Holiday Baking!

hi everyone, I'm guest posting over at Married... With a Pup today! I shared a great recipe for Peppermint Meringues and some Holiday Baking Tips, so head over and check them out!

Also, I thought I'd share a few more recipes over here - I was baking up a storm this weekend and made five different types of goodies for co-worker holiday packages for DJ and I... here are two more of the recipes I made --

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter [creamy, for sure!]
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped [keep in mind, this is probably two bags -- especially if you have a husband who opens the bag and steals a few... I ran out of them and added m&ms to the leftovers just so they'd have a little something special going on] [also, unwrap early, or you'll be running around like a crazed person while the peanut butter cookies are in the oven trying to get them done in time]

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. 
4. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. 
5. Add the flour mixture; mix well. 
6. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. [they won't look done, at least mine didn't - but they are, don't overcook! 8-10 minutes should be plenty]
9. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Recipe from allrecipes.com 

Gingerbread Stars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. 
2. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. 
3. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in another bowl, 
4. Blend flour mixture into the molasses mixture until smooth. 
5. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. 
9. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. 
10. Frost or decorate when cool.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

yum. I'm hungry just looking at those pictures...

they're easy & fun holiday cookies, so get to baking!