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Author :Carrie Todd in The Road Less Traveled

For many, baking holiday treats is one of the ways they celebrate this time of the year. It may even be a family tradition. When you live in an RV, however, counter space is often limited and the oven may be nearly inexistent. Fortunately, there are many scrumptious options that require very little cooking, no oven, and few ingredients. They don’t even take that long. This makes them perfect for the smaller space of an RV kitchen. Here are a few of my favorites.

Chocolate Covered (Anything)

This is exceptionally easy and yields a variety of treats with one simple process. Just melt a package of chocolate chips (I like semi-sweet, but suit your own taste.) over low heat, stirring until smooth.

Use a fork to dip any of the following into the chocolate to cover.

• Almonds

• Cherries

• Marshmallows

• Pecans

• Pretzels

• Ritz Bits Peanut Butter

• Strawberries

Remove them and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Let the chocolate harden and enjoy.

***You can vary the recipe by using white chocolate chips.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

This classic holiday treat can be enjoyed throughout the year. If you refrigerate them, they stay fresh for a week and if you freeze them, they keep for two months.

Melt ½-cup salted butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add 1-cup graham cracker crumbs, 1-cup powdered sugar, and 7/8-cup creamy peanut butter. Mix thoroughly and then press the mixture into a lined 9x9-inch pan. Melt 1-cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until smooth and pour this over the peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate for about 3-hours until firm. Cut and enjoy!

Fudge (3 Versions)

There are nearly infinite varieties of this traditional holiday treat, but I didn’t want to just write about fudge (believe me, I probably could). So, here are three popular options.

Traditional Fudge
Place 3-cups semisweet chocolate chips, one 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk, and ¼-cup butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Stir over medium-low heat until the chips are melted. Stir in 1-cup chopped walnuts (as desired) and pour into a well-coated 9x9-inch baking dish. Let it cool until firm. Cut and serve.

Peanut Butter Fudge
Melt 5-cups of white chocolate chips in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix 3-cups sweetened condensed milk and ¾-cups peanut butter until smooth. Stir into the chocolate. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a coated 9x13-inch baking dish. Let it cool until firm. Cut and serve.

***Another option is to follow the previous recipe and substitute peanut butter chips for chocolate.

Gingerbread Fudge
In a medium-sized sauce pan melt 1 ½-cup white chocolate chips and mix in 1-cup sweetened condensed milk. Remove from the heat and add 1-tsp ground nutmeg, 1-tsp cinnamon, and 1-tsp ginger. Stir until combined add ½-tsp red sprinkles and ½-tsp green sprinkles (leave a little of each to be sprinkled on top). Spread the fudge into a lined (or coated) 9x9-inch baking dish. Add the rest of the sprinkles and cool to firm. Cut and enjoy!

No-Bake Cookies (2 Versions)

There are nearly as many versions of no-bake cookies as there are types of fudge. Each keeps for about a week when refrigerated. Here are two that are considerably different.

No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
In a large sauce pan, combine ½-cup butter, ¾-cup milk, 2-cups sugar, and 1-tbsp cocoa over medium-high heat. Stir often and boil for 2 minutes. Mix in 2 ½-cups quick cooking oats, 1-box instant chocolate pudding mix, and 1-cup shredded coconut. Drop about 24-spoonfuls onto 2 cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until firm.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
In a small saucepan combine ½-cup honey, ¼-cup cocoa powder, and ¼-cup coconut oil over medium heat and stir until thoroughly mixed and melted. Boil for about a minute and then remove from the heat. Stir in ½-cup peanut butter (your preference) and ¼-tsp sea salt until smooth. Then add 1-cup sunflower seeds and 1 ¼-cup chopped peanuts (your preference). Mix thoroughly until everything is covered. Drop about 15-spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until firm.

Rice Crispy Treats (Holiday Style)
This simple treat is a fan favorite that can be varied greatly to compliment any holiday. By adding a bit of food coloring, you can make the entire batch red or green!

In a large sauce pan melt 3-tbsp butter over low heat and stir in one 10-oz package of marshmallows until completely melted. Remove from heat and add 6-cups of Rice Krispies cereal. Stir to thoroughly mix and then press evenly into a coated 9x13-inch baking pan. Press red and green M&Ms, halved Jelly Bells candies, or Red Hots into the top for a festive look. Cool, cut, and serve.

***Substitute Fruity Pebbles cereal for a colorful option.

In Conclusion

The holidays are a fun time to practice your culinary skills and prepare treats for your friends and family (neighbors, local service workers, charities, etc.) to share. It’s an inexpensive and easy way to spread Christmas cheer while experiencing a little yourself. Even though you may not have access to a full-sized kitchen, you can still be creative with cooking. I hope you enjoy!