Skip gingerbread houses and make holiday building simpler by reaching for HONEY MAID Honey Grahams to make houses that are easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 9 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, divided
• 1 container (16 oz.) ready-to-spread white frosting
• 17 Mini OREO Cookies, split
• 34 SOUR PATCH KIDS Candies
• 8 small candy canes

Decorations:

• Assorted small green, red and white candies
• Holly candy decors
• Green decorating icing

Directions:

• Trim a 1-inch piece off one short end of each of 2 Grahams for the sides of the house; set small trimmed pieces aside. Cut 2 corners off the top of each large trimmed graham piece to form a peaked top; set aside.
• Spoon frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Place 1 of the remaining grahams on a foil- or parchment-covered baking sheet or tray for the base of the house. Stand 2 whole grahams (for front and back of house), and 2 peaked graham pieces (for sides of house) around the base of the house, using some of the frosting to attach all pieces together. Top with 2 of the remaining whole grahams for the roof, securing all pieces with some of the remaining frosting. Let stand for 1 hour or until the frosting is firm.
• Meanwhile, cut the remaining whole grahams and graham pieces into smaller pieces to make 6 windows, 2 doors, 1 doorway, and stepping stones for the path. Decorate doors and windows with small candies and some of the remaining frosting as desired. Let stand until ready to use.
• Use frosting to attach mini cookies, in slightly overlapping horizontal rows, on roof pieces to resemble shingles. Pipe frosting along the top edge of the roof; stand SOUR PATCH KIDS Candies in frosting.
• Break curved ends off candy canes; attach curved pieces to the roof with frosting as shown in the photo. Reserve remaining candy cane pieces for snacking or another use.
• Use frosting to attach windows and doors to the house as shown. Arrange cut graham pieces in front of the door to make a path. Add SOUR PATCH KIDS Candies to the path, doorway, and sides of the house as shown. Decorate with remaining ingredients as desired. Let stand 1 hour or until the frosting is dry.

Notes:

• Important Note – If time allows, it’s best to let the house frame stand overnight before topping with the roof and decorating the house as directed. For additional support for the sides and roof, stack an additional 9 or 10 grahams and wrap with plastic wrap. Attach to the graham rectangle base with a little frosting before adding the side pieces. Break an additional graham into 4 pieces, and attach it to the center of the graham block to use as a support for the roof. Or, use a crumbled sheet of aluminum foil to support the house instead of the stacked grahams.
• Special Extra – Spread additional frosting onto the prepared baking sheet around the house before adding the graham path. Add powdered sugar and miniature marshmallows as desired. Sprinkle areas around the path with white sugar crystals and/or white nonpareils to resemble a winter scene.
• Make it Easy – Substitute 2 cans (8.4 oz. each) of white icing packaged with decorator tips for the ready- to-spread white frosting and pastry bags/tips.

Gather the family together to make this festive holiday treat! I just know they will love be creative like my family was!

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Having a holiday potluck? No problem! Grab some meatballs or cocktail wieners, a can of Pepsi and a bottle barbecue sauce.  Dump all ingredients in a crockpot and let them cook on low for 3 hours. This party staple will taste great and have that added Pepsi flavor.

Pepsi is great added into your favorite baking recipes. Add 3-4 tablespoons of Pepsi to your favorite cookie, brownie, or chocolate cake recipes for a light and flavorful twist.

Also one of my favorites during any celebration is Punch!! Get some frozen lemonade or limeade, some frozen berries or fruit of your choice and place all in a punch bowl.  Pour Sierra Mist over the top and you’ve got a great basic punch that can be tweaked to your liking.

As the holidays approach, Pepsi is sure to bring some joy to you this holiday season.

Tis the season for treats! Whether you are making them to share, for your family, or for a special gift-bringer, this is a recipe you should try. You may have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that you already use just add some Diet Pepsi to take it to the next level this year. Here is the recipe I used: 

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 extra-large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon Diet Pepsi, at room temperature (feel free to add more for taste but no more than 2tbsp)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350

Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Using an electric mixer or by hand mix the butter for about 3 minutes until soft and smooth.

Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Then add the egg, Diet Pepsi, and vanilla and mix until just blended.

Next, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Then add the chocolate and coarse sea salt. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir until just blended. 

This is a very moist dough so I suggest putting the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up a bit. Then take 2-3 tbsp of dough roll it and place it on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12-16 minutes or when the bottom of the cookies is golden brown. These cookies are nice and moist! The Diet Pepsi adds a nice flavor and lightness to the cookies. I want to try this using Diet Pepsi in my gingerbread cookies as well.