{Oh-So-Cute} Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Sometimes you just need cute cookies. And most definitely at Christmas. These adorable reindeer cookies deliver the cuteness factor in full force! From their chocolate brown eyes to their shiny red noses, they'll steal your heart away in no time! They are easy-peasy (being just a simple peanut butter cookie dough) and fun to put together! Kids will love helping poke the M & Ms into the cookies (just make sure you help them so they don't burn their fingers!).

If possible, do try and find mini chocolate covered pretzels for the antlers. As you can see from the picture, I did not. I couldn't find any that I thought suitably small, so I opted to try using regular mini pretzels. Unfortunately  there isn't any chocolate "glue" to hold these antlers on, so I improvised by using brown frosting to stick the "antlers" to the cooled cookies. It worked, but it's definitely more tedious. So scour your supermarket- surely the mini chocolate covered pretzels are out there!

However you assemble your team of reindeer, the effect on your friends will surely be worth it!

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

(printable version)

adapted slightly from Bakergirl

makes about 40

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

3 TB milk

1 TB vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

chocolate covered mini pretzels

mini brown M&Ms

regular sized red M&Ms

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.

Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log about 8-10 in. long. Shape logs into triangles (3 flat sides), wrap in wax paper and chill about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375.

Working with one log at a time, unwrap and slice into 1/4 in. slices. Place on cookie sheet about 2 in. apart. Bake 7-8 min. or until set and just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops  of the cookies (one of the flat sides of the triangle is the top of the head) for antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (at the bottom point of the triangle). 

Allow to cool 2 min. on the sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.