Day 1-Let the Reindeer Games Begin *

 

*NOTE: I know this is NOT a reindeer but it IS a cute little Whitetail scrounging for food at the bird-feeders right out the living room window today.*

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. (insert melody with lyrics)…

Christmas tree is up, presents are wrapped…OK OK I confess I have not yet begun my holiday shopping but since we are scaling Christmas WAY back this year and focusing just on the kids (after all it’s all about them anyways), I feel like I can get the majority done this Friday while I am in Duluth. 

Today kicks off my 12 days of Christmas cookies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies from a cookbook my mom got at one of my little cousin’s school fundraisers.  I decided that I had to develop a system to rate the recipe.  I decided that I would rate on a scale of 1-10 (1 being NO ONE SHOULD ATTEMPT this on any level- 10 being Martha Stewart should feature this recipe).  I will rate it’s ease, taste, appearance and overall rating.  Here we go…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies- but I have renamed them Chocolate Reese’s Smush cookies (Not Jersey Shore “Smushin” for all you Guido fans but smush as in- “smush the reese’s cup into the hot cookie”)

RECIPE:

Cookies:

1 C semi sweet choc chips

2 Squares (1 oz each) unsweetened baking chocolate

1 C sugar

1/2 C Butter flavored CRISCO

2 Eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C plus 2 Tbsp Flour

1/2/tsp baking soda

3/4 C finely chopped peanuts

36 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups

Drizzle:

1 cup peanut butter chips OR I used 1/2 C semi sweet choc chips and 1/2 c peanut butter

1.Heat Oven to 350 degrees, and lay out paper bags, foil or parchment paper for cooling cookies

2.For cookies, combine chocolate chips and chocolate squares in a microwave safe measuring cup/bowl and melt (stir frequently and do NOT over heat or you will have a stinky chocolate mess) Set aside to allow slight cooling

3. Combine sugar and CRISCO in a large bowl.  Beat on Medium until blended and crumbly.  Beat in eggs-one at a time, then salt, and vanilla.  Reduce mixer speed and add chocolate slowly.  Mix until well blended.  Stir in flour and baking soda with a spoon until well blended.  Cool dough slightly then Shape into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Roll in chopped peanuts.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  DO NOT OVER BAKE Remove from oven and press Reese’s cup into the center of each cookies.  Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing to foil or paper cooling area.  Cool completely.

5.  For drizzle melt peanut butter chips or chocolate chip/peanut butter combo and put in a plastic bag.  Cut tiny tip off corner of the bag.  Squeeze out and drizzle over cookies.

Makes 3 dozen cookies (Note: I made EXACTLY 3 dozen which NEVER happens with a recipe)

 

Rating:

EASE- 6   (if you want to make it easier just skip the drizzle.  I sampled a cookie before the drizzle and it was still chocolaty, peanut buttery goodness)

TASTE: 9 These were a soft gooey cookie of guilty pleasure goodness.  I am a firm believer that Chocolate and Jelly are in an epic battle to become Peanut Butter’s BFF… After this recipe-I think chocolate might be winning.

APPEARANCE: 10  I surprised myself with this one and how cute and fancy these little cookies look and uniformly sized to boot!!!!

OVERALL: 8  I would definitely make these tasty little treats again.  Or at least make a double batch! (My errand boy only picked up one bag of Reese’s…Next time I’ll be more specific..hehe)

See you tomorrow for: Crispy Oat Drops