Peanut Blossoms a.k.a Crack Cookies

I am a sugar addict...

I knew that my first baking post had to be on these sweet little goodies.  They are my favorites.  Growing up as I did (with Martha Stewart's reincarnate for a mother), there were set cookies for specific occasions.  This one was designated strictly as a Christmas Cookie- and it was only made during the month of December.  I am thinking the reasoning behind this was that:

#1- it is a slightly tedious cookie to make- all the rolling, sugar coating, Hershey Kiss applying, etc.

#2. the fact that there is candy on the top of it- it is rather indulgent

Because of their deliciously addictive properties, I have decided to add them into the year round rotation in my baking repertoire.

First- mix together the shortening, brown sugar, white sugar

until it's nice and creamy like this

then, add the eggs

 

vanilla

milk, and peanut butter and mix it until it's smooth.

Next add the flour, salt and baking soda.

You should end up with a relatively stiff dough.

Roll the cookies to about this size, I like them on the small side so there is the appropriate chocolate to cookie ratio...

roll them each in sugar

(I then enlisted the assistance of one little ballerina-girl)

bake at 375 for 11 minutes- until golden brown...

 

This is what I do with the extra dough (there will be a lot of extra- this is a double recipe)- I freeze the dough, then break off small sections to make custom batches as needed.

There is time for a little of this while they are cooking...

then you need to do this...

and before you know it-

I place the kisses on the cookies while they are still on the cookie sheets (optimum meltability)

Time for a snack- and you must eat them while they're melty!!!!

then back to creating!

Recipe

1 cup vegetable shortening (I am partial to Crisco sticks- super easy measuring)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

4 tbls. milk

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

3.5 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. Baking soda

1 large bag Hershey's chocolate kisses

Bake for 11 min. at 375