Holiday Treats

With exams about halfway finished (the final exams will be held on Wednesday), and my senior thesis successfully completed, I thought that today might be a good day for me to take a break from studying and relax.  Something that always helps me unwind and relieve stress is baking, something I've been doing a lot of this semester.  Blueberry pie, apple pie, brownies, cookies, muffins--I have made all of these since school started in September, and I'm not sure if this is more reflective of my academic stress or my culinary productivity!  In any case, I thought it might be fun to share one of my favorite recipes with you all in case you're feeling stressed or looking for a tasty snack to share with friends.  It's easy to make and delicious, a definite win-win! 


What you'll need: 
Square pretzels (waffle-weave style)
M&Ms
Hershey's Kisses


Directions: 
Preheat oven to its lowest setting (anywhere between 150 and 170 degrees)
While oven is heating, spread pretzels on a cookie sheet, unwrap the Hershey's Kisses, and place one Kiss on each pretzel.

When oven is finished heating, put the pretzels in for about 5-7 minutes, or until the Kisses are pretty melty.  Some kinds of Hershey's Kisses take longer than others to melt, and some (like the ones with caramel or cherry filling inside) are just wrong for this project.  

Remove tray from oven and quickly press an M&M into the center of each Kiss.  You've got a limited window of time to do this, so have your M&Ms ready to go.  

When you've finished, put the tray in the refrigerator or freezer to let them cool off and set.  When they've hardened, you can dig in!

The combination of sweet and salty makes this treat pretty addictive, and if you play your cards right (give them to your friends, family, or coworkers), can even help boost your popularity!  Also, they're so small that it's easy to take them with you to the library or, if you're sneaky enough, to an exam!  Enjoy~