A Christmas Cookie Tradition

[Inside: A Christmas Cookie Tradition]

Traditions Then…

I love cooking with my boys. They have been in the kitchen with me since they were old enough to stand on a step stool next to the counter. We would all put our aprons on, and I would show them how to measure and mix… and of course there was tasting all along the way.

My favorite times with my boys in the kitchen is at Christmas time making Christmas cookies. When they were small, we would play my favorite Christmas song… “Christmas Kisses”… and every time the singer would sing the words “… your Christmas kisses,” my little boys would give their mamma a little kiss.  There would be eggs on the counter, and flour on the floor… and everyone would be on a sugar high by the end of the afternoon. It was fabulous!

Traditions Now…

Now that my boys are teenage and pre-teen ages, they still like to cook with their mom in the kitchen… and I of course love it too.  The Christmas playlist still includes Christmas Kisses, but also a mix of Penatonix, Mariah Carey, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

These days, there’s a little less flour on the floor and a few less broken eggs… but just as much joy, closeness, and memory making… and a whole lot more taste-testing. It’s still as fabulous!

We have a few cookies that we make every year… and sometimes we substitute some of them… but we always make the peanut butter ball (or the Buckeye as those from Ohio call it.)

The peanut butter ball is a no-bake cookie… that is perfect for kids to help with. It’s a bit messy, which is just perfect for kids. If you’ve never tried one, you are missing all of the goodness of chocolate and peanut butter together on one delicious treat. It’s rich, and usually requires a glass of milk. My recipe makes enough so you can keep some for your family and enough to give some away to your friends. I highly recommend you try this recipe this Christmas and make some baking memories of your own…

Peanutbutter Balls (Buckeyes)

Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 2/3 cups (16 oz. jar) peanut butter

1 cup butter, melted

1 package chocolate bark

Directions:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, peanut butter and butter until smooth. (This is fun with kids… watch them with the mixer closely, or you will have a powdered sugar snow storm in your kitchen. Don’t ask me how I know this.)
• Scoop out balls using a cookie scoop.  Roll each ball around in your hands until smoothe. Kids love this part too. Try and stop them from eating the balls. Refrigerate the balls until they are cold. It makes dipping them in the warm chocolate easier.
• In a microwave, melt the chocolate bark one minute at a time, stirring in between heating times. Heat until chocolate is smooth.
• Dip balls in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a wire rack or on parchment. Refrigerate until set. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 5 1/2 dozen.

Check out some of my favorite baking tools, and a couple really great books that will add to your baking experience. (Affiliate links)

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