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Crave

Peanut blossom cookies feature more robust flavor

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Peanut Blossom Cookies — a peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey’s Kiss — gained fame at the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. Any Hershey’s Kiss — dark, milk, white, or “Hugs”—works in this recipe.

We tweaked this classic cookie recipe with the goal of a more robust peanut flavor. We got the best results by replacing a portion of the flour with roasted peanuts, ground finely so they wouldn’t compromise the cookie’s texture.

PEANUT BLOSSOM COOKIES

By America’s Test Kitchen

  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/2 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 48-50 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Process 2/3 cup flour and peanuts in food processor until nuts are finely ground, 15 seconds; transfer to bowl and whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining 2/3 cup flour.

Beat butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add peanut butter; beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 2 additions; mix until just combined. Cover bowl tightly; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are just set and starting to crack, 9 to 11 minutes.

Quickly, remove sheet from oven and press 1 candy firmly in center of each cookie. Return sheet to oven; bake until cookies are light golden, about 2 minutes longer.

Let cool on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before serving. Makes 48 cookies.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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