Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

from: Amy Arend

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.
Scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. Place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet.
Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

Heidi's Mice

from: Taste of Home, December 2004

Peanut Butter Christmas Mice

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanut halves
2 tablespoons green and red M&M miniature baking bits
4 teaspoons mini semisweet chocolate chips
Cake decorator holly leaf and berry candies
60 - 66 pieces red shoestring licorice (2 inches each)

In a large mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Roll into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Pinch each ball at one end to taper. Insert two peanut halves in center of ball for ears. Add one M&M baking bit for nose and two chocolate chips for eyes. Arrange holly and berry candies in front of one ear.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Gently insert one licorice piece into each warm cookie for tail. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen.

LeAnn's Rocky Road

by: LeAnn Moss

LeAnn writes,
"I really don't have a recipe for it. I just fill a bowl full of marshmallows and some peanuts. Then mix them a bit. Melt my dipping chocolate then mix it in with the marshmallows until they are covered pretty good. Then put onto tinfoil and shape into a log and wrap the tinfoil around it and refrigerate until it hardens. Then slice and enjoy."

Almond Joy Candy

by: Crystal Murdock

3/4 cup instant mashed potatoes, prepared with water but without butter or salt
1 teaspoon Almond flavoring
1 lb. coconut
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Almonds
Dipping Chocolate
White Chocolate, optional

Mix almond flavoring in mashed potatoes. Add coconut and powdered sugar, mix well. Roll mixture into small balls and place on waxed paper. Place an almond on each ball and slightly press down. Dip each ball and almond in chocolate and return to waxed paper to dry. Drizzle with white chocolate if desired.

Dipped Cracker Snacks

by: Stephanie Westover and Jackie Payne

96 butter-flavored crackers (Ritz)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup marshmallow cream

2 pounds milk chocolate candy coating, melted

Spread half the crackers with peanut butter, the other half with marshmallow cream. (I used a plastic baggie with the tip cut off and squeezed it on, it was much faster). Place together to make a sandwich. Dip cracker sandwiches in melted candy coating allowing excess to drip off and place on waxed paper. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles if desired. Makes 4 dozen.

Jam Crumb Bars

The cookie party was lots of fun last night! I have a few recipes now, and will continue to post as more come in. I'll start with mine:

Jam Crumb Bars
Corri Havlicek, from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
Jam suggestions: raspberry, strawberry, peach, or apricot

3 sticks butter, softened, cubed
2 ¼ cups almonds, finely ground
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups jam, light colored is best

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 10 x 15 cookie sheet, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together almonds, flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or work in with your fingers until the mixture resembles pea-size crumbs with a few larger clumps.

Transfer half the crumb mixture to prepared baking sheet; set aside remaining mixture, cover. Using the back of a large spoon, press dough evenly into the pan, then with a rolling pin, roll along the dough to smooth and even. Dough should be firmly packed, with no holes or cracks. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until lightly golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Evenly spread jam over cooled crust. Scatter with remaining crumb mixture, squeezing some of the mixture so that large clumps are visible and evenly distributed over the top of the jam. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the topping begins to turn light golden brown, 20 – 22 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen, cut into 2 x 3 inch bars.

and the winner is...

...Heidi Bevell!

Can you believe this?! It was sooo cute, the picture does not do it justice. The recipe for the sugar cookies is below.
and look at her cute little mice...

