Fresh Fiction Blog | Cindi Madsen

I'm so happy to be back on Fresh Fiction today! Since my latest release is a holiday story in the STRANDED WITH A HERO CHRISTMAS anthology, I thought it'd be fun to talk about what makes holiday cooking more fun. And a hot guy in the kitchen is always a bonus, right?

In AN OFFICER AND A REBEL, Kelsey wrecks her car in the snow and is rescued by her high school boyfriend's older brother, who's now a town cop. He offers to let her stay with him while the storm clears. As they're talking that night, she mentions how she and her mom always make Christmas cookies, and she's sad she'll miss it. So the next day, Nate borrows a bag of chocolate chips, trying to make up for her missing out on her usual tradition. Better yet, he stays to help her measure out ingredients and taste test the dough, which of course requires close proximity and stolen glances.

There's something about a cozy kitchen, the scent of baking food, and ten minutes to kill while you wait for those cookies to come out of the oven. I happen to recommend kissing to pass the time. It burns calories, you know, so then you can eat even more cookies! Total win. I found this recipe while looking at what new treat I wanted to make this year, and thought the cookies looked so adorable and yummy. I think I'm going to ask my own real-life hero to make them with me.

reindeer
cookies

Reindeer Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Mini brown M&Ms
Regular-sized red M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose.

Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

Now that you're hungry, tell me your favorite "hot" holiday recipe or food and one will win an e-copy of STRANDED WITH A HERO

Comments

Nothing better than a hero Christmas story. And Rudolf cookies to work up the strength to burn calories kissing?? Double bonus.
(Lisa Hutson 2:57am November 19, 2013)

thanks for the recipe they look so good i love christmas
stories with a hero involved lots of good romance
(Denise Smith 7:29am November 19, 2013)

I love to bake pies, I have 4 kids and 10 grandchildren I love
to bake for. My husband, my love my life has always been in
the kitchen to "help" He passed this year but I have a whole
crew of family coming to help , but I know my special hero
while be in the kitchen with me .Merry Christmas friends
(Sharon Martinez 8:34am November 19, 2013)

I make these amazing chewy chocolate ginger cookies. If you want to add spice - add a touch of cayenne. Amazing.
(Pam Howell 8:36am November 19, 2013)

Sounds like a great story and thank you for the recipe. Christmas books are
some of the best!
(Melanie Backus 8:59am November 19, 2013)

Your book sounds great - and these cookies look delicious. I'm definitely going to make these!!! Thanks for sharing - and for the chance to win your book. Best of luck with all you do!!! Happy Holidays, too!
(Nancy Reynolds 9:35am November 19, 2013)

I love to cook in the kitchen beside my wife!
(Richard Proctor 10:11am November 19, 2013)

Cooking & baking with my hubby, Rich, is one of my favorite
things to do!
(Maria Proctor 10:31am November 19, 2013)

I love baking on cold winter days. I think it comes from memories of my mother. She worked outside the house, but, on snow days she'd stay home with us. That's when she baked fresh bread.
(Vennie Martinisi 11:25am November 19, 2013)

Those cookies are so cute! My family tradition is we always make M&M cookies for the Holidays!
(Colleen Conklin 12:45pm November 19, 2013)

What cute cookies! I always make shortbread for Christmas.
(Jean Patton 12:48pm November 19, 2013)

My favorite hot recipe would have to be pumpkin pie, of course buried in either vanilla bean ice cream or cool whip. Oh heck, why not both!?
(Kelly Ballenger 12:51pm November 19, 2013)

these are so cute! my favorite is a traditional sweet here in greece called melomakarono and it is like a cookie put in honey. thanks for the giveaway and the cookies.
(Elena k 2:33pm November 19, 2013)

Hi Cindi! What a fantastic looking recipe, thanks for sharing
it. BTW, I LOVE your story! Nate is truly hot and sweet!
(Roxanne Snopek 2:51pm November 19, 2013)

My favorite hot recipe is homemade eggnog----MMMM. It would go wonderfully with those cute reindeer cookies.
(Sue Farrell 3:28pm November 19, 2013)

Love those Christmas stories and the recipe sure looks good!
(Ola Norman 3:40pm November 19, 2013)

OMG, I just saw those cookies on Facebook and saved the recipe to my wall! Can't do peanut butter, but could adapt them. Although to be honest, the BEST recipe I do is an old fashioned chocolate chip. I toss in oats and walnuts and tell myself it is now completely healthy!
(Marcia Berbeza 4:19pm November 19, 2013)

Your book sounds great. Look forward to reading it. I absolutely love chocolate chip cookies.
(Carol Woodruff 4:22pm November 19, 2013)

Those cookies look really good. I might have to actually try to make them.
(Kim Matlock 4:45pm November 19, 2013)

Love your cookies. I love holiday baking. We make sugar cookies every
year. My Grandms's recipe.
(Shari Bartholomew 5:31pm November 19, 2013)

We always made sugar cookies to frost and hang on the tree. The book sounds great and that cookie is adorable!
(Marcy Shuler 7:14pm November 19, 2013)

I love to make espresso fudge for the holiday season.
(Sarah Eisele 7:19pm November 19, 2013)

OMG! Pumpkin Pie! Or pumpkin anything!
(Linda Townsend 7:50pm November 19, 2013)

I love the ginger biscuits coated in icing yummy
(Chris Lewis 8:07pm November 19, 2013)

Book sounds exciting, I'd love to read it.
(Wilma Frana 8:43pm November 19, 2013)

Christmas cutouts! My kids, now grown, have always helped to decorate. Of
course, some of our cutouts weren't exactly Christmas themes: pigs, robots, etc.
(Cindy Rader 9:26pm November 19, 2013)

Those Reindeer are adorable!!!!
One of my seasonal must make recipies is raspberry fudge
with walnuts. My kids and hubby get upset if I don't make
it. :-)

Oh and anything pumpkin!
(Glenda Martillotti 9:44pm November 19, 2013)

Book sounds great. Thanks for a chance to win your book. Thanks for the recipe.
(Linda Hall 10:51pm November 19, 2013)

My husband and I make cookies together. He thinks he can run the
Kitchenaid better than I can and I just let him keep thinking that!!
(Susan Falkler 2:24pm November 20, 2013)

Yay! Loved all the talk of cookies! Now I need to go make some :)
(Cindi Madsen 9:36pm November 20, 2013)

It's red velvet cookies. I love making them during the Holidays.
(Kai Wong 11:22pm November 20, 2013)

I love pumpkin pie cake. And those
cookies look like so much fun! Thanks
for the recipe.
(Rhonda Brittingham 5:45pm November 23, 2013)

What a wonderful winter story! Love your reindeer cookies. My favorite holiday food is homemade cookies.
(Bonnie H 4:55pm November 26, 2013)

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