Peanut Butter Yo-yo's

This has been a Christmas favorite since my college days. I have loved these cookies since my friend, Dwight, gave me a plate of these for Christmas. I begged him for his mom's recipe and he laughed that there's no recipe, she just makes them. They are super good and easy to make. My boys used to help me make them when they were little and Christmas isn't complete without these yummy yo-yo's. All you need is a box of Ritz crackers, peanut butter and almond bark. I like to use the vanilla bark when I make them.

Yum!

Homemade Peanut Butter Yo-yo Cookies  make a wonderful gift packed in a pretty box.
(That's if they don't disappear before you get them packaged.)

Happy Holidays,

Christmas Cookies




White Chocolate Cherry Cookies



The first Saturday after Thanksgiving is 'Cookie Day'.  It's the day that my sisters and I all gather at mom's house and bake for the holidays. It's a tradition that I love.  Baking starts early and continues until late in the day. We are now joined by nieces and nephews that join in the baking frenzy. This year I tried a new recipe.... I sorta followed the recipe, when I packed for Cookie Day I did not read through the recipe well. I packed Almond Bark instead of White Chocolate Baking Squares, so I had to adapt....

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

(From Better Homes and Gardens)

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cold butter

12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped

(I used white almond bark)

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 drops red food coloring

2 teaspoons shortening

Christmas sprinkles, nonpareils or edible glitter

2 teaspoons shortening (didn't use since I used Almond Bark)

Preheat oven to 325. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 2/3 cup of the chopped chocolate. (I did not stir in the chopped chocolate, I added a few extra chopped cherries) Stir in almond extract and food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls. (I use a small cookie scoop) Place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1 1/2" rounds.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

In  small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. (I melted Almond Bark in the microwave...) Dip half of each cookie into chocolate/almond bark. roll dipped edge in Christmas sprinkles. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

Festive MandM Cookies, Merry Mice, Nutter Butter Snowmen, and Spritz Cookies
A sampling of just a few of the goodies we made for the Holidays.

In the spirit of Christmas, I am offering 25% off in my ETSY store today thru Sunday!  Woot! Woot!  The coupon code is JINGLE.

Happy quilting and baking!