The next two recipes are perfect to give to the neighbors, teachers and coworkers.

They are also quite nice to make for yourself as a treat.

We have all tried those spiced nuts at the malls and trade shows, the smell alone is mouthwatering, but who knew they were so easy to make at home?

I am a huge advocate of anything chocolate. So, I decided to try them with a little cocoa powder.

They turned out delicious, and the kick of cayenne adds great depth of flavor.

The Ziploc bag trick also keeps them from making a mess, which is always a plus in my book. One tip I will give you for the pecans: Make them when no one else is home, or you won’t have enough left to give them for gifts

Cocoa Spiced Pecans

Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 Tbls water
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups pecans
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Whisk together egg white, water, and vanilla until it becomes light and foamy
Put sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, pepper, and salt in a large Ziploc bag
Put pecan in the egg white mixture and lift out with a slotted spoon
Then place pecans in the bag, seal, and shake until well-coated
Spread out pecans on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes, and toss about halfway through
Let pecans cool completely.

•••

The Christmas cowboy cookies really surprised me.  

I thought they would have to be good, anything is with M &Ms and chocolate chips right?  

However, the dough seemed a little dry, so I wasn’t sure how they would turn out. I suppose it was the stick of butter or maybe the delectable chewy texture, but these blew me away.

Seriously, I had to put them in a container and hide them so we would stop eating them. Needless to say, I made a batch for us before sending them out as gifts. They might just be the perfect cookie.

Christmas Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup cooking oats
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup chocolate chips
¾ cup Christmas M & Ms

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and sugars, about 3 minutes
Add egg and vanilla, mix well
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
Add dry ingredients into the wet mixture until incorporated
Fold in chocolate chip and M&Ms
Roll into 1 inch balls and bake on a greased baking sheet for 10 minutes
Cool on a wire rack