Peanut Blossoms

Peanut blossoms

This is my mom's recipe. I love these cookies. We had and have them every year for Christmas. My mom usually starts making cookies after Halloween. The house smells like baking cookies for two months. It is a labor of love. I usually start making cookies right before Thanksgiving and make them for about a month.
These are usually one of the first cookies I make each year. They are easy to make and freeze well. How do I know? I made a career out of sneaking into the deep freezer and eating frozen Christmas cookies. I was not alone my father and brother were right there with me. Sometimes my mom had to remake cookies (sorry mom), but frozen cookies are really good. Sometimes I like frozen cookies more than defrosted cookies. Now that I have my own family, I make these every year for Christmas and my daughter and husband sneak into the deep freezer and eat frozen cookies. (Don't tell them but I do too).

Peanut Blossoms

1 3/4 (220 g) Cups of Flour

1/2 Cup (100 g) of Sugar
1/2 Cup (120 g) of Brown Sugar

1 Tsp of Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp of Salt

1/2 Cup (80 g) of Shortening

1/2 Cup (125 g) of Peanut Butter

1 Egg

2 Tbsp of Milk

1 Tsp of Vanilla

48 Chocolate Kisses

Sugar to Roll Cookies In

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the kisses. Beat until combined on low speed. 

So easy to make-just add all of the ingredients to the bowl

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Remove foil from kisses.

My job as a kid was unwrapping the chocolate kisses. 

Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C/Gas Mark 5. Shape dough into one-inch (2.5 cm) balls and roll in sugar. 

Place on ungreased cookie tray. Leave enough room because they will spread.

Cookies ready for the oven

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and place a kiss in the center of each cookie.

Carefully but quickly placing the kisses in the center of each cookie

Remove from tray. Once all cookies have been removed from the tray, lightly press on the top of the chocolate kiss.

Peanut blossoms

Cool completely. I pack these into cookie tins and freeze.  

The bottom line: will I make these again? Yes, every year for Christmas. I may add new cookies to the list each year that I make, but these will always be on the list.