Cookie Decorating

On Monday we had friends over to help us decorate Spring Cookies. The kids loved it! There was SO much frosting and SO many sprinkles. I tried a new cut out cookie recipe that I really liked. I usually have problems with my cut outs spreading and not keeping their shape, but these stayed perfect (June, the cookies WERE perfect, right?). :) The fact that they also had almond extract in them was a bonus!

What I've Been Doing Tonight

This is the best new recipe that I've gotten this year. It is so simple and everyone loves them. You lay your pretzels on a cookie sheet. Put a Rolo on top of each one. Put them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 2 minutes or until the chocolate looks shiny. Take them out and press a pecan half in each one. They are like turtle candies. Put them in the fridge for 5 min. or so to harden. This is a new Christmas cookie recipe that I got out of this month's Taste of Home magazine. I really liked the cookies even without the frosting. They use powdered sugar instead of granulated. The frosting is different too in that it uses meringue powder and corn syrup among other things. I started playing with the frosting on my last cookie and got a neat tie dye effect. Check out the second cookie picture on the right hand bottom. I think I'll make some more and really play with the icing some more. I was just too tired tonight. FYI cereal bags make great waxed paper to put your cookies on or use as dividers between layers of cookies or candy.

This one you do the same as above, except use Hershey Kisses and M and M's. I used the "Holiday" mint M and M's.
We have a potluck tomorrow at work and these three things are what I am taking. I want to make some more stuff on Friday night and hopefully get my Christmas cards done (make that STARTED and done). We have our first Christmas on Saturday with Tim's family. I still have some gifts to get ready for that also.

Peanut Butter Crinkles

These are my new favorite peanut butter cookies. I really like them because they call for so little butter (not because I don't like butter, but because I hate to use 1/2 a box to make cookies!).

(Can anyone tell me why every batch comes out looking different than the last? None of them look the same. The first batch on the left looked the best!)

Peanut Butter Crinkles

1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 teaspoon soda

1. Cream peanut butter, butter until soft.
2. Add sugars gradually, continuing to cream until light, fluffy.
3. Add egg; beat well.
4. Sift flour, salt, soda together; add in 2 additions; beat well after each addition.
5. Drop from teaspoon, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cooky sheet.
6. Press down each cooky with a fork; press second time so that ridges are at angles.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes in moderate oven 350 F.
8. Yield: 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

I copied this recipe exactly as it was written in Margaret Mitchell's "Mealtime Magic Desserts" cookbook from 1951. I love vintage cookbooks! I thought the spelling of cookie was interesting. I did not sift my flour. I baked my cookies for 7-8 minutes. If you like them chewy, underbake them. I also doubled the recipe and it turned out fine.