Holiday Goodies Made from Bat-Dependent Ingredients

Recently we ran a batty contest on social media. Asking for participants to cook, bake, or mix a holiday goodie that includes as many bat-dependent ingredients as possible.

Bat-dependent ingredients are items that we have thanks to the work of bats. Fruits, seeds, nuts, spices, etc. that are pollinated, seed-dispersed, or protected from pests by bats! There are over 500 flowering plants that rely on bats. Thanks bats!

These scrumptious recipes may be something you’d like to try for your next holiday gathering. Below are the winning recipe, as well as the runner up!

Amy’s Peach, Banana, Mango Pie!

2 cups of sliced peaches

2 cups of sliced mangos

1 sliced banana

1/4 cup of flour

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

Beth’s Hot Cocoa Bombs:

Yield 3 bombs
Equipment
• Round silicone sphere mold (I bought mine on Amazon and used a 2 inch diameter mold)
• Disposable piping bags used for cake decorating (or use quart size ziplock freezer bags)
• Microwaveable bowls to melt chocolate
• Cookie sheet to place silicone mold on to transfer silicone mold to refrigerator (it is too floppy to carry to the fridge)
• Microwaveable plate

Ingredients
• 1 bag chocolate candy melts (I used Wilson brand but any candy melt wafers should work, chocolate chips did not work for me)
• Hot chocolate mix (I used Swiss Miss brand in single serve packets, one box contains 8 packets)
• I cup mini marshmallows
• 1/4 cup red and green candy sprinkles
• Red, green and white candy melts, one bag each for decorations if desired

Instructions
• Add your candy melts to a glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each 30 seconds until melted.
• Fill each cavity of silicone mold with about 1/4 cup of the melted candy.
• Using the back of a spoon gently rub around the edges of the mold until you have coated the entire sphere cavity.
• Transfer to fridge for 10 minutes or so , turn on some music and dance while you wait!
• Remove the mold from the fridge and repeat the process of adding another coat of melted chocolate. Note, if your candy melts have hardened, reheat in microwave. I rested my bowl of melted chocolate in a bowl of hot water and it kept the candy melted. Place in refrigerator for another 10 minutes.

• Follow the directions on your mold to release the chocolate spheres. I was nervous that mine would shatter or break, but they came out just fine. After all the spheres are removed, turn your mold over and place the chocolate spheres to use as a way to stabilize the chocolate.
• Fill one of the candy cups with hot chocolate mix, top with a few marshmallows.
• Heat a plate in the microwave to just warm it up. It doesn't need to be really hot, just warm.
• Take one sphere, turn right side up and gently rub the edge of the chocolate sphere on the hot plate for 2 to 3 seconds to melt the edge.

• Immediately set onto of a filled chocolate cup to form a ball.
• Place back in fridge while you melt the red, green and white candy melts (I only used a 1/4 cup of each color and it was plenty for 3 spheres. Transfer melted colored chocolate to piping bags and cut a tiny piece off the end when ready to use that color. Make zigzag patterns across the top of the cocoa bombs.
• There you have it. I keep mine in the fridge in a muffin tin, lightly wrapped in saran wrap until ready to use.