White Chocolate Truffle Snowmen

I wanted to share this fun and delicious recipe with you and your family.

Makes 6

360g white eating chocolate, broken into pieces, plus 80g extra, melted

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup dries cranberries, finely chopped

1/3 cup unsalted pistachio kernels, roasted and finely chopped (I used hazelnut kernels)

80g dark chocolate

100's and 1000's

1/4 cup dessicated coconut

Coloured jelly beans

6 white marshmallows

1) Melt 360g white chocolate and cream. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add cranberries and nuts. Cover with plastic wrap; chill, stir occasionally, for 1 hour or until firm.

2) Meanwhile, line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Melt dark chocolate. Cool slightly. Place in small piping bag (can use a freezer bag with corner snipped). Pipe 12x 2cm lengths on trays (arms) and 6 x 5cm circles for hats.Sprinkle the circles with 100's and 1000's. Set in fridge.

3) Roll white chocolate into 6 x 1 1/2 tbsp balls, 6 x 1 tbsp balls and 6 x 1 1/2 tsp balls. Roll balls in coconut. Place truffles on remaining tray. Chill 5 minutes to set.

4) For each snowman, dot a little white chocolate on large truffle. Top with medium truffle. Dot with more white chocolate, then top with a small truffle. Set. Using a little melted chocolate, secure arms. Cut jelly beans in half for noses and in slices for eyes. Secure in place. Attach a marshmallow to each circle; secure to top of each snowman as a hat.

Now note to self: If you follow instructions thoroughly then the snowmen would have sat up perfectly!! lol I was rushing and I didn't follow the instructions properly, so my snowmen looked like 'real' snowmen!! A little slumped over and nobbly!! lol I realised my mistakes as typing the recipe up :) I will definitely be making these again. If made properly, they make a really cute gift.

Other fun Christmas stuff:

We don't get snow here in Australia for Christmas :(. When living in the UK I never saw a white Christmas but was very thankful for the snow days that I did experience, even if it wasn't at Christmas. So the highlight for my children each year is a trip to a local light display at a residential address. They have a 'snow machine' !!! This snow machine is very effective, it look like snow, it makes them very wet and cold, but it is only bubbly froth :) But the kids love it!

We had a lovely day yesterday decorating a pre bought gingerbread house kit with some friends. It was much easier than making my own as it came with a tray that had slots for the gingerbread to sit in. It had pre-made icing, except that there wasn't enough! :) It had gingerbread trees and people. It was good fun. I did enjoy making my own though, as the challenge was there. But this was great too, and the kids had a ball decorating and eating it!