21 Dec

Christmas Baking: The Peanut Butter Blossom

Posted as Cookies

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These are the quintessential Christmas cookie. They show up, without fail, at every cookie exchange and on every cookie tray. If there is anyone who tires of these cookies I’d love to find them. Yet another peanut butter cookie I can’t enjoy, but back in the “good old days” I’d gobble them up without abandon. This is your basic peanut butter cookie with a chocolate kiss pressed down into the middle as soon as they come out of the oven. Mmm, Christmas in a cookie!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

(Source: My Mom)

Ingredients:
48 Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped
½ cup shortening
¾ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls (I used my small cookie scoop from Pampered Chef and got exactly 48 cookies). Roll in sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.