Hershey Blossom Cookies

Hershey Blossom Cookies evoke countless delightful holiday memories, particularly during Christmas. The blend of a peanut butter cookie crowned with a Hershey kiss is unmatched.

By Rose Huxford

Nothing embodies Christmas quite like these delightful Hershey Blossom Cookies. They're festive, enjoyable, and I adore the blend of peanut butter and chocolate. I've created a Dairy Free version by replacing the Hershey kiss with a sunflower dairy-free butter cup, and it was just as delicious!

Hershey Blossom Cookies

Yields: ~30 cookies

Pre-heat oven: 350 degrees F

Prep-time: 5 minutes

Bake-time: 10-12 minutes

Total-time: 20 minutes

By Rose Huxford

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, or dairy free earth balance butter sticks

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, or sunflower butter

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup cane sugar, plus 1/4 cup

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 egg, room temperature

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, or GF flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp corn starch

• ~30 Hershey kisses, wrappers taken off

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F.

2. Line 1 or 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.

3. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar to a small bowl, and set it aside.

4. In another dish, add the unwrapped Hershey kisses. Set it aside.

5. In a large bowl, beat the butter for approximately 20 seconds. After that, incorporate the nut butter and mix together on medium speed for 30 seconds. Then, add the sugars and continue to cream for an additional 20 seconds. Finally, add the egg and vanilla, blending until the mixture is well combined.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and corn starch.

7. Incorporate the flour mixture into your butter mixture and use a spatula to blend all the ingredients thoroughly. Ensure no flour is left unincorporated. If the dough appears too soft, you can add about 2 tablespoons more of flour. The consistency should be soft but not so soft that it flattens in the oven; it should maintain its shape firmly. (*Note: if using sunflower seed butter, add an additional 1/4-1/3 cup of flour).

8. In the palm of your hand, take about 1 teaspoon of the dough and roll it into 1" balls. Then, roll the ball into the sugar bowl until completely covered. Place on your prepared baking sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Keep about 1" space between the cookie balls.

9. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookie is golden brown and there are slight cracks on the cookie.

10. Once the cookies are done, pull them out and top each cookie in the center with a Hershey Kiss.

11. Allow to cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.

12. Let them cool completely.

13. These can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month in a in or an air tight container.

14. Perfect as gifts! Enjoy!

By Rose Huxford