A Small Batch Christmas–Peanut Butter Blossoms

Is there any better flavor combination in the world better than peanut butter and chocolate? I don’t think so. Which is  why my Christmas cookie platters always include peanut butter blossoms.

A bit of peanut butter blossom trivia. Peanut butter blossoms made their debut in 1957 when their creator entered them in the  Pillsbury bake off. She made it into the top 100 finalists but lost the grand prize.  The grand prize went to a dessert called accordion treats. In 1993, peanut butter blossoms were inducted into the baking hall of fame.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
4 TBS butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 TBS lightly beaten egg
13 chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda; mix well. In another bowl, cream the butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Add peanut butter and egg; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls about two inches apart onto a baking sheet lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the cookie. Let cool on the tray for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cranberry Pecan Sugar Cookies

Today I am celebrating a milestone at A Solitary Feast. This morning my blog reached 101 likes and 22 followers. When I started this blog last March, I never imagined anyone outside my Mom and a few of my friends would be interested in my recipes. I am so thankful for every single person who has taken time to read my blog and so grateful for every single comment and like. You may not know it because I want to keep my blog about the food, not my personal drama but you have helped me through a rough job transition, my Mom’s brain surgery and a thousand other little things that come with everyday life.

If I could I would invite you all over for coffee and treats. Since I can’t do that, I am going to share the recipe for the treat I would make for you all. My mom made these cookies for Christmas from a recipe that was all over the internet a few years ago, that used store bought dough. In an unusual move for my mom, she is all about convenience in the kitchen, she decided to make the cookies from scratch. They are so good. The dough is a bit crumbly but if you gently give it a squeeze while shaping it into a ball it should hold together nicely. If you don’t feel like frosting the cookies, don’t worry about it. The cookies are still very good without it.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
½ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
3 TBS lightly beaten egg
2 tsp milk
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped pecans
3 oz white chocolate

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, mix well. In another bowl cream the sugar and butter, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beaten egg, mix well. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and start to mix. When mixture starts coming together, add the milk. When all the flour is incorporated into the dough, the mixture will be a bit crumbly, fold in the cranberries and nuts. Form the dough into balls, using one tablespoon of dough. Place the balls one inch apart on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Using a glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls into disks. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.

Adapted from my Mom’s sugar cookie recipe