Chocolate Reindeer Recipes

Steps:

• Cover a large area of counter space with waxed paper and tape it down.
• Mix pretzels, corn cereal squares, peanuts, and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces together in a large bowl.
• Melt white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Pour melted white chocolate over pretzel mixture; stir to evenly coat. Quickly transfer mixture to the prepared waxed paper and spread in a thin layer; cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Line a baking tin with baking parchment. Heat both chocolates in separate bowls in the microwave in 30-sec blasts, or over pans of simmering water. Pour the dark chocolate into the baking tin, then pour the milk chocolate on top in a trail. Spread the chocolate out to make a reasonably thick slab.
• Arrange the red smarties over the slab at intervals - these are the reindeer noses. Cut a marshmallow in half and press above the smarties to make eyes. Snap a pretzel in half for each set of antlers, snapping off any excess pretzel, then push into the chocolate near the noses.
• To make the snowmen, arrange the rest of the marshmallows in lines of three. Use pieces of pretzel for the arms and a piece of shoe lace for the scarf. Sprinkle over the stars and sprinkles, then leave the chocolate to set completely.
• Once the chocolate is hard, use an icing pen or small brush dipped in black food colouring to add pupils to the reindeer eyes, and faces and buttons for the snowmen. Use a knife to cut the bark into pieces around the reindeer and snowmen. To give them as gifts, put the chocolate shards in cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with wax paper or nonstick foil.
• In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, for 2-3 minutes, or until the chocolate is completely melted and shiny.
• Dip the sandwich cookies in the melted chocolate to coat completely, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Decorate each sandwich cookie with 2 broken pretzel halves for antlers, 2 chocolate chips for eyes, and a red cinnamon candy for a nose. Dip a toothpick in the leftover melted chocolate and dot onto the tops of the white chocolate chips.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat two 8-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level.
• For the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth. Let the ganache sit until it has cooled and thickened to a spreadable consistency, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cardboard cake circle on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Spread about 1/2 cup of the ganache on top and place the second cake layer cut-side down over the ganache. Dollop half of the remaining ganache on top and spread with a large offset spatula so the ganache covers the top of the cake and slowly runs down the sides. Repeat with the remaining ganache, using the offset spatula to make a smooth, even layer over the surface and around the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• To decorate: Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 15 second intervals on 50 percent power until melted, stirring after each interval. Let sit 5 minutes, then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. (Alternatively, transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip off a corner.) Pipe a straight line through the center of the cake from top to bottom, then another line through the center from left to right, dividing the cake into quarters. Pipe 2 more lines to divide the cake into eighths. Pipe a circle of white chocolate around the edge of the cake. Pipe a small circle where the points intersect in the center of the cake. Place a candy-coated chocolate near the tip of each point for reindeer noses (one of them will be red). Add 2 reindeer eyes above each nose. Stick 2 pretzel twist pieces above each pair of eyes.

Steps:

• Fold the parchment in half diagonally, then in half again and in half once more so it forms a cone shape. Staple the inside of the cone together at the two top corners to attach the layers so you have a sealed cone that's open at the top.
• Stand the parchment cone upright in a long, tall glass so the opening is at the top. Fill the cone with the hot chocolate powder, the chocolate chips, fudge pieces and marshmallows. Twist the top closed and secure with the brown pipe cleaner, then twist the pipe cleaner into two antlers. Fix two eyes and a red nose onto the front of the cone and tie a candy cane stirrer on top with ribbon.
• To serve, snip 3cm off the base of the cone and tip the contents into a large heatproof jug. Top up with 800ml boiling water and stir with the candy cane until the hot chocolate has dissolved and the chocolate chips and fudge pieces have melted. Divide between four mugs.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.
• Set aside.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and oil for 2 minutes, stirring after one minute.
• Continue to microwave, 10 seconds at a time, until smooth, stirring as you go.
• Do not overcook!
• Pour over the cereal mixture and mix well.
• Spread onto wax paper and allow to cool.
• Break apart and store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Place butter, brown sugar and water in a large saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Stir in eggs and extract. Stir in flour mixture. Let stand until firm enough to shape, about 15 minutes., To freeze dough, shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; flatten each to 1/4-in. thickness. Place in a covered container, separating layers with waxed paper; freeze until firm. (May be frozen up to 3 months.), To bake, preheat oven to 350°. Place frozen dough portions 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set, 12-14 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely., Spread cookies with frosting, reserving a small amount for mouths. Decorate faces with candy eyes; add peanut butter cups for snouts, pretzels for antlers and M&M's for noses. Pipe mouths with reserved frosting.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 3-1/2-in. reindeer-shaped cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheets., Bake 8-9 minutes. Immediately press a Red Hot onto each nose. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. , If desired, combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach a piping consistency. Place mixture in a resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag; fill with icing. Pipe around edges of cookies and add a dragee or the eye.

Steps:

• Stir cereal squares, pretzel sticks, peanuts, and milk chocolate pieces together in a large bowl.
• Melt the vanilla baking chips in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Drizzle melted chips over cereal mixture. Pour mixture out onto a large piece of aluminum foil and cool for 30 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.