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Reese's Rudolph Bites

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday craft-meets-snack activity to do with the whole family, look no further. True to form, these Reese’s Rudolph bites are bringing home the holiday cheer this year. The only special ingredient you'll need is candy eyes to build these jolly reindeer, which can be purchased online, but the rest comes together in a snap. I wouldn’t want our deer to get chilly, so I’ve fashioned them cozy scarves out of red, white, and green Airheads, but you could also use fruit roll-ups or colorful taffy (just flatten the taffy with a rolling pin and cut out the scarves). For the iconic red nose, you can use red M&M’s or Red Hots for a seasonally spicy kick! And nothing makes sweets tastier than just a little salt, so I’ve opted to use salted pretzels for the antlers. I suggest keeping your Reese’s in the fridge or freezer before assembling so that they’re easier to work with. I also recommend building the faces before attaching the heads to the bodies, which gives the eyes and noses a chance to adhere before they need to be turned upright. The recipe I’ve provided makes 28 reindeer, but you can easily scale this recipe up or down to make as many or as few as you’d like. They’ll look adorable adorning your holiday table this year, and I bet they won’t last long, either.

Reese's Rudolph Bites

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 (17.6-oz.) pkg. Reese's Minis
  • 1 family-size pkg. M&M's, red candies only
  • 1 (2.9-oz.) bottle small candy eyes
  • 28 mini salted pretzels
  • 3 green Airheads
  • 3 red Airheads
  • 3 white Airheads

Directions

  • Step 1
  • In a small heatproof bowl, microwave chocolate in 10-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds total.
  • Step 2
  • Unwrap Reese’s and remove from paper cups. Arrange half of candy (14 pieces) large sides down on a clean work surface; reserve remaining candies.
  • Step 3
  • Using a small amount of melted chocolate, attach a red M&M to the center of the small, flat sides of each cup, pressing for a few seconds to adhere. Let set a few minutes. Using a small amount of chocolate, attach 2 eyes to ridged edge of cups. Using a small amount of chocolate, attach a pretzel to the top larger smooth side of each cup. Arrange pretzel side down on a baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
  • Step 4
  • Meanwhile, using a rolling pin, flatten Airheads to a thin, even sheet. Using a paring knife, cut out 4"-long scarves.
  • Step 5
  • Arrange reserved peanut butter cups large sides down on a clean work surface. Using a small amount of melted chocolate, attach faces to smaller flat sides of each cup. Refrigerate to set, about 10 minutes.
  • Step 6
  • Gently wrap candy scarves around necks and attach with a small dab of chocolate.