Peanut Butter and Chocolate - a match made in heaven

Give me anything that pairs chocolate and peanut butter, and you've made me a happy girl :-). This is why Peanut Butter Blossoms are one of my favorite cookies. I haven't come up with anything new here - in fact, I did a little research and found out that this recipe first showed up in 1957 at the 9th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off! So thank you to Freda Smith of Ohio for creating these cookies over fifty years ago!

Traditionally this recipe is made with shortening instead of butter, but I like using butter in my recipes and I think it tastes just as great!

This recipe makes about 28 cookies - and if you're just making them for at home (not for a party), feel free to throw some of the batter or baked cookies in the freezer to save for another time!

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Bag of Hershey's Kisses
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used Reduced Fat Skippy)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 TB whole milk
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup wheat and 1/2 cup white)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
More granulated sugar (for rolling the cookies in)
Crushed Peanuts

375 Degrees - 8 to 10 minutes

1. If you have a kitchen aid mixer, use it! If not, you can try using your hand mixer but it'll be more difficult because the batter gets pretty thick. In the bowl of the electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the peanut butter and both sugars, beating until fluffy again. Add the egg and vanilla, beat to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this flour mixture, alternating between this mix and the milk. Beat the ingredients until completely mixed together.
3. Cover and chill the batter for at least an hour so that it will be firm enough to roll into balls.
4. After refrigerated, roll the batter into 1-inch round balls. Roll half of the dough balls in granulated sugar and half in chopped peanuts - it gives you some variety! Though you can just do one or the other, depending on your preference. Be sure to space the cookies out enough on the cookies sheet so that when they bake they won't expand into each other.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie, and then cool on a cookie rack!


COOKIE TIPS !!!

- Always bake cookies less than the recommended time in the recipe because you can always add a minute but if you over cook them, you can't take that time back. Plus, the cookies will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven, so even if they don't look quite like they're done, they will be! This is the only way you can get chewy, soft cookies!


- Whether the recipe calls for it or not, refrigerate your dough for a little before you shape and bake them. It helps them hold their shape.


- Add a little flour (try just a couple tablespoons at first) to the recipe if your cookies are coming out really flat and don't have the volume you like. With this recipe, the 1 1/2 cups seemed to work well!


- Around the holidays, the holiday candy will go on clearance and a lot of the time it's great to buy for baking! I got my hershey's kisses after Christmas this year - they were 75% off because they had red and green wrappers, but the chocolate is the same as always!


- Feel free to experiment! I had some crushed peanuts leftover from something else I made the other day and thought, what if I roll some of my cookies in the peanuts instead of sugar - that might be a good pairing. Turns out, they were my dad's favorite!