Betty Crocker Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp, cream of tartar
granulated sugar

Mix powdered sugar, margarine, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

WHEN READY TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough into halves. Roll each half 3/16-inch thick on lightly floured clothe covered board. Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are light brown, 7-8 minutes.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Heidi Bevell
from: Kraft Foods

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Place ingredients in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 min., then beat on medium speed 1 min. or until mixture pulls away from side of bowl and forms soft dough.
SHAPE into 44 (1-inch) balls. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten each ball, in criss-cross pattern, with tines of fork dipped in sugar.
BAKE 7 to 8 min. or just until edges of cookies are set. (Do not overbake.) Cool on baking sheet 2 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Chocolate Oreo Balls

Jackie Payne

1 package of Oreo Cookies
1 8oz brick of cream cheese
Dipping Chocolate, any kind

In a food processor crush the whole package of oreo's until they are very fine. Then add the cream cheese and combine them both until it makes a thick paste (it works better if the cream cheese is cold from the refrigerator). Roll out balls the size of a quarter. Don't get them too big or they won't dip very well. If the balls are too soft put them in the freezer for 15-30 min until they are hard enough to dip. Melt your dipping chocolate in a double boiler. Dip the balls and set them out on wax paper to cool.

Meltaway Cookies

Corri Havlicek
from: The Essential Mormon Cookbook

1 cup butter
¾ cup cornstarch
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour

In a medium bowl cream butter until fluffy. Add cornstarch and sugar and blend well. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. Drop by small teaspoons onto baking sheet and flatten out with the bottom of a glass. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Color with food coloring if desired.

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Virginia Hatch

2 ¼ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ c. granulated sugar
¾ c. packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c. (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased sheets.
Bake for 9 – 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool completely.
For high altitude baking: Increase flour to 2 ½ cups. Add 2 tsp. water with flour and reduce both sugars to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 – 10 minutes.
*Here’s what I do: I use butter flavored Crisco, I only set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 9 minutes, and I always use the high altitude directions. It has made all the difference for me.

Cut-out Cookies

Crystal Murdock

1 package “Super Moist Cherry Chip” cake mix
1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/3 cup butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Mix it all up and bake at 375 degrees for 6 – 8 minutes. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack.

Santa's Surprise Cookies

LeAnn Moss

1 bag Snickers Miniatures
2 cubes butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Combine butter, both sugars, and peanut butter, beat until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, then mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. Cover and chill for 2 – 3 hours. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into 1 tablespoon pieces and flatten. Place a Snickers in the center and form a ball around it. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes. Cool and drizzle with chocolate.

Raspberry Almond Sandwich Cookies

Stephanie Westover

1 package sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp water
3/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/3 cups sliced almonds, broken
Seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375'. Combine cookie mix, egg, oil, water and almond extract in large bowl and stir until thoroughly blended. Drop half of dough by level measuring teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. (its a small amount of dough but it will spread). With the other half of the dough, measure exactly the same, but place nuts on top before baking. Bake both for 6 min at 375'. Cool completely and spread raspberry jam on plain cookies, top with almond topped cookies and store in an airtight container.

Ginger Creme Cookies

Shanon Martinez AKA Pinky Starfish

1/3 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/2 Cup Water
2 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp milk

Mix shortening, sugar, egg, molasses, and water thoroughly. Stir in remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill dough. Spoon dough onto cookie sheet and swirl around. Bake at 400' and top with icing.

Dipped Oreos

Corie Green

form a solid and lasting relationship with walmart
walk into store
purchase pre-dipped oreos
purchase colored gels for drizzling
go home and drizzle purchased oreos with purchased icing
take oreos to party and impress everyone with your tremendous talent at dipping and drizzling

noone will be the wiser IF you don't tell *wink*wink
Everybody was very impressed, and I was mostly jealous that I didn't think of it myself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

From the Kitchen of Robin Connell

1 c. butter or marg. softened
1 c. crunchy or creamy Peanut Butter
1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
1 ½ c. vanilla wafers crushed
1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c. whipping cream

Beat butter and PB at medium speed in mixer until well blended. Add sugar and wafer crumbs and beat until well blended. Press mixture evenly into lightly greased 9x13 pan lined with wax paper.
Stir together choc chips and cream in a medium sauce pan over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread evenly over the top of PB mixture. Chill about 30 minutes or until firm.
Remove from fridge and let stand at room temp for about 10 min. before cutting into 2x2 inch bars.