Cookie Mondays: Peanut Butter Blossoms

I can’t help it–every time I go to choose a cookie recipe, I go for something unusual that I’ve never tried before. Same thing with most recipes, actually. I’ve never been even slightly tempted to make this classic cookie, simply because everybody and their mother makes them and they seem so common.  That, and I hate Hershey’s Kisses because I ate an entire bag before Church as a child and threw them up all over my sister and I in the front pew.  We had to walk to the bathrooms in the back, dripping puke, and left Church naked, wrapped in blankets that had been left in the lost and found.  I never liked them after that.

Well, remember that nasty little habit of mine of not being able to resist a sale? Despite my aversion to Hershey’s Kisses, I couldn’t resist buying a bag after Christmas because they were on sale for less than $1. In fact, I had to forcefully push my cart away from them after grabbing a single bag so that I didn’t just scoop the whole pile into my cart.

And of course they sat in the cupboard for two months, despairing that some unappreciative soul had purchased them. Thankfully, however, there exists a wonderful, if common, thing called a peanut butter blossom (so named because it looks kind of like a flower) and I was able to use the forlorn bag for this week’s Cookie Monday. Yipee!

Despite my aversion to Hershey’s Kisses, and therefore these cookies, I found them irresistable once they had cooled but while the chocolate was still soft. That oozing chocolate combined with the soft peanut butter cookie was just heaven. I even had one after the kisses had hardened completely and miraculously enjoyed it as well. Perhaps these peanut butter blossoms have finally cured me of my 22-year aversion to Hershey’s Kisses.

Nope. I still hate them. Unless they’re in peanut butter blossoms.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
recipe from Hershey’s Kitchens

Ingredients:
48 HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE’S Creamy Peanut Butter (I used generic)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated 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.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Total Calories: 100