Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Holiday Dessert & DIY Neighbor Gifts #KraftEssentials

I created this creamy Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow dessert for holiday neighbor/friend gifts as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®.

It’s no secret that I love holiday baking!  I look forward each year, during this wonderful month of December, to making festive Christmas desserts and using them to put together our neighbor/friend gifts.  They’re often just a plate filled with a myriad of prettily-colored, tasty homemade holiday desserts.  But this time, I wanted to step it up a notch, and put together something a little more thoughtful that included a few inexpensive, non-perishable items as well.I ran to my local Walmart to pick up a few supplies for the treats and gift boxes, and then the fun began!  I started by making a double batch of delectable Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Logs.  It’s a favorite holiday dessert recipe that my mom used to whip up for her Christmas goody plates when I was growing up.

Each piece is a slice of heaven made of Jet-Puffed pink Peppermint Mallows, quality Baker’s Chocolate, creamy, dreamy Cool Whip, chopped walnuts, and crushed graham crackers.  The flavor/texture combination is utterly divine!  Let me tell you, folks, this holiday confection is simply irresistible!  It’s a good thing Christmas only comes once a year, because I don’t know if my waistline could handle more than that. 🙂

I love that this recipe uses everyday Kraft® products that are probably already sitting in your fridge, cupboard, or pantry.  The best part about this is it comes together in just minutes!  The holidays are hectic enough without adding in complicated and time-consuming baking.  So make your life a little easier, whip up a bulk batch of these in 20 minutes or less, and call the neighbor gifts done!!

 

 

Fold Cool Whip into your cooled Baker’s Chocolate mixture.

Cool Whip is a magical thing!  It adds a wonderful creamy texture to the chocolate in this recipe.

Don’t those colors look gorgeous together?  I just want to dip my finger into the picture to get another taste of that creamy chocolate!

Add some Kraft® Jet-Puffed Peppermint Mallows on top of your egg/powdered sugar mixture.  Feel free to swap in any Kraft® Jet-Puffed Marshmallows of your choice.  Add walnuts and the Cool Whip/Chocolate mixture.  Fold all together until completely combined.To enhance the peppermint flavor, throw in some crushed candy canes at this point!  It’s totally optional, but could make this dessert even more fabulous.

Place a layer of crumbs on a rectangular piece of plastic wrap.  Top with chocolate/marshmallow mixture and form into a log shape.  Top with a generous helping of graham cracker crumbs.  Cover with more plastic wrap and seal so the roll is not exposed.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before eating, or until chocolate mixture sets.  Keep refrigerated.

 Wrap each log in some cellophane, tie with festive ribbon, and it’s just about ready for giving!  It’s never been easier to throw together a gorgeous holiday dessert that can be gifted to neighbors, friends, and loved ones!  Don’t forget to save some for yourself, though!

You’ve worked hard this season between shopping for gifts, preparing your home for guests, and attending those many holiday parties.  Let’s be honest…celebrations are tons of fun, but fun can be exhausting too!  So kick back and indulge in a luscious Christmas dessert with a slice or two of this gooey, subtle peppermint-y goodness that’s sweet as candy.  You totally deserve it.

I decided to include my Marshmallow Logs as part of a larger gift with a few other fun items.  I found some super cute and inexpensive holiday trapezoid-shaped boxes at Walmart in the seasonal department.  Next I filled them with some non-alcoholic Welch’s Holiday Sparkling Blueberry Grape and Red Grape drinks, the Chocolate Marshmallow Logs, and a fun Christmas hand towel.  I dressed up the drinks with some sparkly bow ornaments (also from Walmart).  I love that they add a pretty factor and they’re functional! To finish the gift boxes, I filled the empty nooks and crannies with snowflake tissue paper.  Ta da! A beautiful and thoughtful package for your neighbors and those you hold dear!

I braved the below-freezing temperatures the other night and took these goody-filled boxes to some friends of ours from church.  Needless to say, they were very happily received!

For more delicious holiday recipes using Kraft® products, be sure to browse the digital magazine below.