Peanut Butter Blossoms

When I bake I always share with the neighbors.  It is always nice to share and since there are just the two of us, it is a very good thing to do.  This time, however, they were gone before I could put some on a plate to walk next door.  There are four reasons why they disappeared:  1) Mr. T. has a well developed sweet tooth, 2) Mr. T. loves peanut butter cookies, 3) Mr. T. especially loves peanut butter and chocolate, and 4) I couldn't help myself and also ate a few or more than a few!

The recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms has been around for a very long time so when I saw it on Colleen's blog, Secrets from the Cookie Princess I smiled.  It is Secret Recipe Club reveal day and, yes, I was assigned Collen's blog, Secrets from the Cookie Princess.

I was going to make her Roasted Garlic Flatbread and Red Pepper, Walnut, Tahini Dip but my energy level has been down a bit so I made the cookies as a back-up plan.  It is a good thing that I did....as I am delaying the flatbread and dip and will make it next week!

As I compared my recipe to Colleen's, I noticed two things.  1) Her recipe made 7 1/2 dozen cookies!  That would be enough for our entire neighborhood so I had to reduce it.  And, 2) the recipe used all butter.  I was hesitant to use all butter and thought that I should use half butter and half shortening.  I made that decision because butter melts at a lower temperature than shortening, so it will melt faster.  The faster the melting, the more quickly the cookie will spread in the oven.  Since I didn't want a flat and crispy cookie but one that maintained its shape and raised, using half butter and half shortening was the best option for me.

Who doesn't want to press a Hershey's Kiss into a warm cookie and see the sides of the cookie raise around the chocolate kiss and then watch as the chocolate starts to melt?  Doesn't your mouth just water thinking about it?  Aren't these the cutest little morsels?

My very old recipe yield's half of Colleen's and is almost a match ingredient to ingredient (except for the adjustments previously mentioned) so that is what I have transcribed.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Yield:  3 dozen

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
36 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

Cream together sugars, shortening, butter and peanut butter.  Add other ingredients, except kisses.  Mix until thick  dough forms.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls using a rounded scoop or or teaspoons.  Roll balls in sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat sheet.  Bake at 375° F. for 8-10 minutes.  Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately top each cookie with a kiss, pressing down to secure the kiss.  Cool the cookies on a cooling rack.  Store the cookies flat after thoroughly cooled.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

According to Colleen, she is obsessed with baking and blogging.  After perusing her blog for a few days, I can attest to the fact that she loves to bake!  There were so many dessert recipes on her blog that I was overwhelmed...thus the few days it took to zero in on that one special recipe to share.   Stop by and say hello if you get a chance.