3 Holiday Treats to Make With Kids

Peppermint kiss cookies--consider shopping for ingredients together. It's a great way to get the conversation going. — threemanycooks.com

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bark

Makes about 2 dozen pieces

12 chocolate graham crackers

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup white sugar

4 ounces bitter- or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

3/4 cup coarsely chopped Reese's peanut butter cups

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by-13-inch rimmed cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Line pan bottom and up and over the long sides with heavy-duty foil for easy removal. Grease foil with vegetable cooking spray and then line with crackers, sugar side down, cutting as necessary to fit pan.

Heat butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until simmering. Pour mixture evenly over crackers and, working quickly, use a spatula to spread it.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.) Remove from oven and sprinkle both white and dark chocolates over hot crackers; let stand a few minutes and then spread chocolate with the back end of a spoon (or finger if it's not too hot) in figure eights, creating a marbleized effect. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips and chopped Reese's cups. Refrigerate or freeze until firm. (Can be sealed and frozen up to 1 month.)

Using foil handles, remove bar from pan. Break into pieces and serve.

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