Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

This weekend featured rainy fall mornings made for baking cookies. My two-year-old is really into making Daddy cookies lately, so we got right to it yesterday. This peanut butter blossom recipe is an oldie-but-goodie from one of those family cookbooks most of us have in our collection.

I like to use the miniature Hershey’s Kisses. The rest of the ingredients are pretty basic.

A creamy mixture of peanut butter and shortening gets the ball rolling right. Then granulated and brown sugar are added as well as egg, a little milk, and vanilla. The flour, baking soda, and salt are then mixed in gradually.

Roll the cookies in granulated sugar before baking. My daughter loved helping with this part.

Just when the cookies come out of the oven, three mini kisses are placed on top so they melt slightly into the top of the cookie and look like a pretty little blossom. Happy fall baking, everyone!

Recipe:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/3 cup additional granulated sugar for rolling
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• Miniature Hershey’s Kisses

• Heat the over to 375 degrees.
• Beat the shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended.
• Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to peanut butter mixture, beating until well blended.
• Shape the dough into one-inch balls.
• Roll in granulated sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place three kisses on top of each cookie, pressing down slightly.
• Makes about 18 cookies (but I make my cookies fairly large!)