This is a great season to get to the kitchen with the kids.  No matter their age, it is a wonderful bonding experience and can leave them with a bit of who you really are.  That's a gift that money just can't buy!

My kiddos are grown, but we have alway had some fun with the things that we cook and eat.  My daughter is a fourth grade teacher now (and getting a taking a bit of what she dished out as a fourth grader, I might add).  She comes over for dinner on Mondays and we get a chance to catch up and chat about the things that are up front for each of us.  Between my new wine venture at Global Wines South Texas and her selection as team leader at her grade level, she informed me that she would be teaching me a new recipe that evening.  Well, of course, nothing delights me more than that! She told me it was a cookie recipe that one of her students had brought to class.  I found this recipe to be delightful and so very simple that it can be shared with anyone and is perfect for those of us wishing to get our youngsters started on their path of culinary adventure.  Try it and see if you don't agree.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Snowflakes -

- In a double boiler, melt a package or two of barking chocolate. This is chocolate that is specifically meant to coat things without turning chalky and gray.  You could use a bag of chocolate morsels too. (I like to use a double boiler for a number of things, so my 1st recommendation would be to get one at GoodGalley.com, if you don't have one.  However, you can make one work from a saucepan and a tempered glass or metal bowl that is larger that the saucepan.  Just fill the saucepan about 1/4 of the way full and put the bowl on top like a lid.  Make sure the fit is stable.  Just boil the water and put the chocolate in the bowl to melt.  Be careful and this will work fine.)

- Buy some Ritz Cracker in the Snowflake shape.  (Yes, any of the buttery flaky type crackers will do.  I just love the Ritz Snowflakes for this, though.)

- Take some peanut butter (style of your choice) and make a nice fat sandwich from two of the snowflakes.

- Coat the sandwich in the melted chocolate.  You can dip them in with a set of tongs.  You can drop the sandwiches in the bowl and the fish them out with a fork.  Just be careful about the chocolate, as it will be hot.  (You might like to try putting a bamboo skewer in the middle of the sandwich, so that you can dip them like a lollipop.

- Before they set (very quickly after you take them out of the chocolate), you can put sprinkles or candied fruit (or whatever) on them for decoration.

-Place them on waxed paper or a cooling rack to set and cool.

- As an option, you could start a second melting pot of white chocolate.  After the darker chocolate cools, you can re dip them halfway to make a "tuxedo snowflake".

Have fun and enjoy the cookies.  Pura Vida