Christmas time is a busy baking season. It’s the only time of the year when you get out your Christmas cookie cutters,

make candy cane cookies, and other countless tasty treats.

Every year we make chocolate covered pretzels. Who can resist the contrasting taste of sweet and salty. Another one of our favorites is Peanut Butter Balls. Both of these recipes require melted chocolate. Usually I just melt the chocolate in the microwave and away we go.

We have no microwave, as we have moved on to a toaster oven. The other suggested option is using a double boiler. I don’t have one of those either. I didn’t want to spend any extra money, so I decided to make do with what I had and put together my own double boiler.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Fill a pot with water.
2. Place pie plate on top. (Make sure there is space for the steam to escape.)
3. Place in chocolate to melt.
4. Turn up the heat.

This worked great. It’s always nice to finding new ways to use the utensils you have.

What’s your favorite treat to make at Christmas time?