that's what she baked.

Baking up a storm yesterday morn..

Well, 3ish kinds of cookies… so a manageable storm. Something to put your rain boots on for, but won’t blow your umbrella away.

In case you missed it, I made a batch of Dolly Partons and posted a clearer recipe (I had shared it once before but not in one single post). 

So that’s cookie #1. After filling 2 pans with these, I still had a little bit of peanut butter batter left, which is so good, even by itself. I decided to “invent” a new cookie by rolling the dough into balls and dropping 1/4 teaspoon of jelly in them. 

Making a peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookie! I actually really enjoy these. 

That makes cookie #2. For cookie #3 I brought back an old favorite and made a cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookie. I decided to mix fully by hand this time (not even the electrical mixer), remembering arm muscles I had forgotten about.

They were much messier than I usually make them but still so very delicious. 

Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss: A Recipe

(AKA Dolly Partons or Peanut Blossoms)

Ingredients (yields 40+ cookies)

• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• large-crystaled sugar, for rolling (you can also use regular granulated sugar, I just like the large crystals. You can find some at Trader Joe’s)
• 1 package of Hershey’s Kisses (I often use caramel)

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F

In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt, and set aside.Beat together (I’ve been using my stand mixer, but an electric hand mixer will work just fine) butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat again. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. 

Shape dough into 1 inch balls by hand. Roll in large-crystaled sugar (I usually put some in a shallow bowl) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  While the cookies are in the oven, unwrap your Kisses. I learned that I can unwrap 20 Hershey’s Kisses in under 2 minutes. 

I find it helpful to bring the naked Kisses next to the oven right before I take the cookies out so I am ready. Immediately press a Kiss into the center of each cookie, cookies will crack around the edges. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Peanut butter loves chocolate and chocolate loves peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss, Dolly Partons, or whatever you may call them, these cookies are definitely in my top 3 favorite cookies. 

When I’m walking around CVS or a grocery store and Kisses are on sale, I like to buy them so I’ve got some in the cupboard to make these cookies (and also for snacking or a quick chocolate fix). I’ve made them quite a few times, and even posted the recipe (you can see it here!). They’re a never-fail, delicious treat for those who love that glorious combo. 

One of the keys to these cookies is rolling the dough in sugar before they bake (pictured above). I found a good, large-crystal sugar that I keep around solely for these cookies (I’m sure they’d be good for other things too, it just doesn’t come up all that much). Also I like to use caramel Kisses as well as regular for an occasional surprise and different texture when you bite into the cookie.

I could eat ALL of these. Good thing pals around me like them too, because they’re all gone in a short while. 

I actually made these last week, for birthdays and end of the semester celebration, but I’m on vacation (more on that, soon) and haven’t been around my computer much until just now.