These mightiness rattling shaft be the cutest Christmas cookies I've e'er seen.
It doesn't get any more festive or Christmasy than this. They're perfect for taking to a Christmas party if you need something fun, fast, and easy to make (unless, like me, you run out of both red M&Ms and chocolate-covered pretzels, but that's beside the point.).
I made these using just regular peanut butter cookies because I was having a craving only peanut butter could fix, but they would work just as well with sugar cookies... or even gingerbread!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Mini brown M&Ms
- Regular-sized red M&Ms
- Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.
- Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.
- Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color... some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.).
- Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.
- Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.