Peanut Butter Blossoms

These Peanut Butter Blossoms are a delicious simple cookie recipe topped with a chocolate kiss, or why not change it up and turn them into crinkle or thumbprint cookies? So good you will wonder why you never tried them before.

Personally I love anything peanut butter, from spreading it on my toast in the morning to Thick Peanut Butter Cookies   or even these Easy Peanut Butter Cookies, I have to admit these are one of the best cookies I have made and eaten in the last while.

I brought my cousin back as a recipe tester so that I could get these cookies just right. And perfect we did! Nothing like a crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside peanut butter cookie.

The first batch we made the dough was too soft and the cookies spread. So instead of using granulated sugar I substituted with icing/powdered sugar which helps keep cookies from spreading.

I also added a bit more flour and of course I chilled it for a full hour and again once the cookies were formed, while the oven was pre-heating. We both produced one of the best Peanut Butter Blossoms holiday baking has yet to see, at least in our opinion!

Why are they called Peanut Butter Blossoms?

In 1957 Freda Strasel Smith entered her cookie recipe in a Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. She called her cookies “Black Eyed Susans.” Pillsbury changed the name to “Peanut Butter Blossoms”. She did not win the contest, but her cookies went on to become one of the most popular Christmas Cookie today.

Recipe Ingredients

• Flour – all purpose at least 11.5% protein
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Butter – softened, I use salted butter, if you use unsalted a little more salt
• Peanut butter – smooth creamy peanut butter
• Brown sugar – lightly packed, golden brown sugar
• Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners sugar
• Egg – room temperature
• Vanilla

Extras

• Sugar – granulated
• Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners sugar
• 24 unwrapped chocolate kisses

Tip: For the best results, let the refrigerated ingredients stand at room temperature for an hour before making the cookies.

How to make them

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl cream the butter, sugars and peanut butter until fluffy, add the egg and vanilla, beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until the dough is just combined. Do not over mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Shape the dough into balls, about 1-inch balls, roll them in sugar (I rolled some in sparkling sugar and some in granulated sugar) and place on the prepared baking sheet.

If you decide to make crinkle cookies or thumbprint cookies, then for crinkle cookies roll the balls first in granulated sugar than powdered sugar, this helps them to crinkle up perfectly. If making thumbprint cookies then roll the balls in sugar and with your thumb or wooden spoon make an indentation in the middle of the cookie dough.

Bake the cookies, then remove from the oven, if making Peanut Butter Blossoms, immediately place an unwrapped hershey’s kisses in the center of each cookie with a little pressure.

If making the thumbprint cookies, then immediately re-indent the cookies again. Leave the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool fill the thumbprint cookies with jam or your favourite filling.

How to tell when the cookies are done

They are done when the tops of the cookies are lightly brown, when you take them out of the oven they will still be a little soft, but they will firm up as they cool.

Why do cookies spread?

Cookies can spread for a number of reasons, the most common being that the dough has not been chilled, or that you are using a low protein flour. I find a flour with at least 11.5 and up of protein works perfectly. Never use pastry or cake flour for these types of cookies. Also using powdered sugar helps to keep cookies from spreading.

Why are my cookies dry?

They could be dry because your oven temperature is off, if your oven runs high then they will too quickly and either come out too dry or crunchy on the outside and not completely baked on the inside. It is also best to use regular peanut butter rather than natural. Natural seems to dry out the cookies.

How to store them

The cookies should be stored in an airtight container and will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen in a freezer safe bag or container, place parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

The unbaked cookie balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months, freeze the balls first on a cookie sheet then move to a freezer safe container. They can be baked without thawing although they will take a bit longer to bake.

What other cookies can I make with the dough?

I am not a big Chocolate Kiss lover, the chocolate always tasted strange to me, so I decided I would use the dough to make a crinkle cookie and a thumbprint cookie with jam (peanut butter and jam) in the centre.

So if you or someone knows is a big Peanut Butter lover than I hope you give these Peanut Butter Blossoms a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy! Happy Baking.

More Christmas Cookies

• 3 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
• Easy Lemon Squares
• Easy Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
• Italian Almond Cookies
• Crunchy Twisted Cookies

Updated from November 29, 2020.