No Bake Holiday Treats: Stuffed Dates and Truffles

When you are in the mood for treats but not in the mood for baking, you need to have a few recipes for no bake treats. 

Dates are the perfect treat to serve at the holidays. They are naturally sweet and once the pit has been removed they can be stuffed with a variety of foods both savory and sweet. One easy way to serve dates is to stuff them with cream cheese and pecans.

Stuffed dates

12 pitted dates

2 ounces softened cream cheese

2 tablespoon of chopped pecans

1 tablespoon honey

Split the dates along one side to make a pocket for the filling. Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon the cheese mixture into the dates and place on a tray to serve.

Truffles

Truffles are a favorite treat that is enjoyed year round but there are a variety of ways to make them special for the holidays.

Basic truffle recipe

½ cup of heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Place the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. At this point you can add a flavoring. Two tablespoons of espresso for coffee or orange liqueur or one tablespoon of almond or mint flavoring are all great choices.

The balls can also be rolled in things such as crushed cookies or coconut. Crushed candy cane would be a nice choice with mint for the holidays. These are just a few of the possible combinations. Form into one inch balls and chill.

When you need some quick no bake treats for the holidays, these are just a few of the options that are available to you. For more recipes, check out the Food Network website.