Reindeer Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Mini brown M&Ms
Regular-sized red M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

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.

Form dough into 1/2-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color... some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.).

Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

from Bakergirl

JT -- I made these at Kris' house.  They came out cute, but you have to work fast!  I couldn't find mini M&M's or mini chocolate pretzels (check Trader Joe's next time!), so I made substitutions.  They came out cute.  They don't travel real well - the pretzels are a bit loose.  Also, the pretzels tend to get stale.  Chocolate covering would help on both counts.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treat

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Ingredients:
Rice Crispy Treats Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 10 oz marshmallows
• 6 cups rice crispy cereal
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (may omit)

Turkey Decor:

• candy corn
• cashews (split in half, and then broken in two)
• Whoppers (or other round, brown candy)
• black frosting
• red licorice (I used Twizzlers “Pull & Peel”) – or a dried cranberry might work
• more peanut butter for “glue”

Method:
To Make Turkey Crispies
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat (with peanut butter if using). When melted, add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal and mix well.
While still warm, use your hands to form the mixture into small balls.  Then use additional peanut butter for “glue” to tack on the candy corn (feathers), Whopper (head), beak (cashew), little red waddle (licorice), and then use black frosting to make the eyes.  You may need to squish these down slightly so that there’s a flat part on the bottom, in order to help the “bird” balance.  :)
To Make Rice Crispy Bars
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat (with peanut butter if using). When melted, add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal and mix well. If using sprinkles, add sprinkles and mix well (add more, and some more). Pour contents into baking dish and spread evenly. When cooled, cut into squares and serve.
Ali’s Tip:
I didn’t cover these with chocolate this time since I was making the little turkeys, but normally love pouring a layer of melted chocolate chips over PB rice crispy treats when they’re in “bar” form.  Just melt 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips in a double burner, or carefully in the microwave (use a teaspoon or two of shortening if needed to thin it out), and then pour it over the finished bars.  YUM!
Another fun way to add a little “decor” — if using the chocolate or not — is just to add some cute colorful sprinkles on top.  Super-easy!

From Ali @ Gimme Some Oven

Cute food!

Cupcakes topped with Marshmallow Snowmen.  Candy scarves and hats.  Wouldn't use toothpicks again; find an edible alternative.  Also, find hats that are lighter -- snowmen were top-heavy.

Penguins made with jumbo olives (small olives for head), Boursin Herb cheese spread piped inside, and carrots for feet and nose.  Hold together with pick.

BBQ Cupcakes

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes with BBQ decorations.  Made from Nilla wafers, Grasshopper cookies, frosting, gummibears, circus peanuts, caramels, etc.

Pirate Ship Cake