Even if you are not a big candy eater, Christmas candy recipes are really welcomed during the holidays.

No matter how much we vow to eat healthy during the holidays, no matter how much we may swear off sweets, there is something quite wonderful about having at least a little bit of delicious Christmas candy now and then. It's not all year after all.

I love making just a few of my favorite Christmas candy recipes at the beginning of the season. It is a busy time of year, so it is always best to use quick and easy candy recipes and make them when you have a few minutes.

Make things that are easily stored, so you can make them ahead of when they will be most needed. Of course not too far ahead or they'll be sure to be gone by the big day.

These fantastic homemade Christmas candies will be such a hit at any event you host during the holidays. They are also a nice addition to a holiday dessert table with other Christmas desserts.

Almond Bark Candy

Almond bark is so easy to make! It has always been one of my favorite Christmas candy recipes.

You can vary the recipe to suit your taste. Don't like raisins? Simply leave them out. If you like peanuts or pecans rather than almonds, use them instead. Try half the recipe made with white chocolate and half made with regular chocolate.

1 pound of white or regular chocolate

1/2 cups of raisins

1/2 cup of almonds, chopped

Melt chocolate until smooth. Add raisins and almonds. Pour onto wax paper - this will be a fairly thin candy. Let cool, then break into pieces.

Tip:

Try making the almond bark using 1/2 a pound of white chocolate and 1/2 a pound of dark chocolate and carefully stir them together with the end of a wooden spoon or some other utensil to marble your final product. Be careful though that you just mix it a bit or you will end up with tan colored almond bark.

Coconut Joys

Everyone seems to love coconut. This would be one of my mother's favorite Christmas candy recipes.

1/2 cup of butter or margarine

2 cups of powdered sugar

3 cups of shredded coconut

2 squares (1 ounce each) of unsweetened chocolate

In the top of a double boiler melt the margarine. Remove it from the heat. Add the sugar and coconut and mix well. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of the coconut mixture into balls. Make a depression in the center of each ball and place it on a platter or cookie sheet. Set them aside. Melt chocolate in the top of a clean double boiler. Fill the centers of the coconut balls with melted chocolate and chill until firm.

Tip:

You can also add color to the holidays by adding half of a candied cherry instead of the chocolate in the middle. Use half red cherries and half green for a really festive look

Rocky Road Fudge

Who doesn't love rocky road fudge? There is something about the mix of smooth chocolate, peanuts and sweet soft marshmallows that brings a smile to most faces.

2 tablespoons of margarine

1 - 12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 - 14 ounce can of Eagle Brand condensed milk

2 cups of dry roasted peanuts

1 - 10 1/2 ounce package of miniature marshmallows

In a saucepan, melt the chocolate morsels with the Eagle Brand milk and 2 tablespoons of margarine. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the peanuts and marshmallows. Stir it together thoroughly and spread it on to a waxed paper-lined 13x9 inch pan. Chill for 2 hours or until nice and firm before cutting the fudge into pieces.

These are some of my all time favorite Christmas candy recipes. I share them with you in the hope that your family and friends have as much fun over pieces of these sweet treats as mine do.

After all, that is what the season is about - celebrating with those we love.