my favorite gifts #ShareTheHoliday

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In trying to remember what my favorite gifts were to receive as a child, the things that come to mind are unsurprisingly all toys and games (LEGOs were always a hit!). I don't have to think very hard about what I prefer to get these days...EDIBLES!

Food gifts are also what I most often choose to bestow upon my friends and family, and I haven't gotten any complaints yet. While I most often give sweets like toffee (number one treat, now and forever) and Frannie's white chocolate goodies, I've also gone the spiced nuts route too. I haven't gone full-on savory yet, but who knows what the future might hold!

This year, I've made two pretty popular sweet gifts, but both have a little twist. Instead of traditional puppy chow, I decided to try a snickerdoodle version, since cinnamon is one of God's best gifts to us, in my humble opinion. There's no peanut butter involved; instead, the goo that holds the cinnamon sugar onto the cereal is melted vanilla coating. Oh yeah.

The second treat is fudge, which everyone knows, loves, and tries to avoid, and for which everyone has a recipe. Because there are several hazelnut chocolate spread lovers in my family, I wanted to use some of that in this batch. There is peanut butter involved in this treat, lots of it! It's a fairly unique recipe, containing no butter whatsoever. You. Will. Love. It.

Regardless of what you make to give to your favorite people over the holidays, you can count on Rubbermaid TakeAlongs to keep them safe and secure. These containers are a festive and fun way to deliver any delicious meals or snacks you might be sharing with friends and family this holiday season. The Holiday TakeAlongs come in limited edition red, green, and prints for the holidays and will be available in-store from 10/29 to 12/24. Bonus: While you're in Walmart picking up your containers, you can get all of your baking supplies AND bows and ribbons too!

There are so many great features found in Rubbermaid TakeAlongs, like the Quik Clik Seal™ that keeps food properly contained and helps prevent spills, as well as the fact that they're microwavable and freezer-safe. When you give someone a gift in one of these, it's like a nice little bonus present that they can use over and over again! In fact, you might even be regifted the container next year, and if you're lucky, it will be chock full of toffee...

If these goodies aren't floating your boat, find more useful and fun holiday inspiration here! You can also find ideas on Rubbermaid's Facebook and Instagram accounts!

Snickerdoodle Puppy Chow
(printable recipe)
Makes about 12 cups
Ingredients:

• 8 cups rice cereal (or similar)
• 16 ounces vanilla coating or bark
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided use

Directions:
Line a rimmed baking sheet or two with parchment paper; set aside.
Measure out 8 cups of cereal and set aside in large bowl.
Mix together 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and powdered sugar; put this mixture into a gallon size bag and set aside.
Melt the vanilla coating in the microwave according to the package directions.
Once completely melted and smooth, stir in the the remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and immediately pour over the cereal.
Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until all of the cereal is evenly coated. Try not to crush the cereal.
Scoop the coated cereal into the gallon sized ziplock and shake until coated with the powdered sugar.
Turn the cereal out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
Let set until cool, then store in an airtight container.

Hazelnut Swirl Peanut Butter Fudge
(printable recipe)
Makes about 64 1-inch squares
Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 1/4 cup hazelnut chocolate spread

Directions:
Grease or line an 8x8-inch baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and milk to a full rolling boil. Allow to boil for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, and then remove from heat.
Stir in the vanilla, then add the peanut butter and marshmallow creme and stir thoroughly until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the pan, then, working quickly, warm the hazelnut spread to a pourable consistency and dollop it over the fudge.
Swirl the spread decoratively with a knife, then allow the fudge to cool until set.
Slice into 1-inch squares.