Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa is on the way. We have so many different family traditions to usher in the Christmas season. The living nativity is one of my favorites. Taking in the lights in neighborhoods or at the zoo is always fun. Each year we buy our kids a new ornament that represents a milestone or activity from the year. These hang on a tree bought from our annual trip to the tree farm. Making cookies and fun Christmas food together is another family experience that makes the holiday season special. I love having my kids baking in the kitchen with me, and these reindeer ice cream sandwiches were a treat we were able to make together this year using Horizon Organic ingredients. You may also be inspired by our Santa, Rudolf and Frosty Nutter Butters or these reindeer truffles.
I’m teaming up with Horizon Organics to communicate an important and simple message: Be intentional about creating family togetherness this holiday season. Creating intimate and simple family traditions together helps build strong families. We want you to be a part of that. I’d love it if part of your family traditions included being in the kitchen together.
Ingredients Needed to Make Reindeer Ice Cream Sandwiches
2 cups Flour
3/4 cup Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Unsalted Horizon Butter, Room Temperature
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 Horizon Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 2/3 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Red M&M’s
Squeezable Chocolate Frosting Tube with Couplet and Piping Tip (alternative is to add chocolate frosting to a ziplock bag and cut off a small part of the corner)
Large Pretzels
Candy Eyes
Ice Cream of Your Liking (Vanilla, Peppermint, Mint Chocolate) – You can always make your own ice cream with the recipes found here.
Optional: Christmas Sprinkles, Crushed Peppermint or Mini Chocolate Chips
How to Make Reindeer Ice Cream Sandwiches
Makes About 20-22 Reindeers
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then add vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Batter will be thick.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- For each cookie, drop one heaping teaspoon batter, spacing two inches apart. Shape into an oval and flatten slightly.
- Bake cookies until dry looking but slightly soft to the touch, about 15-18 minutes.
- Cool on cookie sheets.
- Once cooled, freeze in a plastic container, putting a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers.
- Once frozen, remove some of the cookies to create the faces. Add two dots of frosting for the eyes and one dot for the nose. Put the eyeballs and M&M nose in place.
- Place an undecorated cookie, flat side up, on your work surface. Top with 1/4 cup ice cream. Flatten slightly. Top with the decorated cookie.
- Optional: sprinkle edges with desired decorations (sprinkles, peppermint bits, mini chocolate chips)
Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap tightly and keep frozen.
Are you inspired to create your own Christmas treats with the kids? Whether you are making memories in the kitchen or curled up in front of some classic Christmas movies, Horizon and I want to encourage you to spend this season making lasting memories that will bond your family together.
For more great family recipes and bonding ideas this winter, please follow Horizon on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.