Day 17: Puppy Chow Cookies (!!!)

Yes, I went there. I took everyone's favorite snack, and made it into a cookie. Although my Business Man's response was, "Why not just make puppy chow? It tastes almost the same!" And I said, "But it's way more fun in cookie form!"

Let me tell you, these cookies are indulgent, but oh-so-worth-it. If you're a chocolate-peanut butter lover, you will love these cookies.


[Side note: There's a mom & pop ice cream joint back in my hometown that sells Puppy Chow 'Wizards.' (Their take on a DQ Blizzard.) It is one of the best ice cream concoctions I have ever eaten. And I have eaten a lot of ice cream. Just ask my Business Man or my college room mate/maid of honor in our wedding. If you are ever in Washington, IL, you will have to head to the Ice Cream Shack and try one. But only if it's summer; they have seasonal hours.]


The cookies have a few steps, and take a little while to make. They're perfect for a lazy afternoon. Like today. (Did I mention that today was our last day of school for 2 whole weeks?? And, we got out early at 1:30! Woot woot!)

You start off by making a basic peanut butter cookie dough. It then has to chill before you can actually bake the cookies, but only for 30 minutes.

And while it chills, you can browse more recipes online, drink Diet Dew, and of course lick the beater!

Then, once they've chilled, you roll the dough into 1-inch balls. And here's where it's a little different: You do not roll them in sugar. Otherwise, the chocolate will not stick to them very well once they're baked and cooled. And of course, squish 'em flat with a fork.


Then, you bake them, and let them cool.

Once they've cooled, you melt your Puppy Chow Coating mixture. (Basic mix of chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter.) And you get some powdered sugar in a bowl.

Like how I coordinated my 'dipping' bowls to be Christmas colors?

And here's the fun part. Dip each cookie in the chocolate, covering it completely. 

Then, plop it in the bowl of powdered sugar. Yes, it will be messy, and yes, you will get powdered sugar everywhere. No big deal, right? You get to lick your fingers when you're done, after all. ;-)

Voila! You have just made Puppy Chow Cookies! And your entire family/friends that you share them with will thank you. As long as you also give them a glass of milk.

Earlier, I mentioned that we had an early dismissal from school, because today was our last day before Christmas break!! (Errr... "Winter" break...)


Well, I knew the kiddos would be all over the place today, so I planned a fun-ish math activity for them to work on. (As fun as it could be.)


We made "Polyhedron" ornaments. Basically, we had learned in Geometry recently that polygon is a many-sided 2-d figure. So today we learned that a polyhedron is a many-sided 3-d figure. They each got to make their own polyhedron ornament, created from scrapbook paper cut into circles and folded into triangles. Confused yet? They could choose a "small" (using 8 circles) or a "large" (using 20 circles).

The finished product.

They enjoyed it quite a bit! And it kept them quiet and busy today, so that was lovely. Maybe you should make a polyhedron ornament for your tree?!?


So long, for now! Stay tuned tomorrow for some snacking sensations!

Puppy Chow Cookies

Servings/Yield

3 dozen

• Peanut Butter Cookies
• ¾ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1¼ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• Puppy Chow Coating
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• powdered sugar, for coating

Method

For cookies, cream together peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla until well-blended. Add egg until just-blended. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix until just-blended.

Place in fridge to chill at least 30 minutes, for easier handling of the dough. Roll into balls and flatten with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern.

Bake at 375*F for 8-10 minutes, until set and just beginning to turn brown. Cool completely.

For Puppy Chow Coating, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 1-minute intervals, until just melted. Stir until smooth.

Place powdered sugar in an additional bowl. Dip each cooled cookie completely in the chocolate mixture, then in the powdered sugar, flipping to coat both sides. Store in an airtight container.