Peanut Butter Blossoms became an American cookie jar classic after Freda Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio entered them in the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. She didn’t win the grand prize but the cookie won America — it was inducted into the Pillsbury Bake-Off Hall of Fame in 1999. The combination of a soft peanut butter cookie rolled in sugar with a Hershey’s Kiss pressed into the center while still warm has been a holiday staple ever since.
Ingredients
1¾ c flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ c butter, softened
½ c peanut butter
½ c sugar
½ c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Extra sugar, for rolling
Hershey’s Kisses (1 per cookie), unwrapped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
Gradually add the sugar and brown sugar, creaming well.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing well until a soft dough forms.
Shape into balls using a rounded teaspoon of dough per cookie.
Roll each ball in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately press one unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss firmly into the center of each cookie.
Return to the oven and bake for 2–5 minutes more.
Cool on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Freda Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio created this recipe for the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off — an Ohio original. Unwrap all the Kisses before you start baking so you can press them in quickly while the cookies are still hot.
