Peanut Butter Cup Secrets (Favorite Christmas Cookie Ever)
These cookies are incredible – worth every extra step on the treadmill. They are also super easy and quick for kids to make (even really little people.) Our kids had a blast opening the wrappers, dumping ingredients, and rolling balls with the dough. It kept them quite busy and there were no casualties to speak of.
The same could not be said for these no-bake Santa Cookies and these Traditional Sugar Cookies. Both recipes were great for our 4 year old, but a nightmare for the 2 year old Little Man. We had a burned finger in the white melted chocolate, sprinkles all over the house (oh what a 2 year old boy will do!), and crying over the length of the cookie making process.
Peanut Butter Cup Secrets Recipe:
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
45 peanut butter cups
Glaze:
1 tsp shortening
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp peanut butter
Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheet. Combine shortening, brown sugar, sugar, and peanut butter in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed until blended.
Form rounded teaspoonfuls of dough around each peanut butter cup. Enclose entirely. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until just browned. Remove immediately to a wire rack.
For glaze: Combing shortening, chocolate chips, and peanut butter in microwave. Microwave at 50%. Stir after 1 minute and repeat until smooth. Dip cookie tops in glaze.
Got any favorite Christmas Cookies of your own? Any suggestions for Christmas Cookies that kids can make (without drama)?
If you’re still looking for a last minute Christmas Cookie recipe, head to What Megan’s Making for her 12 Days of Christmas series. She’s also got some great recipes up for Christmas morning breakfast, including Gingerbread pancakes. They look so good!
Themocracy
I love the pictures of food! Are they with your new camera??
Yes!!!!! I love it, Megan! If it hadn’t been for your new acquisition, we would’ve never gotten ours. Now just to figure out how to use the thing. (Paul’s the photographer in our house:)
Those look SO YUMMY!! We just do the classic sugar cookies and decorate them with all kind of goodies. The kids love to help roll out the dough and cut out the cookies. I’ve started to try different frosting recipies because Eric is not fond of the crisco/powdered sugar recipe. I tried a recipe yesterday, but should have used imitation vanilla instead of the real vanilla. Eric’s comment was “The kids will say (in a slurred voice), We want more of those cookies.” lol
Emily – I would love that frosting recipe. Paul thought the frosting was a little bland – not enough sugar. And the thing had 4 cups! I think we just need to switch recipes. Can you get me yours? That’s funny about Eric!
Here it is:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter (I used the real stuff)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp salt
I ended up using more of the whipping cream than the 4 tbsp whipping cream so it would stick together. I’m sure reg. milk would be fine as well, we just have heavy whipping cream in lately (it’s great in coffee). In the end I did add more powdered sugar to get the right consistency. Hope it turns out!
thanks, emily! i’ll have to give this a try.
LOVE the new site, LOVE the recipes, LOVE the pictures….my husband and son would love this. Unfortunately, me and Lexi HATE peanut butter.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Say Hi to the kids from us.
Aww. Thanks for the love about the site, Leah.
Yeah, peanut butter is polarizing. You either love it or you don’t.
We’re excited about Tom coming to speak @ the Castle. Will miss you and Lexi though!