My mom and I did an abbreviated version of our holiday baking this year. We still managed to make several dozen cookies of various kinds (which my husband’s gaming group promptly devoured yesterday):
- Peanut butter blossoms
- Christmas M&M cookies
- Mint chocolate chip cookies
- Rice Krispie treats
- Buckeyes
The mint chocolate chip cookies came out way better than the M&M cookies, despite using the same recipe. It’s so interesting how the littlest change can produce different results when baking. For a scientific look at this, check out this cool article by Kenji Lopez at Serious Eats that can help you get your cookies exactly how you want them.
Buckeyes are a great traditional candy in Ohio: a sweet peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate so it looks like a buckeye nut (or Brutus, the OSU mascot). The homemade ones look more authentic to my eye, marred only by the small hole left by the toothpick when I dip them. Here’s the recipe I use. I also use a mini-crock pot type fondue pot for melting the chocolate–I think it’s better/easier than microwaving or using a double boiler. I also like to make them small because they are quite sweet.
Jedi by Knight 