been there at some point in our life. We've been asked to bring a dessert to a work, family or other social party, and suddenly, it's like we've never made a dessert in our life. In order to provide the best results, I got together with my sister and we tested out five fool proof recipes for even the most inexperienced dessert maker to conquer and be the star of the buffet.
1. Christmas Chocolate Covered Pretzels.
Photo via @agsiples.photography
About: These three ingredient pretzel rods look as though they would be the most difficult of the recipes, but I can assure you they take less than 10 minutes to prepare. While it's currently Christmas season, these can be changed up to accommodate for any holiday. The sprinkles can become messy, so just make sure to decorate over a rimmed container for easy cleanup.
Pro Tip: Have one person holding the pan and pouring the melted chocolate down the pretzel while another person spins the pretzel slowly to ensure easy coverage.
Ingredients: Pretzel Rods, Chocolate Melts (check your local store, some have pre-measured colored chocolate in microwaveable dishes!) and Sprinkles.
2. Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths.
Photo via @agsiples.photography
About: Wreaths are a traditional form of winter decor, which make this dessert a match made for the home of any host or hostess. The hardest part of this recipe is the actual forming of the wreaths, but the final product is worth the extra effort.
Pro Tip: Sub the red-hot candies for miniature M&M's if there will be small kids eating these! Also, crush the cornflakes slightly before adding into mixture to make the wreath forming a little easier.
Ingredients: Unsalted Butter, Marshmallows, Vanilla Extract, Green Food Coloring, Cornflakes, Red Candies and Cooking Spray.
3. Vegan Cookie Bars.
Photo via @agsiples.photography
About: Everyone needs a go-to Vegan Dessert, and you can make this work for any season. These bars come out light and flavorful with chunks of chocolate to leave your mouth watering for more. This is the only recipe I've included that requires an oven, but they are still quick to make at around 25 minutes, including prep time.
Pro Tip: Don't panic when the wet ingredients seem to not be mixing together well. Adding them into the dry ingredients will fix this problem as they then have a substance to bind to!
Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cornstarch, Brown Sugar, Vegan Butter Sticks, Sugar, Non-Dairy Milk, Vanilla Extract, Vegan Chocolate Chips and Vegan Sprinkles.
4. Elf Hats.
Photo via @agsiples.photography
About: Whoever came up with dipping their Bugles in melted chocolate is a certified genius. You don't want to believe they work together, but one of these Elf Hats will change your mind forever. Not only will your taste buds thank you for this treat, your eyes will never get over the cuteness.
Pro Tip: Place your sprinkles in a very small container and roll the dipped part of the Bugle in this way for maximum sprinkle coverage.
Ingredients: Bugles, Meltable Chocolate, Sprinkles and M&Ms
Crockpot Candy.
Photo via @agsiples.photography
About: This is not the quickest dessert I've given you today, but it is the easiest since you really cannot beat just tossing the ingredients in a crockpot and putting minimal effort into them.
Pro Tip: For extra flavor, sprinkle sea salt or drizzle caramel on the clusters as you are placing them on the sheet to cool .
Ingredients: White Almond Bark, German Chocolate Bar, Semisweet Chocolate Chips and Dry Roasted Peanuts.
