Family Cookie Baking | Peanut Butter Reese’s Cookies

One of my favorite Christmas memories as a child is of making Christmas cookies with the fam.  We donned shower caps and aprons, listened to Christmas music and excitedly sampled our creations as they came out of the oven.  It made the whole month of December feel like Christmas.

We’ve faithfully made cookies every year since Mike and I were married, but have never had as much fun as when we included the boys this week.  We’re building memories I hope the boys will cherish into their adulthood as well.

I want to share a recipe that my mom’s made for years and that we’ve adopted as our own (adding a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup topper instead of a Hershey’s Kiss).  The best part to this cookie is that there are plenty of jobs for little hands. Allow your little ones to pour measured ingredients into your mixing bowl, roll the dough in sugar and place Reese’s on top of finished cookies (but do mind the cookie sheet!).  I don’t know that I would have been brave enough to take this project on with the kiddies by myself, but having Daddy join us always makes everything better :).

PEANUT BUTTER REESE’S COOKIES | Makes about 60 cookies
Adapted from the Cyclops Cookie recipe from Better Homes and Garden’s “Cookie’s for Kids” Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
Sugar
Small Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Directions
1.  Beat butter/margarine and peanut butter with electric mixer.
2.  Add the sugar & brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
3.  Add egg, milk, and vanilla.  Beat well.
4.  Blend together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
5.  Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture beating well.
6.  Cover and chill about 1 hr for easier handling.
7.  Preheat oven at 375.
8.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in additional sugar.
9.  Place sugared balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm.
10.  Immediately press a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on top of each cookie.
11.  Cool cookies and chocolate completely on a cooling rack.

Happy Memory Making :)!