Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

This Sunday, I decided it was time to make a treat. It’s been a while, but now, I’m back to baking. I looked on my Pinterest boards, since that’s the only place I check things out on, and decided on this easy treat. When I made it, I didn’t have any Hershey’s kisses, so I improvised. The recipe:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Chocolate kisses or stars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookies center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. The recipe said this was going to make 54, but I barely squeaked out 43.

Now, the thing I did differently: Instead of immediately pressing the Kiss into the center, I used a teaspoon to put a small indent/hole.

After they cooled completely, I piped some chocolate frosting into the center with one of my new frosting tips that I bought to replace my old ruined one.

And, voila. You end up with a delicious cookie, that is only 78 calories. I liked these a lot, and they’re so small you don’t feel bad about eating, like, 5!