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An original practice recipe, not independently kitchen-tested. Times and yields are estimates. The illustration is editorial inspiration. Read ingredient labels and follow coating and appliance directions.
You can make these without baking a single cookie. The pleasure is in the small transformation: a plain round biscuit, two improbable antlers, and suddenly a face is looking back at you.
Keep the design simple for your first batch. Trying to add scarves, eyelashes and names while chocolate sets is an excellent way to turn an enjoyable half hour into a deadline.
Ingredients
- 12 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 8 ounces (225 g) chocolate candy melting wafers
- 12 small pretzel twists, carefully broken in half to make 24 antler pieces
- 24 edible candy eyes
- 12 small red candy-coated chocolate pieces, for noses
Buy a few spare pretzels if you want room for breakage; the shopping planner counts the 12 needed for the recipe. Choose decorations that suit the people eating them and check every package for allergens.
Before you melt anything
Line a flat tray with parchment. Break and sort the antlers, count the eyes and noses, and arrange the toppings within reach. Choose a dry bowl deep enough to lower a cookie into the coating. A fork and a teaspoon are enough; a piping kit is optional.
Dip, decorate, let them settle
- Melt the wafers in the dry bowl according to their package instructions. Stir frequently and handle the warm bowl carefully.
- Lower one cookie into the coating using a fork. Lift it, allow excess coating to fall back into the bowl, and slide the cookie onto the parchment.
- While the coating is soft, set two pretzel halves onto the upper portion of the cookie, with the curved ends pointing outward like antlers. Keep enough pretzel in contact with the coating to attach it; let the outer edges rest on the tray.
- Add two candy eyes and a red nose below them. Work on one cookie at a time so the decorations meet soft coating.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies. If coating thickens in the bowl, follow its package’s reheating guidance rather than adding water.
- Leave flat until the coating is firm, approximately 30 minutes in a cool room. Follow the package if it specifies chilling. Lift each cookie from underneath and support the antlers.
A good shortcut if dipping feels awkward
Place the cookies on parchment and spoon a little coating over the tops instead. The sides can remain visible. Attach the antlers, eyes and nose while the surface is soft. This changes the finish, not the point of the afternoon.
When the antlers slide
Very hot, thin coating may let a pretzel wander. Let the coated cookie sit briefly until the surface begins to thicken but is still tacky, then try the antlers. If one snaps, give the reindeer a smaller pair. An entire herd of perfectly matching antlers is not required.
Make a little herd, not a production line
For a cookie-decorating party, have one adult manage the melted coating and give guests a few coated cookies at a time. Leave plenty of table space for trays. A rimmed tray is helpful for moving a batch, but an ordinary flat plate works for a few.
Keep and give thoughtfully
Make them close to the time you plan to share, ideally the same day for crisp antlers. Store covered according to the strictest ingredient-package instructions; refrigerate if required. Packing while the coating is soft smudges faces, so wait until fully set. A shallow food-safe box protects antlers better than a tight bag. Shelf life and shipping durability have not been tested.
Cookies, pretzels, chocolate and candy can contain wheat, milk, soy and other allergens. Hard candy and pretzel pieces are not suitable for every age. Include ingredient information with gifts, and never describe a shared-kitchen batch as allergen-free.
For another easy Christmas project, try melted snowman bark or put together a small, thoughtful treat box.