Sunday Sides and Suppers: Peanut Butter Ball Cookies

Okay, so they're neither a side nor a supper, but I think you'll enjoy these tasty treats. Hubby and Mom are big fans of peanut butter cookies, so when I had tons of leftover candy making supplies after Christmas this year, I experimented with adapting the family peanut butter ball recipe into a cookie.

I was surprised at how pretty they turned out, and they were enjoyed so much I made them again for Hubby's birthday and our anniversary. I just have to remember to stay out of them myself, and I usually don't care for peanut butter cookies!

You can use either half and half whole wheat and white flour or all plain white flour to taste. You can leave the glaze off as well if you like. Nutritional information is per cookie and based on half whole wheat, half white flour with the glaze included.

Peanut Butter Ball Cookies

2 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal (crushed)
1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Salted Butter (melted)
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
1 Tbsp. Ground Cinnamon

Chocolate Glaze

1 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
2-3 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter and peanut butter together, stirring occasionally until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, roughly crush cereal. Mix in flour and cinnamon until well blended. Add peanut butter and butter mixture as well as milk and fold together until combined. Roll tablespoons of batter into balls and flatten them. Space on a greased cookie sheet half an inch apart and bake for 10-12 minutes or until mostly firm. Cool thoroughly before adding glaze.

For glaze, combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, water, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl. Spoon into a piping bag, and drizzle over cookies once fully cooled.

Yields roughly 30 cookies.

If you're using a cooling rack, make sure to put some paper or tin foil under the rack to make clean up easier. The glaze dries quickly, but it tends to run off the sides of the cookies as you apply it. It's a pain to try to wash off if it dries before you're ready to clean up.