Peanut Butter & Chocolate deliciousness
My goddaughter loves Peanut Blossom Cookies. In fact, it’s her favorite cookie and I make them for her every year. I wondered if I could add a bit more flavor to this classic cookie and I found the solution in The Perfect Cookie (2017) from America’s Test Kitchen. The original recipe on the Hershey’s package of Kisses calls for shortening. While this ensures that the cookies don’t spread all over the baking sheet, shortening doesn’t bring a lot of flavor to the party. Using butter solved that part of the problem. To heighten the peanut butter taste, ATK adds finely ground dry roasted peanuts. Those two tweaks turned this cookie into “Peanut Blossom deliciousness.”
“Everything old is new again.” Peter Allen
When I made this recipe the first time, I mistakenly added too much butter. (Yes, that’s actually possible.) So after baking the first sheet and seeing how wrong they looked, I added more all-purpose flour and everything was right in the world again. Although the over-buttered cookies weren’t beautiful, they tasted terrific and didn’t last long. Further proof that looks aren’t everything. It’s what’s inside that counts, especially if what’s inside is butter and sugar topped on the outside with a milk chocolate kiss.
And speaking of kisses...
Cookie specifics
Peanut Blossom Cookies. The combination of European butter, dry roasted peanuts, peanut butter, and chocolate makes this classic cookie a crowd pleaser. The cookie is buttery and crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Eating one as soon as it’s cooled just a few minutes is a bit of heaven. America’s Test Kitchen has enhanced an already delicious family favorite. (Try this and more recipes in The Perfect Cookie, 2017)
Shapes
Dough is rolled into 1-inch balls. I also like to roll the balls in granulated sugar before baking them. It gives the cooke a nice finish.
Cookie Recipe from ...
America’s Test Kitchen. The Perfect Cookie, 2017
I made a few small changes to the recipe, like adding a little more flour to make the dough easier to roll and rolling the balls in sugar before baking them. Get my version of the recipe below:
Peanut Blossom Cookies
Peanut Blossom Cookies: flour, salted dry-roasted peanuts, Hershey’s Kisses, butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, salt
Plate, Box or Bag?
Bags. I gave some to friends and mailed the rest to my family so I packaged the cookies in freezer bags, then boxed them up for mailing.
Mailing. I mailed the packaged cookies through the U.S. Post Office. I used some sturdy boxes that I purchased on amazon.com. I know the packages were appreciated because of the texts I received with all those smiling faces.
What I’ve learned...
It’s important to read the recipe! I thought the dough was very soft and sticky when I was rolling it out but I hoped that everything would come together in the oven. Well, that didn’t happen. I checked the recipe and realized that I had added too much butter. So what did I learn from that experience? I learned that I should follow my instincts, and if the dough seems too soft, it probably is. Read and follow the recipe carefully. My mistakes this time were delicious and edible. But that hasn’t always been the case. One other lesson that I learned years ago is to use the best ingredients I can find. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking if taste and texture are just so-so? Baking takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive my creations appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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