Bake: Peanut Butter Cracker Cookies
Jolita Peterson’s father grew up Amish as one of 16 kids. These cracker cookies were an inexpensive way for his family to come together in making them by the hundreds to share with neighbors and friends at Christmas. Jolita remembers him telling stories about setting up old wooden doors on trestles, covered in wax paper so the cookies could have a place to sit while the chocolate hardened. Now Jolita and many of her cousins have incorporated making these into their own families’ traditions as well. “They are the perfect blend of simple and special,” Jolita notes. “They’re just three ingredients, no mixing required, but the chocolate coating requires a bit of care and patience.” It’s also a recipe that lends itself to assembly-line production – meaning it’s a good one to get the whole family involved!
Says Jolita, “We’ve moved around a lot over the years, and every place we’ve lived, I’ve made these cookies to share with our neighbors, along with a card that points to the reason for the season. Making these cookies at Christmas has been a way to stay connected to “home” from wherever we were living.”
Ingredients
1 box Ritz crackers
1 jar creamy peanut butter
4 cups milk or dark chocolate candy melts
Instructions
Step 1
Spread a thin layer of peanut butter between two crackers. More peanut butter will equal thicker cookies, but too much will ooze out at the edges.
Step 2
Carefully melt two cups of chocolate melts in the microwave (heat 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between) or using a double boiler as instructed here.
Step 3
Using two forks, dip cracker into chocolate, flip over, and remove, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into bowl.
Step 4
Lay cookie on wax paper to cool until chocolate sets. Repeat steps 1 through 5 until you’ve made the desired amount of cookies.
Change It Up!
Add or substitute marshmallow fluff, Nutella, cookie butter, caramel, or any nut butter for peanut butter between the crackers.
Instead of Ritz crackers, use graham crackers, Oreos, gingerbread cookies or Nilla wafers.
Experiment with different flavored candy melts and add a ‘topping’ once the cookies are laid out and before the chocolate sets. Think crushed candy canes, sprinkles, chopped nuts, or toffee pieces.
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