Description
Festive peanut butter reindeer cookies bring holiday cheer with playful chocolate and pretzel antlers. Chocolate chips and candy eyes complete these whimsical treats that delight children and adults at winter gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (125 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- Mini pretzels
- Candy eyes
- Red candy-coated chocolates
Instructions
- Preparation: Mix butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy and well-blended, creating a smooth foundational mixture.
- Wet Ingredients Integration: Blend egg and vanilla extract thoroughly into the creamy base, ensuring complete incorporation.
- Dry Mixture Creation: Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together, distributing leavening components evenly.
- Dough Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, combining until a uniform dough emerges, then chill for 30 minutes to enhance flavor and texture.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal cookie release.
- Cookie Shaping: Form uniform dough balls, spacing them strategically on prepared baking sheet and gently flattening each to ensure even baking.
- Baking Process: Cook until cookie edges turn golden and centers appear set, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Decorative Transformation: While cookies are warm, strategically place pretzel pieces as antlers, attach candy eyes, and position red candy nose to create whimsical reindeer characters.
- Cooling and Presentation: Allow cookies to rest briefly on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling before serving or packaging for festive sharing.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate for 30 minutes to prevent excessive spreading and enhance cookie texture, allowing butter to solidify and flavors to meld beautifully.
- Position Decorations Precisely: Add pretzel antlers and candy features immediately after baking while cookies remain warm, ensuring smooth attachment without breaking delicate surfaces.
- Control Baking Consistency: Watch cookie edges closely during 8-10 minute baking window, removing when golden but still slightly soft to maintain chewy, tender texture.
- Substitute Smartly: Replace traditional ingredients with gluten-free flour and dairy-free butter for allergy-friendly versions without compromising delightful reindeer cookie appearance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg