12 Treats of Christmas: Best of Both Worlds

Hmmm...on second thought, maybe these particular cookies, the candy-filled cookies, should have been the finale in this series.  I mean, really, it's the best of both cookies and candy, rolled up together in one big nugget of goodness.  Mmmm...

But in case you hadn't noticed, we had a bit of a...shall we say...setback...in the treat-making department this week, so I decided to go with my favorites (my reward for slopping around in still-warm body fluids for 3 days), and since we didn't have all the ingredients to make the truffles (and I haven't been able to leave the house, basically, for three days), I went with what I had, which is these delicious recipes:

Rolo cookies. 

I won't bore you with a recipe, because there are so many different variations out there.  Basically, you take cookie dough, and you wrap it around a rolo, and then you bake it.  I've seen folks use sugar cookie dough, chocolate chip cookie dough (<--- that would be delish), brownie cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough, and what we used, which was snickerdoodle cookie dough.

Just stuff a rolo into ~1 T of dough, then roll it into a ball. 
Bake at 325ish for 14 or so minutes.

Why snickerdoodles, you ask?  Well, because, in case you hadn't noticed, there are less than 4 weeks left until Christmas.  And we've got 12 treats to make.  And that means (I'll do the math for you) we need to make 3 treats a week.  Now, Christmas isn't really a hard deadline for us.  I mean, it's just us, no visitors to impress (and by impress I mean trick them into thinking that our house is clean and our children are obedient and I'm efficient and on-top-of-it enough to single-handedly get 12 different kinds of Christmas treats made in less than a month).  But I don't want to let you all down.  'Cause I know you're counting on me.

So snickerdoodles, because I thought I would bake two cookies with one batter or something like that (for those of you who still don't get it, snickerdoodles are on the list too).  We used this recipe from Betty Crocker.  Nothing special.  Do yourself a favor and let these cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to wax paper to cool completely (in other words, skip the cooling rack).

Mmm.  I was not disappointed.  Totally yum.

Santa's Snickers Surprises.

These are my all-time favorite Christmas cookie.  Seriously, so good.  In fact, I took these to a cookie exchange, and we had to bring extras for tasting, and then I was talking to someone who didn't know it was I who had brought them, and she was trying to convince me not to take any so there'd be more for her.  Because she liked them so much.

This recipe, I will bore you with.  'Cause it's yum.

Here's what you need:

• 1 c. butter or margarine, softened
• 1 c. creamy peanut butter
• 1 c. light brown sugar
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 1/2 c all purpose flour (sifted)
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 pkg (13 oz) snickers brand miniatures (I used fun size because that's what was on sale after Halloween.  I cut each of them in half so they'd be the right size, and no I didn't eat half, use half)

Here's what you do:

1. Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on low to medium speed until fluffy.
2. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.  Then mix in flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours.
4. Unwrap the miniatures.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 1 T pieces and flatten.
6. Place a snickers brand miniature in the center of each piece of dough.
7. Form the dough into a ball around each miniature.
8. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300*F for 10-12 minutes.
9. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to wax paper to cool completely (again, do yourself a favor and skip the cooling rack).

**Holiday hint (I never do this): Spruce up Santa's surprise with powdered sugar and drizzle melted Dove brand chocolates over the top of each cookie.

Recipe says it makes 2 dozen, but I always use up all the snickers (about 3 dozen) and usually have some leftover dough that becomes peanut butter cookies.

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So, here's what we've got left to make:

• Santa's Snicker's Surprises
• Rolo Cookies**
• Oreo Truffles
• Peppermint Oreo Truffles**
• Turtle Cheesecake Truffles**
• Buckeyes**
• Little Cookies
• Marshmallow Star Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Chocolate dipped pretzel rods
• Christmas tree cake pops
• Sugar cookies--specifically trees

Up next: sweet things, rolled into balls, and dipped in chocolate (if I can ever make it to the grocery store, that is!) 

Oh, Hubby's going to be so excited when he hears there are snickerdoodles waiting for him at home!