Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

(modified from Annie's Eats)

3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1½ t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
¼ c. vegetable shortening
4 Tb. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. honey
2 large eggs

mini M&M's (pick out the brown ones)

red M&M's (regular, peanut, or pretzel variety)

chocolate covered pretzels

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening, butter, peanut butter and honey.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Roll the dough into 1½-inch balls, then place on cookie sheet and pinch one end so that the cookie is a more triangular shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350˚, or until slightly puffed and golden.  Remove from the oven and press in brown mini M&M's for the eyes, red M&M for the nose and two pretzels for antlers. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Sugar Cookies

 
(Can you believe how tiny my kids are in these photos? They're from Dec. 2007)


Lana's Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
3 t. baking powder

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and mix well. Sift together flour and baking powder and stir into the wet ingredients.

Chill for ten minutes. Roll and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes or until very light brown.


(2009 and Christian's on the counter again!)

Wreath Cookies

Wreath Cookies


1/2 cup butter or margarine
34 large marshmallows (nearly one 10 oz. pkg.)
1 t. green food coloring
1 t. vanilla
4 c. Cornflakes
cinnamon red hot candies

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows, and cook until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in the food coloring and vanilla. Pour over cornflakes in a large bowl and mix well.

Quickly drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto waxed paper, and form into a wreath shape with buttered fingers. Immediately decorate with red hot candies. Allow to cool to room temperature before removing from waxed paper, and storing in an airtight container.

This is another treat that's great for other holidays (images are linked):

Christmas trees decorated with craisins

(Christian, Porter and Breck in preschool, Dec. 2009)

pumpkins


nests

Play Dough

(Porter and Christian making dinosaur prints in playdough at preschool, Oct. 2009)

My Favorite Playdough Recipe

2 c. water
1 c. salt
4 t. cream of tartar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 c. flour

Add to a saucepan the water, salt and cream of tartar. Heat until it comes to a boil and the salt disolves as much as it will (about 1 minute). Add vegetable oil and flour. Stir until it forms a ball and then turn out onto the counter. Knead together after it cools some and add flour if it's too sticky or water if it's too dry. You may add food coloring to the water at the beginning, or knead into individual portions of clay after it's made. Store in an airtight container.

Meringue Cookies

(photo of bone meringue cookies that we brought to Joy's Halloween party in 2010)

Even though they're fat-free and low calorie, these are still scrumptious!

Meringue Cookies

3 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 235 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the other ingredients while whipping to stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls or pipe onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, turn oven off. Open oven door about one inch and let sit in oven for an additional hour. Remove carefully from parchment.

*Also delicious with mini chocolate chips added.
*Can replace the sugar with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Splenda to make sugar-free!

Can just drop by tablespoonful for plain, or get creative with holiday shapes! (photos are linked for credit and/ or tutorial)

Teddy Bear Treats

We did these for our Teddy Bear Tea Party in preschool May of 2010 and they were just too cute not to include here! Assemble using a pretzel rod, toasted coconut marshmallows--one for the head and 1/4 for each ear, 1/2 mini marshmallow for the snout and mini chocolate chips for the eyes and nose. I used peanut butter to "glue" the pieces together, but you could also use frosting.

Saltwater Taffy

(Christian pulling taffy at our pioneer party with Ann and Natalie, July 2009)

Saltwater Taffy

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. margerine or butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla, peppermint extract, or other flavoring
few drops food coloring (optional)

Butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling. Clip on candy thermometer and cook over medium heat without stirring to 265 degrees (about 40 min.). Remove from heat and stir in margerine, flavoring and coloring. Pour into prepared pan and cool for about 15 minutes or till easy to handle.

Butter hands. Divide candy into 6-8 pieces, then twist and pull each piece until it turns a lighter, creamy color (about 10 min.). Stretch into a rope shape and, with buttered scissors, snip taffy into bite size pieces. Wrap in clear plastic wrap or waxed paper.