Reindeer Cookies

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I admit it.  I've totally blown it with my 4-year-old.  By now I had my oldest reading and reciting Shakespeare.  With little Scoot, we are just happy if he has clean underwear on.  He is a smart boy with a mercurial spirit and the fine motor skills of a heart surgeon.  However, Scoot still doesn't know the difference between a letter and a stop sign.  I keep telling myself that if he would just watch more Sesame Street or Barney, we wouldn't be in this pickle.  The slacker.

But while Scoot may not be a literary wunderkind, he has still managed to secure rock star status at preschool by upping the ante on snack days.  Most kids bring crackers and cheese when it is their turn for snacks.  But not Scoot.  He may not be able to write his name, but boy can that kid bring a mean preschool snack!  Yesterday we sent a reindeer-themed snack array, including peanut butter cookie reindeer, reindeer food (crinkle-cut carrots), and snow (air-popped popcorn w/butter and salt).  Cue applause: the snacks were a huge hit.  The teacher personally came out to my minivan to fawn over our antlered creations.  Can you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?  My little Scoot can't, but I'm confident that one day, he too, will join the ranks of illustrious readers and writers.  Until then, at least he has his snack fame to get him through.

Happy holidays, and happy cooking!

Reindeer Cookies

makes approximately 18 reindeer

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

pretzels

red and brown M&Ms

Cream butter and sugar.  Add peanut butter, egg, vanilla, and milk.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Shape into golf-ball-sized mounds and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Pinch the lower half of the dough ball so that it makes a lightbulb shape.  Press down slightly with your palm so that the dough is about 1/4 of an inch thick.  The dough should now look like a big and flat lightbulb.  Adjust the shape of the cookie so that the edges are even and smooth.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Don't overbake!  While the cookies are hot out of the oven, press two brown M&Ms into their centers for the eyes, and a red M&M into the "snouts" of the cookie for the nose.  Press two pretzels into the top of the cookie and gently squeeze the cookie so that the dough molds around the pretzel to hold it in place.  And voila!  Instant preschool stardom!  Serve with carrots and popcorn for full effect.


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