Cute, low-cost holiday cookies

The new magazine Re¢ipe.com offers home cooks a breakdown of costs to help them budget.

The Fall 2011 magazine includes some low cost but cute Christmas cookies to consider this year – such as this recipe for Peanut Butter Rudolph Reindeer for 17 cents each.

The magazine can be found on store shelves or more information is online at www.recipe.com.

Peanut Butter Rudolph Reindeer Cookies

From Ladies Home Journal, printed in Re¢ipe.com magazine, Fall 2011

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

48 large red M&M candies

96 miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Pretzels, broken into 96 1-inch pieces (for antlers)

Place rack in the center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Gradually beat in as much of the flour, baking soda and salt as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just set and bottoms are golden. For each cookie, immediately place 1 M&M in center for nose, 2 chocolate chips for eyes and 2 pretzel pieces on top for antlers. Transfer cookies on sheet to a wire rack; cool completely.

Yield: 48 cookies

Approximate nutrition per serving (from the magazine): 80 calories, 5 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 1 gram protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 10 milligrams cholesterol, no dietary fiber.