Christmas Baking….
…or should that be making????? Cos the oven certainly isn’t on today. It’s warm and rather steamy here today with more rain expected tomorrow (making it even stickier!). So I’m rather glad that my Christmas “baking” mostly goes in the fridge, rather than the oven. 
I’m glad I’ve already finished with baking shortbread as that does need to go in the oven.
I’ve been given the job of “homemade treats” for Christmas Day this year. My in laws know me well! It’s great because I’m making a heap of treats for gifts anyway.
Naturally I had to start with the old Christmas faithful - Rocky Road! Over a few days I’m working my way through whatever I get to….starting with the ones I REALLY want to get made and adding to those if I get enough time and energy. So, here are my “recipes” I’ve made so far (not everything has a recipe so I’ll do my best to explain what I do).
ROCKY ROAD
1 packet chocolate melts (mine are 375g)
about 1/4 packet of copha (250g or 1/2 pound size pack)
1/2 - 1 packet marshmallows
red jube lollies (I didn’t have any this time so just picked out red, white and green jelly beans)
salted peanuts (you can use unsalted but I like the taste of salt and chocolate together, you can also leave these out)
Melt chocolate melts and copha using a medium heat in the microwave - 1 minute at a time. Stir between minutes and continue until melted. Add marshmallows, jubes and salted peanuts. I add some of each until the chocolate looks to be “chock full” of stuff. Pour into a tray lined with baking paper and set in fridge. Cut into bite size pieces or whatever size you prefer.
Alternative suggestions: some people like coconut in their rocky road (I don’t). You could also add something like rice bubbles instead of peanuts to make these a little more “kid friendly”.
HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE
My mum had the most awesome recipe for this that I can’t seem to lay my hands on. 
Here’s the closest recipe I was able to find.
125g copha
125g icing sugar
6 Tbsp cocoa
4 Tbsp milk powder
pinch salt
Sift dry ingredients. Melt copha and mix into dry mixture. You need to work fast. Pour into mini patty pans or into a thin layer in a baking tray. Refrigerate. If you make it in a slab, break into pieces when set. You could also drop spoonfuls onto a tray lined with baking paper.
I made up a double mixture as that used a full package of copha. About 1/3 was mixed with rice bubbles and the rest had salted peanuts added to it. I was able to get some Christmas mini patty pans from Spotlight this year and used those. This double mix made around 90 chocolates.
It’s quite a strong tasting recipe so you don’t want to overdo the cocoa, unless you prefer it that way! 
CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BALLS
1 packet cream cheese
2 packets of chocolate biscuits filled with vanilla cream (eg oreos, delta creams….)
Blend in food processor, roll into balls and set in fridge. Dip into white, milk or dark chocolate.
APRICOT COCONUT BALLS
1 tin/can consensed milk (or 1 quantity homemade condensed milk)
2 cups dried apricots (chopped/diced)
3 cups coconut
extra coconut for rolling in
Combine ingredients together, roll into balls then roll in coconut. Set in fridge. Makes approximately 60 balls.
This is as far as I have gotten so far. I’ll be back to add some more if and when I get to them.
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Doing well. We cooked biccis from a packet today. The extent of my baking.
Amy
all of those recipes sound scrumptious!!
I’m leaving the making of those goodies til Monday so I’m not tempted to eat them all before Christams Day, lol!!
Amy - cookies from a packet sounds great to me! Some years I do more cooking than others. Just depends how busy we are and where Christmas is etc.
Ali - I get too tired to do too much baking the day before Christmas.
As for eating them…..well, some don’t turn out quite right so they need eating up. LOL.
The chocolate cheese ball recipe sounds so, so good. I can feel myself getting fatter just from reading the recipe.
Oh my gosh, those all sound so good!
Hi Lightening. The new site looks fabulous. Well done! I hope you have a lovely Christmas.
YUM!!!!!!
I’ve done the rum balls and the white Christmas and now I’m spent. I’m with Ali - it’s too dangerous and I eat them before Christmas. Well….how will I fit seafood and sweets in on Christmas Day. It is my Christmas duty to consume both so I have to start by eating the sweets in the days leading up to Christmas. lol
Riayn - I know just what you mean!!!!
Jenn - that’s the problem with Christmas baking isn’t it? Deciding what NOT to make!
Rhonda Jean - thank you so much!
Megan - LOL. Just licking the bowls is dangerous enough!!!! Lucky I have 3 kids (actually 4 if you count DH).
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I’ve never liked white christmas. Just can’t stand the taste of copha.