Peeps Christmas Tree Cookie Cups Recipes

HOLIDAY COOKIE TREE CENTERPIECE

Steps:

• COMBINE flour and salt in large bowl. Beat shortening, sugar and vanilla in separate large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in egg yolks and orange juice. Gradually stir in flour mixture to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, shaping each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 4 hours or overnight.
• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough, one piece at a time, to 1/4-inch thickness on floured surface.* Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use. Cut out a total of 24 cookies, using the 2 largest cookie cutters 4 times each and the 8 remaining cookie cutters 2 times each. Bake on prepared baking sheets, 16 minutes for small cookies, 18 minutes for large cookies, or until edges begin to brown and centers are set. (Group similar size cookies on same baking sheet for even baking.) Carefully slide baked cookies on parchment paper onto work surface. Cookies may be fragile while warm. Cool completely.
• STIR powdered sugar and meringue powder in large bowl until combined. Add water. Beat with electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 7 minutes. If necessary, add additional powdered sugar or water to reach the desired spreading consistency. (Keep frosting covered with damp cloth to prevent hardening.) Reserve one of the smallest size cookies for later use. Spread icing over remaining cookies, immediately topping with decorator sprinkles.
• PLACE one of the largest size cookies on decorative platter to begin assembly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon remaining icing onto center of cookie. Repeat to stack additional 22 cookies on top, by decreasing size, rotating each cookie slightly to stagger points of stars. To complete decoration, hold reserved small cookie by its edges and coat both side with frosting. Decorate as desired. Stand upright on top of tree, securing with a small dab of icing. Let stand until icing is firm.

PEEPS® CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIE CUPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make cookie dough as directed on pouch. Shape dough into 27 balls; place 1 ball in each of 27 ungreased miniature muffin cups. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are set and light golden brown.
• Immediately press indentation into center of each cookie cup with handle of wooden spoon. Cool 10 minutes in muffin cups; remove to cooling rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Place frosting in resealable food-storage plastic bag with 1 corner cut off. Pipe frosting into center of each cookie cup. Place marshmallow tree on top of each cookie cup. Decorate as desired.

PEEPS® CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake as directed on box for cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting. Place PEEPS® marshmallows on tops of 18 cupcakes; decorate with sprinkles. Decorate remaining 6 cupcakes as desired.

PEEPS® COOKIE NESTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until dough forms. Shape dough into 20 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place balls 3 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheets.
• Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Measure 1 1/4 cups frosting into each of 3 small bowls. Stir red gel food color into 1 bowl to desired color, stir yellow gel food color into 1 bowl to desired color, and stir blue gel food color into 1 bowl to desired color.
• Working with 1 color at a time, transfer frosting into decorating bag fitted with star tip. Leaving 3/4-inch circle near center of cookie, pipe a continuous swirl of frosting around to within 1/2 inch of edge of cookie. Top with another swirl of frosting to build up "nest" with a small well in center of cookie.
• Add 3 jelly beans to center well of cookie; top with PEEPS® chick. Continue for remaining cookies and frosting colors.

PEEPS® GIANT SPRING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 12-inch rimmed pizza pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch. Using lightly floured fingers, press dough evenly in pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour; remove cookie from pan by lifting sides of foil. Carefully remove foil from cookie, and place on serving platter or tray.
• Add 3/4 cup vanilla frosting to small bowl, and tint with green food color; add 1/2 cup frosting to another small bowl, and tint with pink food color. Spoon tinted frostings and remaining white frosting into 3 separate resealable food-storage freezer bags; set aside. Cut 1/2-inch opening from corner of each bag, and squeeze 1/2-inch mounded circles of alternating colored frosting (green, pink and white) around outer edge of cookie; add sprinkles.
• Squeeze small amount of pink or white frosting onto bottom of each PEEPS® marshmallow chick, and place in circle formation inside outer frosting border of cookie. Add small 3-inch mounded circle of green frosting to center of cookie, filling in center. Using tines of fork, pull up on frosting to get a grass look. Place PEEPS® marshmallow bunnies in center of green frosting; add jelly beans and additional sprinkles, as desired.
• To serve, cut into pie-shaped wedges, including at least one PEEPS® marshmallow chick or bunny on each.

CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix confectioners' sugar, butter or margarine, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide dough into halves. On lightly floured cloth-covered board, roll each half out to 3/16 inch thick. on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into Christmas shapes.
• Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool on wire racks and decorate as desired.

CLASSIC CUP CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar. Add egg, orange extract, and orange zest; mix until smooth. Sift together the flour and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture. Then, stir in the dried cherries and chopped pistachios. Roll dough into a 10 inch long log about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic or wax paper, and freeze for 2 hours. If dough is too difficult to form a log, refrigerate for 1 hour first.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease two cookie sheets.
• Cut roll into 1/2 inch slices and place onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on the cookie sheet 1 to 2 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. Use melted candy coating to drizzle a striped pattern on the cookies when they are completely cool.