Peanut Butter Blossoms

Outstanding epic fantasy writer Julie Weathers jumped up and waved her hands in the air (okay, not really, but she did @ reply me) and she is this week’s guest blogger with some yummy cookies that happen to be on an Army sergeant’s favorites list! These treats are perfect for shipping, so if you have loved ones far, far away, bookmark this recipe and give it a try. Also check out the links below this post, as they are very important!

We welcome Julie to Jinxie’s Kitchen! Don’t mind the boxes. I’m still unpacking.

I told Jinxie darling, I would share a recipe with y’all. Most of you who know me, are aware I bake a lot of cookies for soldiers. I have a few things I have to keep in mind when I make these.

1. They need to taste good, even if they’ve been in transport for two weeks.

2.  They need to ship well.

3.  They need to be simple because you will drive yourself nuts making 300 fancy cookies a week.

I’m also a bargain hunter. After the holidays, certain things go on sale like Hershey’s Kisses in holiday wrappers, holiday M&Ms, nuts, marshmallow crème, and different flavored chips. One of my clearance sale finds was mini Hershey’s Kisses. The package had a recipe on the back to make Peanut Butter Blossoms. These turned out to be the favorite cookies I shipped to Iraq.

Since Will, my son, often worked long hours and didn’t get a chance to eat decent meals, he was living on beef jerky, Dr. Pepper and Honey Buns for a while and gained some weight. He refused to eat my cookies, but he did chow down on these as they were, “pure magic.”

Will started putting the boxes with cookies in the machine shop because guys would come in with flimsy excuses like they needed more ammo when Will was hurrying to get weapons ready for a convoy. He finally figured out what they were doing and put the cookies in the mechanics’ shop so he could get weapon repairs done.

One sergeant in particular loved all the cookies, but especially the Peanut Butter Blossoms. Whenever the cookies arrived, Will tracked down Sgt. Turner to let him know.

“You ain’t funning me are you, Weathers?”

“No, sir. Just got some cookies.”

“Better not be. I can hurt you.”

Will said he was really a man mountain and when he said he could hurt someone that was not an idle comment.

Sgt. Turner went to the shop and got his cookies then settled back into bliss. “Tell yo mama I lover her, Weathers.”

Somewhere, there is a very large Army sergeant who loves me.

Yee haw.

The following recipe is jimmied around a bit. I like my dough to have a certain feel so if it isn’t real firm add more flour. Also, cover with film and let dough “blend” overnight in the fridge. This does make a difference in the way your cookies taste.

Also, if you’re going to bake a lot, I can’t say enough for KitchenAid mixers.

They really are wonderful machines and make baking so much easier. Plus, it’s cheaper in the long run than replacing six mixers a year you catch on fire.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

·48 HERSHEY’S KISSES

·1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco

·3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

·1/3 cup granulated sugar

·1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

·1 egg

·2 tablespoons milk

·1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·1-1/2-2 cups all-purpose flour

·1 teaspoon baking soda

·1/2 teaspoon salt

·Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg and milk. Add soda dissolved in vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Thank you Julie Weathers for such a great cookie recipe and for sharing it with us! Be sure to check out Julie’s blog here or just go to her website here.

If you’re interested in how you can help our soldiers who do so much for us, check out Books for Soldiers and Wounded Soldiers. Support our troops!