Heather's Bytes

I actually haven’t made these in a little while (the picture above is about two years old!), but that’s probably because the mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups just don’t last that long around here!

This is how easy they are to make:

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

You’ll need:

~ Your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe or refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
~ Unwrapped Reese’s mini peanut butter cups
~ Mini muffin tin

Make your cookie dough and roll into about one inch balls. Either grease a mini muffin tin or line with mini liners (I chose to use liners since these went into tins, otherwise I leave them bare) and plop each ball of dough in. Gently push in one mini peanut butter cup so the dough rises up around the sides.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Make sure you leave the cookies in the tin for about five minutes after you pull them out of the oven so they can set up a bit before you remove them, otherwise they’ll crumble on you!

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I love chocolate crinkle cookies. They’re fun cookies to make, and getting the kids to help makes for a fun (if not messy) afternoon project. They also make a great addition to a holiday tin to give out to friends and neighbors.

[image: flickr]

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup confectioners sugar

Melt chocolate on a heat-proof bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments, checking often; or use a double boiler. Set aside to cool.

Into a small bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Mix on low speed until combined. Divide dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until firm (at least two hours).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a surface dusted with confectioner’s sugar, use your hands to roll each portion of the dough into a log 16 inches in length and about an inch in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to chill (at least 30 minutes). Cut each log into 1-inch pieces and toss in confectioner’s sugar a few at a time, rolling to completely cover each ball. Place cookies on sheets 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have flattened and sugar splits (12-15 minutes).

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes about 5 dozen.

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I came up with the cookies below last year after Halloween. We had a ton of leftover candy that I really wanted to get rid of, but when I heard that you could use the mini candybars for cookies I had to give it a try.

I experiment with mini Snickers and mini Milky Ways, and the Snickers came out best. The Milky Way cookies weren’t bad, but once cooked and then cooled the nougat became tough. I did find them a bit tastier than the Snickers, though!

This does make quite a bit of peanut butter cookie dough, so if you find you don’t have a lot of candy bars left over for all of it, it makes regular peanut butter cookies just fine.

Candybar Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. softened butter
1 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 c. flour
1 (16 oz.) pkg. Mini Snickers bars, cut in half

Cream together sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter. Add vanilla and beaten eggs and mix.

Add baking powder, baking soda and flour; mix well.

Wrap dough around each Snickers bar half, forming a ball.

Place on ungreased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheet. Cookies will flatten as they bake so don’t press them. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown.

Makes about 50 cookies!

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What would the holidays be without gingerbread? It’s my most favorite seasonal flavor, and I love when cooler weather rolls around so I have an excuse to make it (it just doesn’t seem to go well when it’s 120° out or I’d make it then too).

My favorite recipe comes from Gail Gand, talented pastry chef formerly employed by Food Network (which is how you know she’s talented — she no longer has a show there).

For some reason, I don’t have any gingerbread men cookie cutters (although I’ve got these on my wishlist, so maybe I’ll be able to make some next year). I make do with my cute little star cutters, though, which tend to work well for both Christmas cookies and Fourth of July cookies! I also have a little tip on how to get an extra clean-cut cookie.

Warm Gingerbread Cookies
from Gale Gand

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

~ In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix. Add the eggs and mix. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix.

~ Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together. Working in batches and mixing after each addition until just combined, add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture. Shape the dough into a thick disk, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

~ Grease 1 or 2 cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out 1/4-inch thick and cut out with desired cookie cutters.

~ Bake until firm, 8 to 10 minutes, and let cool on the pan.

~ Decorate with frosting and candies, if desired.

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For a cookie cutting tip, click here: Read More