Christmas Countdown Week 2

Don’t you feel organized? We have been having very Christmas like weather here in Texas. Dark and rainy and cool. I know it sounds odd to those of you that get lovely Currier and Ives Christmases but there you go. My fellow Texans are laughing but they know it’s true.

I do things besides cookies for make aheads but cookies freeze long term the best. Some of the other things; rolls, side dishes, and such will be posted later on…Like the end of October.

By a different cookie every week by the time you are ready to put together those cookie gifts you have an incredible and effortless assortment. I write a list of who will be getting cookies and that gives me an idea of how many I am going to make. I try to take a platter to the police and fire stations on Christmas Eve because these guys (that was a generic *guys* term..I am referring to both sexes) work really hard for little appreciation. I also leave a batch in the mailbox for the mailman (altho our new mailman does NOT deserve them). Then there are the people Marc works with, his good customers, and this year, some of the staff at the VA hospital that we deal with often. Add to that the kids Sunday school teachers, the Youth Pastor…well you get the idea. I love that I can be considered generous and thoughtful without really working at it.

The cookie for today is pretty much an old fashioned favorite of everyone. They look great on the cookie plate, or beautiful given as a gift in clear wrap. They travel well and freeze well and are the first to disappear. You really can’t ask for more than that.

Peanut Butter Kisses

makes 7 dozen

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c peanut butter

1 cup unsalted butter

2 eggs

3 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch salt ONLY if you are using homemade unsalted peanut butter

sugar for rolling

7 dozen hershey’s kisses unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350F

Beat sugar, brown sugar , butter, peanut butter and eggs until blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt if using homemade peanut butter. You can freeze at this point if you wish
Shape dough in 1″ balls and roll in granulated sugar (or colored sugar or red and green sprinkles). You can freeze at this point if you wish. Just flash freeze the balls on a cookie sheet and then toss into a freezer container.

Place 1 ” apart on cookie sheet covered with silpat or left ungreased. Bake 8-10 minutes. Immediately press Hershey kiss into each cookie when you remove them from the oven. Freeze. I usually freeze these in layers in a food grade plastic bin with wax paper between.