Epiphany / Christmas Cookies Aka: Wisemen Gifts

Debber's Note:

Special cookies to celebrate the wisemen visiting the infant Christ. We save these cookies until AFTER Christmas. Hidden inside each mound of dough is a sweet surprise. Make or decorate them with three different shapes or sprinkle colors to signify Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh.

• Total Time: 32 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 dozen

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar , packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (16 ounce) bag candy bars , bite size (Dove, Reeses, Andes Mints, Milky Way, OR Snickers)

Decorative Topping Choices

• buttercream frosting
• 2 ¼ ounces yellow sugar (gold)
• 2 ¼ ounces blue sugar (frankincense)
• 2 ¼ ounces red sugar (myrrh)

Directions:

1. Combine butters and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one-at-a-time and blend well, then add vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients, add to butter-egg mixture, mixing well to blend.
4. Cover dough; chill for 2-3 hours.
5. Unwrap chocolates (hide them from the kids and practice restraint in snitching!).
6. Preheat oven to 325. Grease two cookie sheets.
7. Divide dough into 1 tablespoon pieces, roll into a ball and flatten in hand.
8. Place one piece of chocolate candy in center, pull cookie dough up and around, forming a ball shape.
9. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
10. Divide cooled cookies into three equal sets. Using a cake decorator "writing" tip OR a zipper bag with the corner cut off, filled with butter cream frosting, decorate the tops of the sets as follows:.
11. Set 1 over each cookie: spiral around the top; immediately sprinkle with one of the colored sugars.
12. Set 2 over each cookie: make a stylized flower shape (like a daisy or a posy); sprinkle with one of the other colors.
13. Set 3: make a criss-cross woven shape; sprinkle with remaining colored sugar.
14. Set cookies aside in a single layer to dry.
15. Store in covered container with waxed paper between layers.
16. SERVING: Include some of each color and remember the wonderful gifts of love presented to Jesus by the magi from the East. And what gift have YOU given to the Lord?.
17. BRILLIANT IDEA: Place the Reeses right side up for one shape and upside down for another. DOVE bars are simply the B-E-S-T and shouldn't be squandered on wishy-washy chocolate lovers.