Reindeer Cookies

This year at my church we had a live Christmas pageant for the first time in at least 20 years.  My mom is always in charge of the Christmas program and so she’s usually kept it to other things like art crafts or pictures of the nativity story, but this year she decided it was time for a live production.  It was a cute play set in modern times with the stable being an old garage, the shepherds were snowplow drivers, and the wisemen were astronomers.  The kids did a great job and everyone really enjoyed the production.  So I wanted to do something a little extra kid-friendly for everyone to snack on after the service on Sunday.  These adorable reindeer cookies were something I’d seen on Pinterest a year ago and knew they’d be a fun and delicious holiday treat.

These were a huge hit (it’s peanut butter and chocolate, how could you possibly go wrong?!), and would be a fun project to do with kids, although it does require some patience.

Peanut Butter Reindeer CookiesPeanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Makes about 4-5 dozen cookies

Idea from Baker Girl,  Cookie recipe adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cookie Book (an real live cookbook!) Double Peanut Cookies

  • 3 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups loosely packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 6 eggs
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking soda
  • mini M&Ms, pick out the brown ones for eyes (mini chocolate chips would probably also work)
  • holiday M&Ms, then you just have to pick out the red from the green for the Rudolph noses
  • chocolate covered pretzels (mini if you can find them, or cut regular size ones in half), regular pretzels can also be used

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, sugars, butter and eggs with an electric mixer.  Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix with a spatula until just combined.

Scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set and just beginning to turn golden.Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookie

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently but firmly press the chocolate covered pretzels into the top, press a red M&M in the lower middle for the nose, and put two brown mini M&Ms for the eyes.  Repeat.  As the cookies cool the melted chocolate with harden and the cookies won’t be as fragile, but until then be careful with moving them.  It’s probably best to let them set on the pan, or to very gently slide the cookies on their parchment paper onto a cooling rack altogether.

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