Xmas cookies, rice krispie treats, pecan caramel meringues, pb cookies, chocolate covered pb balls

I give these to the young adults in our family. They really like them. Most of the cookies are too sweet for me and if I was to make them for myself I would experiment with cutting back the sugar a lot or maybe skipping the sugar.
All of these cookies can be gluten free if you use gluten free ingredients and work in a gluten free kitchen

Rice Krispie Treats  
13x9 pan, well buttered
Make in Very Large barely fits in the microwave safe bowl
(Rice Krispies are not gluten free so would need to substitute a gluten free puffed rice cereal)
note: 2 bags of marshmallows + 2 boxes cereal makes about 3 pans of cookies.

• melt 3 T butter in micro about 45 seconds
• 40 marshmallows, coat with melted butter, then microwave about 1'10" to melt. Stir till smooth.
• 6 cups cereal, mix into melted marshmallows. spread into 13x9 pan. allow to cool.

Pecan Caramel Meringues (Can use any nut actually)
Al foil or parchment
heavily buttered, cookie can be very sticky and hard to get off

• 4 egg whites, beat till stiff
• 1.25 cup brown sugar, slowly add to egg whites and mix till thickens
• 1.5 cups pecans ground with 1 T sugar, fold in gently to egg white/ sugar mixture

drop small spoonfuls, bake 10-15' at 325-350F till slightly browned.
Sometimes easier to peel off aluminum if cookie somewhat warm. Cookies might not stick if you butter heavily enough and the cookies don't flatten.

Peanut Butter Cookies 10-15' at 325-350F
mix together, little balls, flatten with fork

• 1 cup drier peanut butter (16oz jar is about 1.5c)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
Mix together and form into balls

• 1 cup ground walnuts
• 1 cup ground dates
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter

Dip in melted chocolate made from 1  bag of chocolate chips

I use my food processor to grind everything but in the past I used to just chop finely with knife.